Random Access

Wednesday – 22 December 2010
It’s midweek.
Comics (and probably not-Sushi) Wednesday.
Sugar cookie-making with the in-laws day.
And, the day before my parents get to town.

Whew.
I’m already tired.

Tuesday saw a bit of errand-running. I went to the office to drop off Christmas presents to my team and then it was off to lunch with a few other coworkers. We went to Market Street Grill; the service was uncharacteristically slow, but the food was still good (for seafood in a landlocked state, that is!). Next, it was on to the Post Office to drop some Christmas cheer in the mail. After that, I did a little wandering before making it back home.

After dinner, SaraRules! and I went to an advance screening of The Green Hornet.  (Thanks to Melissa S. for the passes. I have been… leery… of the movie, especially when it was announced that Seth Rogen would be starring. My main concern was that it would be more along the lines of “The Green Hornet meets The Hangover.” While there was some camp and a few places where belief had to be suspended, it was a fun movie. I don’t see it as an Oscar contender, but it was definitely entertaining. As I told SaraRules!, “I was trying to put it on a scale between The Spirit (bad) and Superman (good), in terms of superhero movies.  It’s definitely more Superman than Spirit.”

(7) … possibly even (8)

Stray Toasters

• By now, I’m Ivory Soap sure that most people have seen the DeSean Jackson punt return that gave the Eagles the win over the Giants on Sunday… but have you seen it redone in Tecmo Bowl? Check it out:
• Pa. boy to be tried for murder as adult; historic sentence looms
• FCC Is Set to Regulate Internet Access
• ‘Flash mob’ results in California mall evacuation
• From another TED talk: Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders
• 
• This entry, from DC Comics’ The Source blog, may just contain three of the funniest Batman related pages that I have ever read. And, they are only made funnier given the fact that Aquaman is delivering the lines. Yes… that Aquaman.
• I saw this a few days ago, but let it ride.  Then I started thinking about it and decided to add it to this morning’s ‘Toasters: Racists Totally Freak Out Over Idris Elba Playing Norse God in ‘Thor’
  • In a Quote of the Day-worthy note, my brother-in-law,, had this to say:
    

    “Let me get this straight: Douchebags are upset because a black dude is playing a completely fictional character from Norse mythology.  Is that correct?  Glad to know our country’s capacity for getting upset over totally inane bullshit hasn’t waned any…”

  • Related note: if you have a chance, watch the Penny Arcade TV “Racist Clock” video, mentioned in this article, as well. It’s doesn’t really take off until about 2 minutes in, but it’s worth it.
  • Additional related note: All I have to say is “Wow…” about the Council of Conservative Citizens. While I don’t agree with their ideology, I support their right to think and believe what they will…. with the notable exception of Item #2 in their Statement of Principles. Chalking this one up to the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.
• From the “Yes, these were parts of our history…” files:
  • Discussing Civil Rights Era, a Governor Is Criticized
  • Charleston’s ‘secession ball’ a contentious start to Civil War’s 150th anniversary
• Cartoon Network’s ‘Young Justice’ to Begin Regular Rotation on January 7

I’m sure that there are a lot of other things I could add to this post, but I’ll just wrap up here.

Namaste.

Monday – 20 December 2010
The song says, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.”  Today is Monday. It is also… snowy, although there may be some rain falling somewhere in the valley. However, this combination is far from getting me down. Why?

1. I’m on vacation.
2. It’s only three more sleeps till my parents get here!
3. It’s only four more sleeps till my uncle gets here!
4. It’s only five more sleeps until Christmas!
5. Did I mention that whole “vacation” thing? I did?  Okay, good. Just making sure.

Yesterday, SaraRules! and I knocked out a little more eleventh-hour Christmas shopping. That was good. After that, we came home for a bit. During the down time, I fired up the 360. I was planning on playing a little bit of LEGO Batman, but Fate had other plans in store: messaged me and invited me to play HALO: Reach online with him and . As I hadn’t played Reach online (heresy, I know…) and as I was going to be able to play with a couple of friends, I pulled Batman out, put Reach in and played for a bit.

A short while later, SaraRules! and I headed over to Sanaz and Logan’s. On the docket: Dinner and making/decorating a gingerbread Christmas tree:

All-in-all, it turned out well.  Steve brought the video camera, to record the event, so I’m Ivory Soap sure that there will be a trailer – if not a full-on movie – showing our exploits. Dinner was very good; we had turkey legs, homemade mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, asparagus and cranberry sauce.

After we returned home, SaraRules! watched The Godfather, which I recently realized that I had never seen in its entirety. It was good. Very good. My only complaint was the pacing — there were places in the film where you couldn’t get a firm grasp on just how much time had elapsed. Other than that, I can easily see why it’s on so many people’s favorite movie list.

Instant Replay: Football

New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
24 – 30
Drew Brees and the Saints came marchin’ into M&T Bank Stadium… …and the Ravens sent ’em marchin’ back home with a loss. Joe Cool and the boys started out strongly, but let the lead slip away in the second half. The game ended with another Ravens interception, this time delivered by DE Cory Redding. With this win, the Ravens go to 10-4 and are still very much in the hunt for the AFC Playoffs Wild Card, as the #5 seed.

Coach Harbaugh! Hey, Coach!  Hey… your team just beat last year’s Super Bowl champions and are currently the #5 seed in the AFC Playoff picture!  How does that make you feel?

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Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
23 – 39
The Raiders busted the Broncs in this division win. Congrats, SaraRules! and 1silver_seraph.

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Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
12 – 19
The Panthers hosted the Cards… …and found a way to come up with a win. Sorry, Marr.

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Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
17 – 19
The Bengals came away with the win in this “Battle of Ohio” Congrats, carefreespirit and janietrain!

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Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
17 – 14
The ‘Fins dropped this one to the Bills, making them 0-3 against division rivals this season.

Stray Toasters

• Your Apps Are Watching You
  • Full database of apps/information shared, as tested
• Lewis Delivered Passionate Speech
  Ray Lewis..!? Passionate about football..!?  This is a surprise to whom, really?
• Many High Schools Offering “Computer Science” Really Aren’t
• Hailee Steinfield: For a Young Actress, a Gritty Debut
• 
• Pentagon Plan Won’t Cover Brain-Damage Therapy
• Save the Wedding Date: Any Time Before Krypton Explodes
  • In a semi-related note: Stuart Immonen’s take on the origins of some of Superman’s 1990s’ Rogues Gallery
• The underwater sculpture of Jason de Caires Taylor
• Best Buy Puts an End to Tyrannical Restocking Fees

Namaste.

Tuesday – 14 December 2010
Last night, , and my former coworker, Josh, came over to watch Monday Night Football. After the game, SaraRules! and I watched the latest DC Animated Short: Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. It was pretty good. They did a decent job of telling the origin of DC’s Captain Marvel and of introducing one of his main antagonists, Black Adam. The DVD also included the short features with Green Arrow, Jonah Hex and The Spectre, as seen on other DC Animated DVDs.

Instant Replay: Football

Batimore Ravens at Houston Texans
34 – 28
The Ravens seriously tried to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory… but managed to eke out a win over the Texans. In the first half, the Ravens were solid on both sides of the ball. They went into halftime with a 21-point lead, 28-7. I’m not sure what happened in the locker room, but the same team didn’t take the field in the third quarter. Perhaps they got a bit cocky and complacent. Whatever it was, they blew their lead. The only Ravens score in the second half came from WR David Reed‘s 103-yard kickoff return, which opened the third quarter. For the rest of the half, the offense couldn’t quite pull it together and the defense looked tired and beat. One of the most telling plays was when LB Jarret Johnson – normally one of the faster linemen – tried to chase down Texans’ QB Matt Schaub… and just looked like he was completely out of gas. And, CB Josh Wilson, acquired this season from Seattle, is becoming one of my favorite new Ravens. He was all over the field last night. He made good defensive plays, including the game-winning overtime interception/touchdown return that ended the game.

Stray Toasters

• I have my parents’ travel itinerary for next week. This is a “good” thing.
• Panel Set to Study Safety of Electronic Patient Data
• By way of  comes: The Suits of James Bond
  • So far, I’ve worn suits yesterday (black suit, white shirt, black holiday tie) and today (olive suit, yellow shirt, burgundy tie with candles). I’m not sure if this will be a week of suits, though.
• For Nyx, Nox and , and others: Hey, why not try the Necronomicon?
• “Avengersaurs” and Its Dino Superheroes Should Be the Next Marvel Event
  One word: “Wolveraptor.”  That’s all I’m saying.
• McCartney Plays Apollo, His “Holy Grail”
• 
• My brother-in-law, , knows of my Christmastime affinity for David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth. Last night, he chose to exploit that knowledge and send me the following (rather funny) video:
  • …and in a related note: Jingle Jams: A Holiday Mix from NPR Music
• Nintendo’s Heroes of the Second World War
• Airlines rake in $4.3 billion in fees; Delta tops list

Namaste.

Friday – 10 December 2010
It’s my day off. I’m trying to decide what to do with the day. has suggested a possible trip to Hobby Stop, which seems like a good suggestion. Other than that, “…the future is wide open,” as Tom Petty said.

Last night, SaraRules! and I decided to go out for an impromptu date night. We saw Harry Potter and Six Months in the Woods the Deathly Hallows (Part I). I realized that it’s apparently been “a while” since I’ve read the book, as there were a few things that didn’t quite seem to fit what I recall from the novel. *shrug* Not a big deal. All-in-all, the movie was entertaining.

Stray Toasters

• I just got back from coffee with , Perry and the kids. It was a far better way to kick off the weekend than just sitting around the house, waiting for the garage door opener installer to show up… which I’m now doing.
• New SUPERMAN Writer Fills JMS’ Shoes But Walks Own Path
  • Must There Be a Superman? – The story that Roberson referenced in the interview
• SantaCon is coming to town…
• Neil Armstrong personally responds to an NPR correspondent’s rhetorical moon-landing questions
  Hmm… based on that second grey section, maybe Michael Bay’s take on the moon landing (as seen in the Transformers 3 trailer) wasn’t so far off.
• 
• Modern Treasure Hunts for the Whole Family
• The Doc and Rooch Show – lots of interesting O-Scale railroading videos
• I’m not typically a huge Conan O’Brien fan. (There, I said it.) This morning, there was an item on DC Comics’ Facebook page titled “Conan Gets Animated,” with the following description:
  

  Since the WB lot is home DC Comics, Conan realizes his dream of becoming a superhero!

  Well, then. With a lead-in like that, I was curious. Conan and a camera crew headed over to the WB animation studios and talked with Peter Girardi and then had a character drawn… by Bruce Timm:

• Renee Fleming to be Consultant at Lyric Opera of Chicago
• Wine Library TV
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Goat heads left on Hyde Park doorsteps
• Sports Stars Seek Profit in Catchphrases
• I just got pocket-dialed by a friend from back home. Naturally, I called him back and we chatted for about 10 minutes. It was a nice surprise.

Okay… off to wait some more.

Namaste.

Thursday – 09 December 2010
I’d like to wish a “Happy No Bad News Thursday” and a “Happy Birthday” to my good friend and favorite comic book-reading, motorcycle-riding band director: MarknTyme

Congratulations on completing another circle around the sun!

Last night was D&D (4th ed.) game night. And, like Tuesday’s game, there were zombies. During the game, I encountered an interesting phenomenon (do DO do-do-do!): My dice rolled fairly well for me… but failed to roll well three consecutive times when I was trying to keep Jack’s character from dying. (No, it wasn’t because I was planning on looting his corpse. This time.) Other than that, it was a good night’s gaming session. And, as an added “plus,” it seems as though my former coworker, Josh, will be joining our group.

Stray Toasters

• Somehow, I managed to leave home without making a cup of coffee.
  This may mean that I need to pencil in a trip to Pin-up Girl Espresso in this afternoon’s agenda.
• Did you see Inception and wonder how the layers of dreaming were supposed to map with reference to each other?  Wonder no more: The Definitive Inception Dream Layer Map, Drawn by Christopher Nolan Himself (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
• ComicsAlliance’s Holiday Card Series: Belated Happy Hanukkah!

  

  (Click image to read the full article and the rest of the card.)

• Apple Ban on iPhone Donation Apps Anger Nonprofits
• and I traded links to a few model railroad layout and scenery building videos on YouTube last night. There are more than “a few” of them out there.
• Why some holiday specials are still special, and others aren’t
• Pro-WikiLeaks hackers target Mastercard, PayPal
  • Amazon Could Be Next Site Brought Down by WikiLeaks’ Supporters
• The trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon has been released; thanks to for making sure that I saw it.

  Before everyone gets all excited about how good it looks and psyched up to go see it, let me remind you of one thing: The trailer for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen looked good, too… and we all remember how that turned out. Just something to keep in mind.

• Chaplains Worry About Careers if ‘Don’t Ask’ Is Lifted
• SpaceX launches Falcon 9 into orbit
• Four Ravens Lead Pro Bowl Fan Voting

• Buy a Colorful Clock That Tells Time in Three Dimensions
• Visit the Manhattans of Our Wildest Imaginations

And with that…

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 08 December 2010
New comics today?  Yep.
Sushi for lunch?  I believe so.
D&D (4.0) game tonight? Yes, indeed.
Verily, I proclaim that this shall be a good day.

Last night was D&D (3.5) game night with and company. After a three-week hiatus, it took us a few minutes to recall exactly where we were (in an underground cathedral) and what we were doing (getting ready to fight a group of zombies). Not so surprisingly, things fell into place pretty quickly once those details were recalled. We fought. We didn’t die. Life was good. Post-zombie attack, we quested into the cathedral’s lower levels, met some other… figures (that’s about the best I can give ’em at this point, as they weren’t exactly alive, but not undead, either). With their help, we finished a quest – and lost our NPC – and made our way back out of the cathedral and back to a safe haven. It was a good night.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! has already had to deal with a monkey today. Feh.
• Steve Wozniak leads a Computer History Museum tour
• 2010’s most provocative celebrity is…
  • …in a related note and courtesy of :



• At California School, Parents Force an Overhaul
• I’m amused by Kevin Maguire’s description of his soon-to-be-seen character, Tanga, for DC Comics:
  

  Tanga is a girl who has been flying around the fringes of space looking for some kind of intelligent contact. She’s seeking some kind of connection, any kind of connection. She legitimately feels like there’s no one else in the universe quite like her. She’s right about that. She possesses both enormous cosmic power and an inability to self-edit, a combination that will, inevitably, always lead her into trouble. My short hand pitch has always been “The power of the Silver Surfer and the personality of Sarah Silverman”

• Lawmakers call on TSA to release X-ray inspection records
• 
• And here’s another item for The Covet List.

And with that…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 07 December 2010
Today is the 69th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day.

We have a visitor in our office today. I’m hoping that the fact that…

Oh, my lucky stars! A Negro!¹

…was the first thing that popped into my head after seeing him is an indicator that it’s going to be a good day.

Yesterday, I was visited by the UPS and USPS Fairies. The UPS Fairy brought the first wave of parts for my new computer arrived; now I need to figure out what I want to get next.  The USPS Fairy brought the other new arrival: my Department 56 Lionel Electric Train Shop.

and Ryan came over to watch last night’s highly-hyped Jets-Patriots game (1, 2) Too bad the game didn’t live up to the hype. The Pats steamrolled the Jets. Badly. They broke ’em down like fractions.

Stray Toasters

• Tyranist and I had a discussion yesterday about which is more terrifying: slow, shambling zombies or fast-moving zombies/”rage-infected” humans and why.
• State Department Daily Is Window on Jittery Planet
• TSA workers, experts worry about radiation exposure
• 
• Cthulhu Playing Cards
• A couple of items from NPR Music:
  • Israel Kamakawiwo’ole: The Voice of Hawaii
  • 5 Best Cover Songs of 2010
• In the Wild, a Big Threat to Rangers: Humans
• 
• pointed me in the direction of this: Awesome fan-poster for Green Lantern movie
• WikiLeaks Founder Warns About More Dispatches
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Denver bomb squad defeats 8″ toy robot after hours-long standoff
• For Steve Harvey, all this attention is rewarding, scary

Julie just referred to someone as “…[her] new monkey.”  I think that my day is now complete.

Namaste.

1 – That quote comes from Brendan Fraser’s character, Adam, in Blast From the Past.

Monday – 06 December 2010
This morning was grey and rainy. That, naturally, brought Rainy Days and Mondays to mind. In this case, however, I was glad to see the rain: It cleared out a lot of the dirt, grit and grime (and just general “uck”) that’s been in the air, thanks to the inversion.

Yesterday was a good day. SaraRules! and I started the day with breakfast with shockpuppet and . They fixed a very nice fare, including a broiled grapefruit dish.  I’m not usually a fan of cooked fruit – the grilled pineapple found at Brazilian steakhouses being a notable (and possibly sole) exception – but the grapefruit was actually very good. All-in-all, we had a nice time.

After breakfast, I headed over to West Valley Hobbies to see if there was anything that I couldn’t live without. There were a few things that I found tempting – including an N&W six-car hopper set from MTH, but nothing that couldn’t wait a while.  SaraRules! and I  also made a pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden. *genuflect* Later in the evening, we headed up to the in-laws’ for dinner and football. After the game, we headed home and watched the season finale of The Walking Dead.

Instant Replay: Football

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
13 – 10
The Ravens hosted the Steelers in what Sunday Night Football was calling “Grudge Match.” It was a low-scoring game and it looked as though Baltimore might actually pull off a win over the Boys from Steeltown… but it wasn’t to be. I don’t know who blew the coverage, but S Troy Polamalu strip-sacked Ravens QB Joe Flacco and the fumble was recovered by a Steelers lineman (whose name eludes me) and run back to the 10-yard line. The Steelers took the lead on the ensuing drive. Flacco and company drove the ball down the field, but on the last 4-2 play (with 38 seconds on the clock), Flacco underthrew WR Anquan Boldin and turned the ball over on downs.

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Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins
13 – 10
The Dolphins lost to the Browns. Somewhere, lj user=”zeeke” is smiling…

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Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
28 – 13
I don’t know what has gotten into the Raiders, but it looks like this is their rebuilding season… and they’ve been paving the way with some pretty notable wins. Congrats, SaraRules! and 1silver_seraph.

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Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
33 – 17
The Panthers lost on the road.

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New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals
34 – 30
The Saints beat the Bengals in this one.Sorry, carefreespirit and janietrain.

Stray Toasters

• Stray Toasters will return tomorrow… if you’re good.

Namaste.

Sunday – 05 December 2010
It’s a quiet morning…

…aside from the birds chirping in the trees outside.

I’m awake earlier than I had planned, but am enjoying the fact that we’re actually going to see the sun today.

Yesterday morning, I put up Christmas tree #1. It’s downstairs, in the family room. Next, I got my things together for a tournament at Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. There were only five (That’s right, “5”) players this week, but it was still a fun event. The theme was “Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting…,” in which all figures had to have the “Martial Artist” keyword in order to be eligible for use. A lot of teams used either Bullseye and/or The Question (Renee Montoya). Mine was no exception:

• Batgirl
  (gallery cr-figure-014)
• Bronze Tiger
  (gallery th-figure-032)
• Bullseye
  (gallery ws-figure-042)
• The Question
  (gallery aa-figure-004)

They fared well, going 2-1 on the day. Technically.  (Since I was playing the “bye” rounds, I couldn’t “win.”) But, as I mentioned before: It was fun.

On the way home from Dr. Volt’s, I stopped at The Train Shoppe. Yeah, yeah… I know… “Addict.”  Duh. In an exhibition of willpower worthy of a Green Lantern, I refrained from buying anything “big.”  I did, however, pick up a few small “Christmas” trees and a set of telephone poles for the city side of my layout. I also met an older couple while there; they were looking to start an O gauge railroad. Jeff (the Shoppe’s owner) talked with them about some of the differences between Lionel and MTH. I mentioned to them that I had purchased a Lionel set a few months ago and how happy I was with it…. and how quickly it had grown in the past four months.

After heading home for dinner, SaraRules! and I went errand-running. And then, we hit the gym:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Squats: 2 sets/10 reps, bar only (so…. 45 lbs+)
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps
• Rows: 2 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/10 reps per leg, 15 lbs dumbbells per hand
• Jackknifes: 2 sets/10 reps

When we got home, we started in on Mad Men Season 3 until it was time to go pick up Christmas Tree #2. The tree retrieval process was fairly easy and relatively painless: We bagged and cling-wrapped the tree, put it (and the accessories that came with it) in the car and brought it home. The tree and wreath look very nice in the living room and work very well with the room’s color scheme:

Now, it’s just a matter of getting some of the other Christmas decorations up…

Stray Toasters

• I finally picked up a copy of Superman: Earth One yesterday.

  

  J. Michael Straczynski crafted a well-told take on Clark Kent’s introduction to Metropolis and the world’s introduction to Superman. I recommend it.

• The Everyman’s Guide to Black Tie
• How Much Should You Tip for the Holidays?
• Dream Home: A Converted Firehouse with Fire Pole
  Come on… like you wouldn’t love to have one of those in your home.
• The 12 Most Ridiculous Moments in Travel – 2010 Edition
• 
• Vast Hacking by a China Fearful of the Web
• Law and the Multiverse: Applying real-world law to comic books

Next: Breakfast with the shockpuppet and .
Later: The Ravens host the Steelers tonight on Sunday Night Football.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 30 November 2010
Day Two of the work week and the day started with the sun beaming over the mountains.
No new snow.
No heavy clouds.
Just bright sun.

It’s nice.
Now, if we can only get above freezing…

Last night, came over and we watched the Niners-Cardinals game. I don’t know what happened to the Cards, but they looked far from the Super Bowl contenders from last season. The Niners, on the other hand, looked pretty solid.  I was happy to see QB Troy Smith have a decent game.

Stray Toasters

• Tonight, SaraRules! and I are heading to the Festival of Trees. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find and bid on a tree that we like.
• Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves
• Alex Santalo His Avengers and X-Men Heads Big and His Art Happy
  

  

• Tiny house movement thrives after real estate bust
• Ten Questions Science Must Answer
• 
• Moved by the Spirit: Celebrating ‘Revelations’ at 50
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: TSA scans uniformed pilots, but airside caterers bypass all screening

And, now… back to the grind.

Namaste.

Sunday – 28 November 2010
It’s been a good weekend. After five days off, I’ll be sad to see it end tomorrow.

Thanksgiving was good and it was a lot of fun. We had lots of good food and the wonderful company of family and friends. And, there was football, to boot.

Friday was pretty low-key. We slept in – and stayed in – to avoid the early bird shoppers. It worked pretty well. We ventured out in the afternoon and found some crowds, but nothing insurmountable. We also took in a movie: Faster. It was a pretty good revenge film. The action started about five to ten minutes into the movie. A little while after the movie, we hit the gym:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 135 lbs
• Lat pulldowns: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Shoulder Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Lunges (10 lbs/hand): 2 sets, 12 reps/leg
• Crunches: 2 sets/15 reps

There may have been something else, but I don’t recall at the moment. Either way, I’ve been enjoying being back in the gym.

After the gym (and a shower), it was off to meet the usual suspects for Clitorati.

Saturday, we did a little more shopping. This time, we went in search of this year’s Christmas ornament… and we came home with two: We found a nice snowflake-shaped one for our family ornament and I found a B&O Railroad locomotive ornament. (Oh, come on… it’s train-related AND it’s B&O. Did you really expect me to pass it up?!)

Post-shopping, and I headed up to Ogden. We had a plan to head up to The Wonderful World of Trains. On the way, I remembered that I’d heard of another shop a little north of WWoT and figured that we should kill two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, the second shop was out of business. At Wonderful World, we both found “a few” things that we liked. I wound up picking up a few more track sections and two sets of #65 Yard Lights. and a couple of unlighted Grade Crossings. (By the way: The lights in the rail yard look good.)

Stray Toasters

• I watched the premieres of Cartoon Network’s Firebreather and Young Justice over the weekend. Both were good, with YJ edging out Firebreather, in my book.  I’ll cover them (hopefully) this week in Four-Color Coverage.
  



• Paul Winfield and Lance Henriksen look so… young… in The Terminator.
• Songs We Love: Going Postal
• Rachel sent me a link to this, which made me laugh (click for larger image):



• 8 superpowers that would make everyday life awesome
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Carstache
• The Lionel.com website has a ColdFusion back end.  Huh.
  • In a related note, I had an issue and needed help from Lionel’s customer service last week. It required a couple of exchanges of email, but they handled the problem quickly and courteously.
• Flacco, Mason Go At It Wednesday
  I like Byrne’s ideas of how their “conversation” went , but I really like the exchange between former coach Brian Billick and his offensive line coach, Jim Colletto.
• The Train Lady

I should get ready; Chris is coming over shortly.  We’re either playing ‘Clix or HALO:Reach.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 24 November 2010
Today begins my 5-day weekend.
I celebrated by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks.

Yesterday, we were forecast to have a huge blizzard. We got a few inches of snow. That’s not too bad. The main concern, however, was that the today’s temperature is not supposed to get above freezing. With that in mind, The Council for Better Driving: Utah reminds all drivers to take care when venturing out on the roads today.

Last night, SaraRules! and I did something we haven’t done in a while: We watched NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. It’s kind of funny, considering that we have the shows set to record on the DVR. SaraRules! had also baked cookies and fixed hot chocolate.  Win-Win!

After watching TV, I went to work on the model railroad. More specifically, I reconfigured the layout. Again. This time, I’ve gone with a U-shaped layout, with a 4’x8′ table on either side of the room with two tracks running between them, along the base of the U:

This allows me to have a residential/commercial setting on the right table and a rail yard on the left table. (As you can see, the rail yard could use a little more track… but all things in good time.) I also have about three feet of clear space at the end of the right table that I could use to expand that side of the layout, If I’m feeling adventurous. Another thing that I like about this setup is that I’m literally in the middle of the action; yeah, it’s kind of geeky, but it makes me smile.

Something that I’d love to do – time, money, and space allowing for it – is to put a bridge (or two) over the span in the middle. I think that would just look neat. With that, I’m also trying to see if I could do a short run – or maybe just a passing line – under the bridge.  But, that will mostly depend on how much clearance the track has from the top of the board.

Stray Toasters

• Guess who’s making a sweet potato pie today…
• This seems like a good time to talk about trains
• By way of comes: Adam Savage: TSA saw my junk, missed 12″ razor blades
  • 9 Super-Heroes That Are Perfect for the TSA’s New Screening Policies
• From the “Nod Ya Head (Black Suits Comin’)” file: Black Jerseys Coming Sunday
  



• Matthew Kaufenberg Hand Draws the Happiest Set of Trading Cards You’ll Ever Need
• Debit cards popular but lack credit’s consumer protection
• In Cybertherapy, Avatars Assist With Healing
• 
• Jason Fried: Why work doesn’t happen at work
• Rare Apple I computer sells for $210,000 in London

Namaste.

Tuesday – 23 November 2010
Today is my “Technical Friday,” so it’s “One down, one to go,” as far as this week is concerned.

There is a blizzard warning in effect through 3:00 PM tomorrow. How bad is it predicted to be? Here’s what NOAA has to say about it:

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS ISSUED A
 BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY.

 BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 10PM AND 4AM TONIGHT.
 INTENSE SNOWFALL AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES
 DURING THE TIMEFRAME. 

 * AFFECTED AREA: THE WESTERN UINTA BASIN

 * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
   TONIGHT.

 * TIMING: THE ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
   THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING AND THROUGH TONIGHT.

 * WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE
   LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST
   TONIGHT WITH SPEEDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH
   LIKELY.

 * IMPACTS: A BRIEF PERIOD OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TONIGHT
   WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT OR
   IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TONIGHT.

This is just another sign that SaraRules! and I made the right call in deciding to have Thanksgiving at home this year.

Last night, we watched the Broncos-Chargers game. It looked as though it was going to be interesting… until Denver forgot how to play football. Sure, they had a few moments where it looked like they had glimmers of hope, but they were far and few between.

After the game, we headed to the gym.  That’s right: I got in another workout! Once again, we followed SaraRules!’ routine… with added bench press for me:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Squats: 2 set/12 reps, 65 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/12 reps
• Row: 2 sets/12 reps, 110 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/12 reps per leg, 15 lbs dumbbells in each hand
• “Jackknife”: 2 sets/12 reps

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

Stray Toasters

• I managed to squeeze in a little time to play with my model railroad last night. I also think that I’ve come up with another layout idea. In theory – and in my head – it would both spread out the layout and afford some neat options that might even include a bridge or two.
• Irish Debt Crisis Forces Collapse of Government
• 
• New spinal implant will help people with paraplegia to exercise paralyzed limbs
• Chinese National Stole Ford Secrets Worth More Thank $50 Million
• Play boomerang with your demons
  Shoot to kill and you’ll pop them off
• By way of comes: 200 students admit cheating after professor’s online rant
• Security needs drive cyberforensics industry
• Before the wheel, early man invented Art
• Did you come here for forgiveness
  Did you come to raise the dead
  Did you come here to play Jesus
  To the lepers in your head?
• Embrace Your Inner Mad Scientist with These Beaker Lamps

And with that…

Namaste.

Monday – 22 November 2010
It’s Monday.
At least it’s a short work week.

It isn’t raining (or snowing… yet), although there are some not-quite-ominous-looking clouds coming over the Oquirrh Mountains.  We’ll have to see what they bring.

Yesterday was a good end to a good weekend:

• SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden.
• The Ravens won.
• I beat SaraRules! at Trivial Pursuit… twice!
• And, we watched The Walking Dead and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Like I said: Sunday full of good things.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
37 – 13
The Ravens – who had never beaten the Panthers in regular season play – travled to Bank of America Stadium to take on the ‘Cats… …and won! The game wasn’t televised locally, so I had to rely on NFL.com’s Game Center and Sprint’s NFL Live app, both of which did a great job of keeping me apprised of the Ravens’ status. Not only did the Ravens win, but they also achieved a number of milestones along the way: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh recorded his 600th career reception on his 56-yard touchdown reception. WR Derrick Mason made his 900th career reception with a 10-yard reception in the third quarter. He ranks 13th on the NFL’s all-time list. Safety Ed Reed notched his 50th career interception in the fourth quarter. With his fourth-quarter interception, LB Ray Lewis now has 30 in his career. He’s just the eighth linebacker to reach that mark. It was Lewis’ first touchdown since 2003. With his first-quarter touchdown pass, quarterback Joe Flacco is tied with Vinny Testaverde for most touchdown passes in Ravens franchise history (51). Yeah. Good game. Hopefully, NFL Network will rebroadcast it this week, so I can catch the action.

Coach Fox, the Ravens just handed your team a loss for the first time ever in regular season play… in your own house!  How do you feel about that?

Yeah… I understand.

.

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
3 – 35
After three impressive wins, the Raiders rolled into Heinz Field to take on the boys from Steeltown. The Steelers steamrolled the Raiders in this matchup; but, in true Raiders smash-mouth football style, not with out a fight… or, in this case, a punch: Raiders DE Richard Seymour punched Ben Roethlisberger.  The punch got Seymour ejected, but it also put Roethlisberger on the ground. Sorry, SaraRules! and .

Ref: Coach Tomlin, someone just clocked your QB and dropped him.

Coach Tomlin: Oh, no he didn’t…!
Ref: Yes, Coach.  Yes, he did.

.

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
49 – 31
The Bengals dropped this one to the Bills. Sorry, and .

Stray Toasters

• My quads and glutes are still sore from Saturday’s workout.  *sigh* I really do need to get to the gym more often.
• Administration to Seek Balance in Airport Screening
• 
• Two Treatments for Retina Diseases Make Progress
• Billie Holiday: Emotional Power Through Song
• I didn’t really play with the model railroad this weekend.  I may have to rectify that this evening…
• 
• Courts videoconference defendants to save money
• Don’t believe the devil
  I don’t believe his bunk
  But the truth is not the same
  Without the lies he made up Don’t believe in excess
  Success is to give
  Don’t believe in riches
  But you should see where I live
  I…I believe in love
• Even Before Friday, Retail Deals Will Go Online
• A Mystery: Why Can’t We Walk Straight?

And, I think that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Sunday – 21 November 2010
I like nice, quiet Sunday mornings.

Today was one of those.

I think that a large part of “why” it was so quiet was the sound-dampening effects of the EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW that we received overnight. That’s right… eight inches of snow. I went out and shoveled the driveway… and the sidewalk… and part of the neighbors’ driveway (one of our neighbors is wheelchair-bound, so I figured I could at least make it easy/easier to get him into/out of the car and for that car to get into/out of the driveway).  I also discovered the “joy” of owning a home on a corner lot: You get to shovel two lengths of sidewalk! YAY!!! The whole thing took about forty-five minutes. That’s not so bad, in itself; I’m just thinking about what it will be like on those mornings when I get to wake up early to shovel before going to work… ugh.

Yesterday was a good day. It started off with me judging a HeroClix tournament at Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. As there were nine players, I got to play the bye rounds. I put together a rather fun team:

• Deathstroke

  (gallery cr-figure-028)

• Ghost Widow

  (gallery cv-figure-002)

• Green Lantern

  (gallery cr-figure-023)

• Nightwing

  (gallery cr-figure-029)

• Red Arrow

  (gallery cr-figure-018)

• Valkyrie

  (gallery th-figure-055)

• Winter Soldier

  (gallery av-figure-050)

• Wonder Woman

  (gallery aa-figure-023)

After the game, I stopped in at Hammond Toys to see if they had anything that I couldn’t live without for my model railroad.  They didn’t. Then it was back home.  After dinner (and a nap for me), SaraRules! and I headed to the gym. She had a workout plan, so I just shadowed her. The routine consisted of:

• Deadlifts (barbell): 2 sets/15 reps, 50 lbs
• Lat pulldowns: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Shoulder Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Lunges (10 lbs/hand): 2 sets, 15 reps/leg
• Crunches: 2 sets/15 reps

It was nice to (finally) get back into the gym.  I really need to go more often.

When we got back home, we played a game of Trivial Pursuit: Best of Genus Edition. We started off fairly well matched, but then SaraRules! pulled ahead, because I got a string of History questions that kicked my ass. (Apparently, I didn’t pay quite enough attention in Paul Ganzenmuller’s class in 10th Grade.)

There’s football on TV — I’m watching the Raiders-Steelers game, while tracking the Ravens-Panthers game on NFL.com.

Next up: A trip to The Garden of Sweden.  Amen.

Namaste.