Random Access

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.

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

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

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

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

Instant Replay: Football
The playoffs started this weekend:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stray Toasters

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

  

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

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



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

Namaste.

Friday – 08 January 2010
9/80 Friday… and I don’t have anything on the agenda. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; I will probably wind up doing some cleaning, especially since I’ve been avoiding it for the past few days.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched another movie that’s been in our Netflix Instant Queue for a while: Vanishing Point (1, 2). It was a car chase movie from 1971… and it was… something. Neither of us was quite sure “what,” though. Although, I think that we both agreed that “good” wasn’t it. It was severely disjointed, as if a two or three movies were mashed together, without rhyme or reason. There were not only plot holes, but a distinct lack of continuity in a couple of places – things just seemed to happen and the audience was left to make the connections on their own… if they could. And, despite the addition of a Jerry Reed song on the soundtrack, it’s no Smokey and the Bandit (but, then again, what is?).

Stray Toasters

• This teaser image was on the Wizkids/NECA site this morning:

  

  What does it mean? Quite simply: Wizkids’ May HeroClix release will be a “Blackest Night” Starter set. And, of course, this goes squarely on The Covet List.

• Lewis Suspicious of Brady’s Injury
• The Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary Playing Cards
• There needs to be a Dunkin Donuts in Salt Lake City.
• From The Wall Street Journal: Best and Worst Jobs 2010

• 
• Remnants of the Biosphere
• Big Lebowski rewritten as a work of Shakespeare
• …and in another movie-related item:

  A-Team Trailer – TheFilmStage.com from Clive Owen on Vimeo.

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Potato Salad.
  (Safe for work, but just… plain… weird.)
• Toy Train Runs to Calibrate Sensors in a Princeton Reactor

I should probably give some thought to lunch, too.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 06 January 2010
It’s the middle of the week.
It’s also Comics and Sushi Wednesday.

As I was driving home from work last night, SaraRules called me to ask if I would be working late or if I would be home soon. I was in the parking lot, preparing to pull into my parking spot. She was calling because we had received a package – our Christmas present from my uncle: A gift box from Omaha Steaks. In it was an assortment of meats – beef, poultry and seafood. SCORE! (Seriously… half of our freezer contains meat.) Of course, this means that we have some rather tasty options for dinner over the next two or three weeks.

After dinner – which did not include anything from our newly arrived box o’ goodies – and NCIS, we headed to the gym. It was a good workout. We followed it up with a trip to the store and then back home for a quiet evening.

Stray Toasters

• Yep… it’s turned into Suit Week 2010. Today’s fare: Olive suit, white shirt, olive/rust abstract tie.
• MarknTyme sent me a link to the following picture:

  

  What I didn’t realize, until I read the accompanying article, was that I was familiar with the artist, Cliff Chang, as I had seen his Batgirl/Purple Rain mashup image a few months ago.

• sent me a link to: Men Who Like Comics, a group on Art of Manliness
• Randy Johnson retires after 22 years, 303 career victories
• The Best Times to Buy Anything, All Year Round
• Pirates storm Tampa for Gasparilla festival
• 
• sent me a link to: WineBottler Turns Windows Programs into Standalone OS X Applications
• Nic Cage as Everyone
• Hobby Lobby now has an online store. This could be dangerous…
• Hubble snaps galaxies at birth

Yeah… a Teen Titans-related post requires a Cyborg icon. Selah.

Namaste.

Monday – 04 January 2010
It’s the first work day of the new year. It’s also my first day back in over two weeks. I’m still not sure that I remember all of my logins. We’ll see… maybe… if my system ever recovers from the updates that are being pushed down to it.

Yesterday was a good day, all the way around.  There was sleeping in. There was football. There was dinner with the in-laws and MORE football. After we got home, I even felt up to the challenge of sorting some of my extra ‘Clix into their respective new homes, while SaraRules watched Club Paradise.

Instant Replay: Football
Yesterday was a good day for football, as the playoff picture fell into place:

Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders
21 – 13
This game wasn’t aired here, but SaraRules and I tracked it on NFL.com’s Game Center, as the game involved both our teams.The Ravens seemed to play decently and didn’t get themselves saddled with excessive penalties. And, on the other side of the ball, the Raiders had a decent game and just roll over and give away a win. With this win, the Ravens secured a playoff berth (and knocked the Steelers out of playoff contention, in the process). Sorry, SaraRules and 1silver_seraph.

.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns
17 – 23
The Browns handled their business and eliminated the Jags from playoff contention.Congratulations, zeeke.

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Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins
30 – 24
The Steelers headed south to Land Shark Stadium and handed the Fins a loss that also took the them out of playoff contention, even though the Dolphins would have needed losses from other teams to make the playoffs. With this win, and a Ravens’ loss, the Steelers would have made the playoffs.

.

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants
0 – 37
The Bengals took on the Jets… and came away with a loss, in a game that the Jets had to win in order to make the playoffs. Mark Sanchez and company did the home crowd proud, handing the Bengals a big loss on the road. And who do they play next week? The Bengals… but this time, they’ll be playing in Cincinnati. Sorry, janietrain and carefreespirit.

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Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
33 – 7
The Packers traveled to the desert and handed the Cards a loss… and a pretty big one, at that.Sorry, Marr.

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New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
10 – 23
The Panthers handed the Saints a loss……in a game with no playoff implications for either team.

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New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
7 – 44
The Giants headed into Minnesota, just to have Brett Favre and the Vikings serve ’em up a heaping helping of beat-down and eliminating them from the playoff picture.Congratulations, .

Tonight, the Vikings take on the Bears in what should be a good game.

Stray Toasters

• By way of : 10 Purchase not to put on credit cards
• 10 Sci-Fi Weapons that Actually Exist
• 

  (click to find out your score)

  

• Where was this when I needed it: LEGOland California: An Adult Visitor’s Guide
• TSA Special Agent who threatened blogger spaces out, drops notebook in public place
• 
• Avatar smashes $1bn speed record
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: BeautifulPeople.com axes holiday weight gain members

I finally remembered my password. I had changed it on one system, but not the other… and I was trying to enter the wrong password on the first machine. *sigh* But, I finally sussed it out.

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Friday – 01 January 2010
Welcome to 2010.

Today is also the seventh day of Kwanzaa; today ‘s principle is “Imani” or “faith”:

To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Last night, SaraRules and I had a small gathering of friends and family over for a potluck dinner. There were some wonderful dishes and the company was great. It was a quiet and low-key way to say goodbye to 2009 and prepare to welcome in 2010.

After dinner, SaraRules and I settled in for a quiet evening. We turned on the television to watch the (delayed broadcast of the) ball drop in Times Square. We both noted how… old… that Dick Clark looks and sounds; he seems to have deteriorated quickly since his stroke a couple of years ago.

Today is… unscheduled. And that’s not a bad thing. I’m sure that we’ll come up with something to do. And tonight, we’re getting together with the usual suspects for Clitorati.

Stray Toasters

• I’m watching the Tournament of Roses Parade. They had a really nice float featuring the Tuskeegee Airmen.
• TSA drops subpoenas against bloggers who published security directive
• Moscow’s full-body scanners in action
• While it briefly crossed my mind last night, I just remembered that I need to come up with some sort of team to play in tomorrow’s tournament, just in case I have to play someone in a bye round…
• 
• Pope’s peace message focuses on environment
• Stuntman’s record-breaking car jump in Florida
• Chocolate Weapons

Namaste.

Monday – 28 December 2009
Week 2 of vacation kicks off… and I’m trying to decide what to do with myself. Blah.

Today is also the third day of Kwanzaa. Today’s principle is:”Ujima” or “collective work and responsibility”:

To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.

Yesterday, we headed over to the in-laws’ to see Meliko before she headed back to sunny (and warmer) California. After that, we came back home for a quiet day. Last night, we watched House of Flying Daggers. For some reason – despite owning the movie – I had never seen it before. If I had to summarize it in three words, I’d have to go with:

1. Love
2. Betrayal
3. Duty

It was very good. I enjoyed the story, cinematography, the acting and the costuming. It also ended differently than I expected, but it was quite fitting.

Instant Replay: Football
So, I got married a couple of months ago. This isn’t exactly “news.” In the process, I not only gained another set of parents (so to speak), but I also inherited a new set of grandparents. Not only that, but grandmother-in-law is a football fan. More specifically, she’s an Arizona Cardinals fan. And she “gently reminded” me that I’ve been… remiss… in covering Cards games in my football coverage. So, starting this week, the Cards will get added to the list o’ teams that I run down.

And with that, on to the games:

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
20 – 23
I was surprised to see this televised in this market. Pleasantly surprised, yes, but surprised, nevertheless… The Ravens played a decent game. I’d love to say that they played a “good” game, but they shot themselves in the foot with senseless penalties. How bad were the penalties? Well, let’s just say that they killed two scoring opportunities, which would have secured a win. Despite giving the game away, Baltimore is still in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card spot, although they have dropped to the #7 Seed. They need a win in Oakland next week to get a Wild Card spot.

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Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
9 – 23
The Raiders dropped this one to… the Browns. Sorry, SaraRules and 1silver_seraph. Congratulations, .

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Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins
27 – 20
Last week, it was the “former Houston team.” This week, it was the “current Houston team.” Both weeks, it was a loss.

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Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
10 – 17
A late-in-the-game TD by Chad Ochocinco Johnson secured the win for the Bengals. Congratulations, and .

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St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals
10 – 31
This was another game that wasn’t broadcast locally, but it looks as though the Cards had this one well in hand. Congratulations, Marr.

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Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
41 – 9
The Panthers went on the road to face the Giants in the last game to be held in The Meadowlands… …and they came away with a win. A big win, at that.

In other football news

• The Indianapolis Professional Football Club suffered their first defeat of the season, handed to them by the Jets… after Indy benched all of their starters.
• The New Orleans Saints also took one on the chin in overtime… from the Buccaneers.

Tonight, the Vikings take on the Bears in what should be a good game.

Stray Toasters

• I’ve been meaning to post these for the past two days: Saturday morning, when we left the apartment, there was a trio of hot-air balloons overhead. By the time I got my camera, I missed the first one, but I got the other two:

  
  (click for larger images)

  And, how cool a way is it to start off the day with balloons?!

• MarknTyme sent me a link to Car Lust: Great Cars of Song – Red Barchetta. It not only gives the background of the Rush song, it also includes a link to the story, A Nice Morning Drive, which served as the song’s inspiration.
• Percy Sutton, trailblazing businessman, dies at 89
• For :

  

• Antique Steam Engine Rescues Passengers After Electric Trains Fail in the Bitter Cold
  • This is the LEGO Emerald Night. I find that it looks like the train in the story above.
• The Fastest Train in the World
• Tori Amos’ Track-by-Track Guide to “Little Earthquakes”
• I believe that I posted a link to this before, but 60 Minutes rebroadcast the story last night, so here it is again: The Birdmen

  
  Watch CBS News Videos Online

• Why transplants use ‘imperfect’ organs
• The Mysteries of Rabies

Okay, it’s time to find some trouble to get into.

Namaste.

Sunday – 27 December 2009
It’s almost 0930 and I’m awake. No phone. No knocking on the door. Just… awake and not feeling like sleeping any longer. I’m a little surprised, as I didn’t exactly make it “an early night” last night. *shrug* Onward and upward…

Today is also the second day of Kwanzaa. Today’s principle is “Kujichagulia” or “self-determination”:

To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

When I first read that, the thing that popped immediately into mind was the line from The Greatest Love of All:

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can’t take away my dignity

I think that the song, first out in 1977 – no, Whitney Houston wasn’t the first one to sing it (neither was Eddie Murphy) – exemplifies the principle of self-determination quite well.

Yesterday was a rather lazy day, with an odd set of bookend moments. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, it started with breakfast with Perry and the kids. After some downtime at home, I decided to get out for a bit; I visited , as I hadn’t really talked with him in a while. After that, I met SaraRules at home and we then headed up to her parents’ place to see her brother’s girlfriend, who’s in town for the holiday. On the way home, I got a text message asking if I was up for getting some coffee; this came from my friend, Adrian, whom I haven’t seen in a couple of months’ of Sundays. I said that I was and wound up spending a couple of hours catching up… in the same restaurant where I had breakfast. (Have I mentioned “Welcome to Small Lake City,” lately?)

Today, the Ravens take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh. They beat the Steeltown boys a few weeks ago; it will be interesting to see if they can sweep them for the season.

Stray Toasters

• Reading Practice Can Strengthen Brain ‘Highways’
• Amazon Sells More eBooks on Christmas than Real Books
• Brain Cancer Genes Found
• 
• Cinderella Revisited: Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’
  We saw Utah Opera’s staging of this last year.
• She Has No Head! – A Feminist Dialogue about Girl Comics

Namaste.

Tuesday – 22 December 2009
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas the vershluggen inversion has set in… permanently. Fortunately, weather forecasters say that we have a stormfront moving in that will bring snow showers tonight or tomorrow. That should help clear the air for Christmas… I hope.

After yesterday’s outing with SaraRules and my m-i-l, we came home and had a little downtime. Said time included a much-needed nap for me. After I got up, SaraRules and I hit the mall to pick up a couple of gifts – in and out of the mall in under ten minutes(!) – and then headed downtown.

We met and checked out the lights at Temple Square. Let me rephrase that: “We planned to meet Nyx and wound up waiting for each other on opposite corners of the same intersection for about fifteen minutes before meeting up to see the lights at Temple Square.” Yeah, that is a much better explanation. And it’s far closer to the way things turned out. Let me also add: It was COLD last night. Seriously cold. Temple Square had throngs of people, which is far from atypical, especially at this time of year. The lights were nice and there were five Nativity creches to see, as well. Pictures of the outing can be seen here.

After the lights, SaraRules, Nyx and I headed to Coffee Connection to meet up with 365DayGirl. Nyx had been there – and mentioned that I should check it out – before. It was something of an eclectic place: The main entry area has a spartan, almost industrial feel; the “study area” was full of booths and had a bit of a diner-like feel to me; and the “lounge” area was full of couches and had a much more casual feel. We hung out and chatted for a while before calling it a night.

Stray Toasters

• Thank Heaven, God and Baby Jesus for polypropylene long underwear.
• How to Practice Mindfulness
• Nyx sent me links to two amusing sweatshirts last night:
  • Green Lantern
  • Shredder
• While watching How Do They Do It? yesterday afternoon, they had an item about modular houses built – within a week – by Huf Haus.
• 
• How to Teach Physics to Your Dog
• It looks as though Corey Ivy will be taking Lardarius Webb’s place in the Ravens’ lineup.
• Someone on HCRealms has posted a picture of the “Buy It by the Brick” HeroClix figure for the upcoming “Brave and the Bold” set:



• East Coast Blizzard Seen From Space
• District 9 is out today.
• I’m not sure how many – if any – of you are familiar with the Mark Millar comic book, Kick-Ass…
  

  Dave Lizewski, an otherwise ordinary New York City high school student and the child of Greg Willer, loving single father, takes his interest in comic books as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. He assembles a suit and mask, which he wears under his normal clothing, begins exercising, and practices things like walking on roofs, sating his ambitions for a time. He eventually seeks to fight crime, with his first attempt leading him to receive a severe beating and stabbing by thugs, followed by his wandering into the street and being hit by a car.^[1] He retains his secret identity, however, stripping off and hiding his costume before paramedics arrive.

  …but there’s a live-action movie coming out next year. One of the characters in the book is Hit-Girl, a 12-year-old vigilante who patrols the city with her father, Big Daddy (portrayed by Nicolas Cage). Here’s a trailer of Hit-Girl’s… um… “greatest hits.” (Definitely for mature audiences)

• Climate, Habitat Threaten Wild Coffee Species
• Monkey knife-fighting with octopus tattoo

Time to get out there and face the day.)

Namaste.

EDIT
I just got a message from my father: Our holiday cards were shipped to Maryland, rather than here… despite my calling FedEx to verify where they were supposed to go. *sigh* On the “plus” side, Dad had them Express Mailed here; we should have them tomorning.

Monday – 21 December 2009
Vacation is good.
Sleeping in is good.
And in a bit, shopping will be good, as well. Not so much because of the joy of the crowds… but that’s to be expected at this time of year. The bonuses are that I’m hanging out with SaraRules and her mother… and that there’s a trip to Hobby Lobby involved. I don’t really need anything from there, but it’s Hobby Lobby and you just don’t know what you’ll find.

Yesterday was a good day that also involved some sleeping in. After that, there was football. And that was mostly good (details below). Then we were off to the in-laws’ for dinner and more football. Then, back home for downtime and a movie: Run, Lola, Run. I had heard of the movie before, but never seen it. So, thank you, Netflix. It was… interesting. I enjoyed the stylized look of the movie, as well as the “What if…?” aspect shown in each version of the story.

Instant Replay: Football
I missed the Thursday and Saturday games of Week 15, but the outcomes were:

• The Colts remain undefeated
• The Saints lost to the Cowboys, but are still atop the NFC playoff chart

In Sunday action:

Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens
7 –31
This was the game that almost became a Monday night doubleheader. As Baltimore got pummeled with two feet of snow, it was questionable whether the Bears would be able to fly in for the game on Sunday. As it was, the NFL agreed to postpone the game from 1300 to 1615. The Bears were able to make it into BWI late Saturday.I would have liked to have seen this game, but it wasn’t aired in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. But, from the NFL.com Game Center coverage, it looked as though the Ravens came to play on both sides of the ball. Additionally, this win not only keeps the Ravens in the hunt for an AFC Wild Card spot, it moves them up to the #6 Seed.

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Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
20– 19
The Raiders took this one away from the Broncos… in Mile High Stadium. And that’s not even the crazy thing.  The “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” moment belongs to Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell – who came in when Charlie Frye was taken out of the game – and led the drive that sealed the Raiders’ win.Congratulations, SaraRules and 1silver_seraph.

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Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans
13 – 23
The Dolphins put up a good fight, but they lost this one in OT, when the Titans scored a field goal, after picking off a pass from Chad Henne.

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Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs
41 – 34
This was another game that wasn’t broadcast locally, but the highlights were all over. The Browns had two players with record-tying or record-setting days: WR Joshua Cribbs returned two punts for TDs, 100 and 103 yds. RB Jerome Harrison rushed for 286 yards. Congratulations, .

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Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
7 – 26
The Vikings went to Charlotte to take on the Panthers. When the game started, I noted that the starting QB for the Panthers was Matt Moore. I don’t remember hearing his name before. In a moment of clarity, I called my friend, William, to find out what the deal was. His response: “He’s Carolina’s savior, now that Delhomme’s on the bench.” And, to his credit, Mr. Moore – along with RB Jonathan Stewart – put on one helluva show, as the Panthers took down the Vikings. Sorry, .

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Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers
24 – 27
This was another game that wasn’t broadcast locally, but this one apparently came down to the wire. Commisserations, janietrain and carefreespirit.

Stray Toasters

• sent me this item for the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: HP Face-Tracking Webcams Don’t Recognize Black People
  I’m not sure whether I should be horribly amused or offended by this.  (I’m leaning towards “amused,” though.) Thanks, HP!
• sent me a link to Punched-Out Font, which she suggested could be used with my ‘Clix pictures.  “BIFF!” “POW!” “BAM!”
• Why Hollywood security is better than the Pentagon’s
• US Officer draws gun on snowball fight crowd

And, now… off to shop!

Sunday – 20 December 2009
Yesterday was a good – and full – day. I started at 0830… and was on the move until around 2300. But, it was worth it.

I started the morning with a call to my uncle; it was his birthday. SaraRules and I talked with him for a few minutes before we headed out to start our respective days: She was shopping with her mother; I was having coffee with Chris and Perry. After that, Chris and I headed up to Dr. Volt’s for another HeroClix tourney (pictures here). This time we had four people (including Chris) show – technically, it was five people… but the fifth showed up after I had started the first matches, so he opted not to play. He said that he’s in for the next tournament, though. Chris won the event, going 3-0.  He played Josh (one of the new arrivals) who until that game was also 2-0. Josh took home the Fellowship prize.

After I dropped Chris at home, I came home and then SaraRules and I headed to Five Guys for burgers and fries. They were, as usual, quite tasty. Back home to change and get ready to head out to the Utah Symphony Holiday Pops with Jerry! concert. It was a lot of fun, with a lot of good music… but, the best part of the concert came just after the concert:

I was walking backstage with SaraRules (she had to put away some work material), when we came to a doorway that led to steps from one of the upper tiers. A few people exited the door, among them an older lady in a red dress.

She turned and looked at me.
I looked at her.

She looked at me… like she knew me.
I looked at her… blankly.

She looked at me… like she knew me… and came over and took my hand.
I stood there… still not knowing her… not quite sure what to say.

“You don’t remember me, do you?  I’m Lotta Mae¹ ” she smiled and said.
“I don’t believe that we’ve met before, ma’am,” I responded, warmly and with a smile.
“Oh… you’re not Eric, are you?”
“No, ma’am… I’m not.”
“Oh, well, then… I’m sorry.”

And, with that she walked off.

SaraRules and I continued down the hallway, she with a grin on her face. I was still completely in the dark as to exactly why, but I did find the situation a bit comical. After we got to her desk, SaraRules explained that after thinking about it, she understood why the woman thought that I was this “Eric” chap. As we were walking out, we saw Eric and she introduced us. Eric…

• …is roughly my height
• …is roughly my build
• …is very similar to my complexion (Yep! There’s another Black guy in Utah!)
• …also has a shaved head
• …was also wearing a black suit.

That’s about where the similarities end:

• He was in a white shirt; I was in a white/purple-striped shirt
• He had a gold jacquard tie; mine was with purple with white/grey squares.
• He was clean-shaven; I have a goatee.

When SaraRules explained to him what had just happened, he broke out in hearty laughter. I did, too. Again. We came to the conclusion that we were apparently Mirror Universe opposites and that Lotta Mae had failed to notice that I was actually the “evil twin.” (And, I actually made a Driving Miss Daisy joke to SaraRules about it on the way back to the car, as well.)

But, it was a heckuva funny way to end the evening. And for that reason, I’m naming Lotta Mae and Eric as co-Humans of the Day.

Stray Toasters

• The Bears – Ravens game has been postponed until 1615 (EST), due to weather.
• Bryan Singer on X-Men: First Class
• By way of Rachel: Star Wars Weather Forecast
  (Enter your city in the text box at the top of the page.)
• ‘Alien’ Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, Dead at 63
• 99 Luftballons, Side-by-Side Comparison – the German translation and the bastardized version that we got in English.
• 
• British troops to get first new camouflage in 40 years
• Traveler’s worst nightmare: East Coast snowfall cancels over 800 flights
• A Lament for Saab

And now, I believe that it’s time for coffee and some form of breakfast.

Namaste.

¹ – I’m not sure that’s how her name is spelled; since this is my story, I get to spell it the way I want. Hopefully, I’m at least close to how it’s supposed to be spelled.

Friday – 18 December 2009
It’s the end of the work week.
It’s also the end of my work year.
And, if that wasn’t enough, it’s a week before Christmas.
And, on top of THAT… in four (4) more days, the days will start getting longer again. Selah.

Last night, SaraRules and I ran some errands and made some (more) Christmas candy. When that was done, we watched Tuesday’s episodes of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening. What we didn’t do was watch the Colts-Jags game; from what we heard from SaraRules’ father, it actually turned out to be a good game. Oh, well. If it comes down to it, I’ll just look for the rebroadcast on NFL Network.

I slept fairly well last night, but – for the third time this week – I woke up due to a rather disturbing dream. You know the kind: The “Should I really be upset with Person X for that…?” kind. It took me a minute or two to realize that the transgression occured in a dream and to calm the urge to tell someone where to go, how to get there and where they could find a pair of gasoline drawers to wear on the way. *sigh* My subconscious is apparently a cruel and evil bastard.

On the plus side, today is the quiet Friday in the office. I’m not saying that one of the Star Wars movies or Green Lantern: First Flight might make their way onto the big monitor today… but I’m not not-saying it, either.

Stray Toasters

• In the name of “holiday cheer” (and just because I could), I’m wearing my Santa hat today.
• I don’t remember who posted this first, but it makes me laugh: What Really Happened
• posted a link to The Morgan Freeman Chain of Command
• YouTube video leads to Hollywood contract
• Office monkeys!  *grblsnrkx*
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Spite Houses, built to piss off the neighbors
• The list of films showing at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival has been posted.
• Vertabrae necklace
• US man freed by DNA evidence after 35 years in prison

Namaste.

Thursday – 16 December 2009
Day 3 of the work week and it’s NBN Thursday, to boot.  That’s a nice combination, no matter how you slice it.

Last night, SaraRules and I had one of her former MFA classmates, Sara… hm… I guess I’ll just have to refer to her as “Sara2″… over for dinner. SaraRules made chicken and dumplings for the entree. The ladies chatted about their experiences in the MFA program, including their trip to NYC a couple of years ago. I’d heard about this trip – part of the trip, anyway – from SaraRules; last night, I got some more behind-the-scenes info and insight, which was both sad and rather funny. All-in-all, dinner and the company were quite fun.

This morning, I woke up when the alarm went off… but I really don’t remember turning the alarm off. I do remember looking at the clock, a couple of minutes after the alarm sounded and wondering why it was not going off and why I was awake.  Yep, it was one of “those” mornings. But, I have my trusty cup of coffee at my side, so things can only look up from here.

Stray Toasters

• December 17, 1903: Bicycle Brothers Make Aeroplane Work Wright
• The new trailer for Iron Man 2 is online; take a look here to check it out.
  • Semi-related: People Magazine Loves The Super Hero Squad Show
• Steampunk Menorah
• Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry dies after fall from truck
• Bank of America names new CEO to replace Ken Lewis
• 
• The Year in Media Errors and Corrections, courtesy of
• Extrasolar ‘Super Earth’ is first to have atmosphere
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Brazil boy found with 40 needles in ‘black magic rite’

Time to make the donuts…

Namaste.

It’s Monday night.
Dinner is in the oven; it was my night to cook.
There’s football on the TV… even though I’m not really invested in the game.

I got some shopping done today, which is a good thing.  I think that I can cover most of the other Christmas shopping online.

Stray Toasters

• Today, we received what I think is the best wedding mail we’ve received from Washington, D.C.:

  

  

• While I was out shopping, I remembered a Christmas CD that my mother has and that I’ve considered buying… but haven’t: Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration

  

  I checked at Best Buy. Nothing.
  I checked Borders… Nothing again.
  So, when I got home I looked it up. Barnes & Noble had it at one location within 60 miles: The B&N that is a couple of doors down from the Best Buy that I went to.

  ::: braincramp :::

  I just got an email saying that that don’t, in fact, have it there.

  *grblsnrkx*

  I’m still toying with the idea of heading down there to look, just in case it wasn’t where they thought it would/should be.

• T Campbell and John Waltrip have done an amazing – and funny – mashup of Disney-Marvel characters:

  
  (click image for full-sized version)

• Ranking DC Comics’ 2009 DVDs, from Great to Ghastly
• This football game – Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – has turned into a FAR more interesting game than I expected.

And now, we’re off!

Namaste.