Random Access

Thursday – 18 August 2011
It’s another NBN Technical Friday here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went to the “non-rehearsal” dinner for Logan and Sanaz. As there wasn’t a pre-wedding rehearsal involved, it was more of a “get both sides of the family-to-be together” dinner. Either way, it was still good. I got to chat with Marie and Stan – SaraRules!’ aunt and uncle from California – whom I haven’t seen since our wedding (aside from a brief video chat at Easter). We also got to meet Sanaz’ grandmother, who’s in from London. Good company, good food, and good conversation made for a rather pleasant way to pass the evening.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
This was an interesting and thought-provoking article, by way of my friend, Crystal: How to Talk to Little Girls

Stray Toasters

• Stolen Rembrandt sketch found in church
• Pope reaches out to youths in Spain
• 
• Piers Morgan: Christine O’Donnell Walkout Was ‘Extraordinary’
• It turns out that she had also “walked out” on the hosts of a local (SLC) radio show earlier in the day.
• How to Use an Apostrophe
• Kilian Martin: A Skate Illustration, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: German ‘unfairly’ sacked for marrying Chinese woman
• Offering Funds, U.S. Agency Dreams of Sending Humans to the Stars
• AT&T sues two over scheme to steal customer data

Back to it…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 17 August 2011
Midweek and all’s pretty well…

…unless you’re this guy:

I’m talking about the car in the middle of the picture. It appears to have broken down in the median. It’s also been there for a few minutes. I watched as (at least) two patrol cars drove past it — in the left lane — without stopping. *shrug*

After about 40 minutes, another car pulled up behind it. People got out. They stood near the first car. A couple of minutes later, they both pulled off. I’m not sure, but it may have just been a case of running out of gas.  But, I’m still a little… concerned/bothered… that the two police officers just drove past it like nothing was wrong.

Yesterday, I was in the south office. One of my tasks for the day was to join peoples’ computers to the corporate network. In and of itself, not a terribly difficult assignment. Or so you’d think. After all, the computers spoke the same language – Windows – albeit different dialects (XP/Vista/7).

Theoretical Concept: Easy.
Practical Application: *grblsnrkx*

Let’s say that there was a lot of “hurry up and wait” along with the obligatory questions from the engineers of: “Which login do I use?” and “Should I try this?” and “Huh…?!” But, I got a few of the guys taken care of… without bloodshed.

Last night was game night with and crew. It was a good time. Especially as none of us died in the course of adventuring.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
A couple of songs that helped to get this morning started were:

• Rush – YYZ
• Clivilles and Cole – Pride (in the Name of Love)

There were others, but these two were the prime movers of the day.  Oh, yeah, and this one:

It has gotten back into the public eye ear(?) as the background music for the Blackberry PlayBook commercial.

Stray Toasters

• I have chatted with my mother today. Twice. Online.
• Apple unleashes first OS X Lion update
• Tobacco giants suing FDA over warning labels mandate
• 
• By way of comes Danny MacAskill Industrial Revolutions
• A Proud Moment in a Discredited Era
• 
• One More Reason (Some) Americans Don’t Care About Kate Bush
• Hello Kitty + Ninja Gaiden = ???
• What Bandwidth Caps Would Mean for Internet Gluttons
• 
• A Village Person Test the Copyright Law
• Razorantium has returned to Lush!  Hallelujah!

Quote of the Day
It’s been a while since I’ve had a good story about my nieces. Fortunately, my brother-in-law posted one yesterday:

Lady, looking at Sophia, dressed in pink with a pink headband: “Oh how cute, is it a little girl?”
Me: No lady, “it” is a duck.
Lady: Well you’re rude.
Me: Well you’re not very bright.
Sophia: QUACK, Daddy! QUACK!

Sophia is just shy of her second birthday.

Namaste.

Friday – 12 August 2011
Four down, one in the chamber. It’s the end of the week and all’s well.

This morning, we had another doctor’s appointment. This time, it was a “non-stress test.” The kids, though wriggly, were pretty cooperative. The nurse said that they were doing fine, based on the readings.

Last night was the first night of football in the 2011 preseason. *genuflect* ESPN had the Seattle vs. Sandy Eggo game. (Not my first choice, but it was football.) I found out, a little while later that NFL Network was rebroadcasting other games, including…

Baltimore Ravens at Philadephia Eagles
6 – 13
The Ravens, after a number of changes in the offseason, headed north to take on the Eagles. It was not a pretty game. In fact, it looked like something from a few seasons back. Fortunately, it was a preseason game, which means that “it doesn’t really count” in the long run. And, most importantly, the Ravens went home without any major injuries to players. What was wrong? QB Tyrod Taylor threw a couple INTs. One I’ll say was a bad call on his part; the other looked like the receiver should have caught it. And, generally speaking, the defense left far too many gaps and open spots in the field for Eagles’ players to pass/catch/run through. T Oneil Cousins got seriously owned on the left side of the line. They were breaking him down like fractions. Yeah… it was that bad. And, generally speaking, the O-line didn’t provide the QBs any protection. There were as many – if not more – white jerseys in the backfield as purple ones. Was there anything “good” about the game?  Yes. TE Dennis Pitta showed some great ball-tracking and handling skills, especially as seen in his opening drive catch over FS Kurt Coleman. LB Paul Kruger also showed off some speed and tackling skill. Tyrod Taylor, INTs aside, put on a decent performance. Next, the Ravens take on the Houston Texans. Let’s hope that they take the lessons learned from this game and apply them…

Stray Toasters

• In a Summer Heat Wave, Making Off With the Cool
• Marvel LOLcats
• Metaphor: The Tree of Utah
• Cameron Exploring Crack Down on Social Media After Riots
• By way of BoingBoing: Revised London Olympics logo, now with rioter

  

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Church Brawl: Minister and Deacon Charged in Alabama Tasing and Stabbing
• Farming with Dynamite
• Captain Morgan, the Rum Pirate, Lends a Knee to Hip Dislocation
• Genetically tailored virus may cure leukemia
• Postal Service considers cutting 120,000 jobs

And tonight: Cannons in the canyon and the Perseid Meteor Shower!

Namaste.

Thursday – 11 August 2011
Day Four.  Fantastic.

Another NBN Thursday in the valley. The morning has started somewhat inauspiciously: I woke up with a headache at 0500. Two ibuprofen and a glass of water later, I was back in bed. But, by then, it seems the tone for the day had been set…

• First alarm went off.  I turned it off and rolled over to spend more time in The Dreaming.
• Second alarm went off. It took a few moments to realize what it was and why it was making noise. Feh.
• I got to work… only to realize that I had left my ID badge and phone at home.
• Susan beat me – for the second week in a row – to our ritual Thursday morning NBN greeting.

Oh, well.

Yesterday, during my lunch excursion, I stopped at The Train Shoppe. I am/was in the market for two things:

1. MTH 50-1033: DCS Remote Commander Set
2. MTH 30-4205-1: SD70ACe Diesel R-T-R Deluxe Freight Train Set (Norfolk-Southern)

They had Item 1, and would have to order Item 2… if they could find it. The RTR set was originally released last year (as 30-4205-1) and has been discontinued. That’s a pity as it’s hard to find eastern railroad names when you live in the west. “Hard,” but not “impossible.” It usually boils down to having to order what you’re looking for. There was an item in the most recent issue of Classic Toy Trains that noted the (re-)release of the set as 30-4205-1E. While there, I asked if they could order it.

UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Brad, from The Train Shoppe. It appears as though the item in CTT was a misprint. They are not putting out a new NS set, after all.  So, back to the drawing board…

Stray Toasters

• NFL Preseason kicks off tonight!

  

• The 2011 Perseid Meteor Shower begins tomorrow night.
• Gizmodo Cleared in Prototype iPhone Police Probe
• Tech blogger won’t be charged in Apple iPhone case
• I posted a link to K’s Choice Not An Addict on someone’s Facebook page earlier. They had no idea the song was about drug use.
• Five Myths About Mormonism
• Why do I get the feeling that this is something that I should expect…?

  

• This little nugget of joy comes by way of and Clients From Hell.
• The Action Movie Blog Post
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Artist Injects Herself With Horse Blood, Wears Hooves

  

• Foreclosures of expensive homes take longer
• For the Plugged-In, Too Many Choices

Back to the grind.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 August 2011
Two down, one in the chamber and two to go. It’s midweek and all’s well. It’s not a game night – and most likely, a non-sushi day – but there will be new things to read at Dr. Volt’s; that’s good enough for me.

This morning, I woke up with Europe’s The Final Countdown playing in my head. Why? No idea.

Last night was a fairly quiet and low-key night around the homestead. Highlights included a phone call with my mother, a very tasty dinner (chicken, couscous and corn — The ‘C’ Trifecta of Dinner!) that SaraRules! fixed, and SportsCenter. Speaking of SportsCenter, I heard this… odd… item on there. Although, it’s not so odd when you consider the source, actually:

Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco is still settling into his new surroundings in New England, and he’s taking an unusual approach to his living situation.
“I’m going to do something different, I’m actually going to stay with a fan for the first two, three weeks of the season,” he said Tuesday. “That should be fun, until I get myself acclimated and learn my way around.”

Ochocinco hasn’t yet picked the fan.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but they have to have internet and have to have Xbox,” he said. “That’s about it.”

Asked if he was serious, Ochocinco said, “Have I ever lied to you before?”

Told there were some “crazy” fans, Ochocinco said, “I rode a bull.”

Yeah. The man is the walking, talking embodiment of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.

Stray Toasters

• Londoners strike back with ‘Operation Riot Clean-up’
• Test Can Tell Fetal Sex at 7 Weeks, Study Says
• ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ vs. the Internet: How has a culture of leaks changed the moviegoing experience?
• QR Codes on Athletes’ Butts Is a Stupid, Sexist Idea
• 
• Heavy Trucks to be Subject to New Rules for Mileage
• Soldering Is Easy
• Ty Templeton simplifies comic fandom’s problem with the new Ultimate Spider-Man:

  

• Sillof’s Workshop: Serial Wars — Star Wars reimagined as a 1940’s serial
• Hacker to Demonstrate ‘Weak’ Mobile Internet Security
• 
• And in a somewhat related note: Oops! A Phone Number on a Toy Truck Turned Out to Be a Sex Line
• Giant water nymph causes a stir in Hamburg

Namaste.

Monday – 08 August 2011
Another work week begins… and I might just be in need of another weekend to recover from this past weekend. Suffice if to say that the weekend was good, but very full.

Friday afternoon, I did some running around.  While this included a trip to The Train Shoppe, I left empty-handed. I went to the U of U surplus, as well. I didn’t manage to leave without picking something up, though — I got a new-to-us receiver to replace the one that I’ve had since my sophomore year at Purdue. (It’s been a good unit, but has some issues…)

Friday evening, SaraRules! and I headed to ‘s place for the first of the weekend’s baby showers. It was a horror movie-themed shower, complete with:

• blood-spattered wall,
• chainsaw,
• machete (not Machete),
• meat cleaver, and a
• pitchfork.

It was quite possibly the most entertaining shower I have ever attended. Thanks to and for organizing it.

Saturday, while SaraRules! headed to Quilt Club, I mowed the lawn. After that, it was time to get ready for Shower #2, at the in-laws’ place.  This one was a more traditional shower… but, thankfully, without the horribly embarrassing games. And, it was also a lot of fun. Saturday evening found us at the home of our friends, Joe and Rebecca, for RibFest ’11. Death. By. Meat. I’d say “Holy cow,” but I’m worried that it would come off as me trying to be punny.  (Besides, they were pork ribs.) Regardless, they were unbelievably good.

Yesterday, we – along with my mother-in-law – went to Park City for the Park City Kimball Arts Festival. We got there around 9:30, at SaraRules!’ request, which turned out to be just perfect — it wasn’t crowded, nor was it very hot. We saw many nice pieces of art. I also went to Larry Stevenson‘s booth, as I would like something for the twins’ room… but decided that it would probably be better to see whether we have boys and/or girls before making a decision.

Stray Toasters

• My body was (still) a little achy from Friday’s workout when I woke up this morning. I will blame that for The Spin Doctors’ Shinbone Alley/Hard To Exist running through my head this morning.
• Baby’s Palate and Food Memories Shaped Before Birth
• Atlanta School Year Begins Amid a Testing Scandal
• Overriding a Key Education Law
• 

• For SaraRules!: Watching Skateboarding Fails at 1000 FPS Is Actually Quite Fun
• Can You Name the Famous Inventors?
  (I got 10 in the time limit.  Even after the answers were revealed, I only knew three others.)
• Ravens Agree to Deal With Ricky Williams
• Ricky Williams joins Baltimore Ravens’ backfield
  From this story comes another interesting item: Ronnie Brown is going to the Eagles. Michael Vick and Ronnie Brown… on the same team. Can you imagine what their Wildcat formations will be like?
• I just looked at the schedule. Guess who we get in our first Preseason game: The Eagles.
• 
• From Cuba to Florida: A 61-Year-Old Starts the 103-Mile Swim
• International Read Comics in Public Day is coming up.
• Is Technology Making Everyone You Work With a Dick?
• Mmm…. Chow Truck.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 August 2011
It’s my day off. So far, I’ve celebrated that by sleeping in, watching the Juno mission launch on NASA TV and then going to the gym. All things considered, I’d have to say that’s a good way to start the day. I’m trying to figure out how to spend the next few hours. “Housework” just does not hold an appeal, so I believe that I’ll go gallivanting around town.

Today is also my friend, Christine’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner at the local Outback Steakhouse. And it was even her idea. Win-Win! Cheese Fries. Prime Rib. Delicious. After that, it was a lazy do-nothing kind of night, complete with Burn Notice and Suits and – for the first time in a long while – a whole episode of Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson in Paris.

Workout
As I mentioned, I actually dragged myself to the gym today:

• Elliptical: 15 min, 1.45 mi
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 165 lbs, 1 set @ 175 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/15 reps
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs

It wasn’t the world’s longest workout, but it was more than enough to get the blood pumping.

Stray Toasters

• Guardians of Internet Security Are Targets
• Office equipment open to hacker attacks
• How Can You Dress Well at Every Age?
• Let’s Be Friends Again often pokes fun at the comics industry, but I particularly appreciated the commentary that accompanied this comic:
  
• Are Dolphins flirting with Brett Favre?
  I hope not…
• Atlas rockets could carry astronauts to space again
• Ford Is Purging CD Players From Their Cars
• From the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Japanese company makes creepy dolls that look like their owners

Time to get “right on the to friction of the day…”

Namaste.

Thursday – 04 August 2011
It’s an early No Bad News Technical Friday for me. And, considering how I slept and that I have a project coming to a head today, I could really use that whole “No Bad News” factor.

I don’t often have dreams that continue after I’ve awakened and gone back to sleep, but I had one last night. And it was bizarre. It was (mostly) bizarre in its content – a zombie dream – but because of some of people in it, as well: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed.

* blink blink*

I’m sure that there were others, but they were the two I immediately recognized and still remember.

The zombies moved faster than the shambling creatures from George A. Romero movies, but weren’t running at a flat-out sprint like the “rage-infested humans” from 28 Days Later/28 Weeks Later. They were somewhere in the middle — fast enough to be a concern, slow enough to be outrun. Of course, there’s always the prevailing thought that “You don’t have to be faster than the zombies, you just have to be faster than the slowest person in your group.”

The dream wasn’t your standard “Here come the dead” fare, either. It started off that way, and then turned into “behind the scenes in government response:” Lawyers and armed guards. Political leaders being ousted due to their lack of response. Black helicopters flying to “undisclosed destinations.”

Yeah.  It was that weird.

There was a point where it cut over to Rocky – working in some kind of storefront office – and Apollo Creed, training for an event. One of the other characters (Paulie, I believe) from the movies was there, as well. He was suffering from a form of amnesia or Alzheimer’s; Rocky and his guys were preparing to send him away – to Italy, I think – for some R&R. At that point, I was asked to go upstairs (to a living area) and keep watch on someone else. I could see people cautiously wandering the streets, trying to avoid encounters with the undead. I remember feeling a sense of dread, almost expecting this person to turn into a zombie, as he appeared near-death to begin with. I think that he was starting to die/turn as I woke up.

Let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly the most restful night’s sleep.

Stray Toasters

• Not that any/many of them will see it, but I’d like to extend a very heartfelt “Thank you” to SaraRules!’ coworkers for the baby gifts they gave us/the kids at an at-work baby shower yesterday. I’m nominating them, collectively, as yesterday’s “People of the Day.”
• Tuskegee Airmen Gather to Mark 70th Anniversary, and See an Old Friend
• For SaraRules! (and other film buffs): Lost Hitchcock feature recovered in New Zealand
• For Meliko: Showcasing the Viola in Updated Mozart
• Bubba Smith, former Colts star and actor, found dead in L.A. home
• Former NFL star, actor Bubba Smith dead at 66
• 
• Juno Spacecraft to Carry Three Figurines to Jupiter Orbit
  What that title fails to mention is that they are LEGO figurines.  Boldly going where no LEGO has gone before!
• Even Marked Up, Luxury Good Fly Off Shelves
• Yesterday, Warner Brothers announced Laurence Fishburne would portray Perry White in Zach Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel film.
  Today, they released a picture of Henry Cavill as Superman.

  
  (click for larger image)

  Not bad. I’m looking forward to seeing how well he pulls off the Clark Kent look.

• Battlestar Galactica fans will understand why I find this so amusing:
  

  From The New York Times:  “Industry executives as well as regulators have said that fracking has never contaminated underground drinking water. But there is at least one documented case.”

• Matt Damon defends teachers, disses journalists
• Last night, I saw the video of this for the first time:

• Report: NSA to recruit from DEFCON attendee pool
• I was totally unaware that Daniel Stern played the JAFO in the theatrical verison of Blue Thunder until I was looking up information about Bubba Smith.
• The Horribly Dressed Men of Tech

The project I mentioned at the beginning of the post wrapped up this morning… and it went more smoothly than I had hoped. Selah.

Namaste.

Friday – 29 July 2011
It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday…

…and I am beat. Yesterday was a long day – work, doctor’s appointment and childbirth class – that stretched into the later early hours of this morning, because SaraRules! (and the kids) and I had an unexpected trip to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning. Both SaraRules! and the kids are fine.

I repeat: “SaraRules! and the kids are fine.”

It turned out that she had a few sporadic contractions after a particularly long and busy day. Rather than ignore them or “hope they’d settle down on their own,” we called her doctor, who suggested that we go in to make sure that everything was alright. Our nurse, Karren, was great; she was attentive, responsive and explained all of the things that she was checking for.  She also made sure that we were as comfortable and at ease as could be. It’s just that the process – monitoring and observation – took four hours…

*headdesk*

After getting the “All clear,” we headed home. Sleep was not hard to find. And understanding that “the annoying bell-sounding-thing” was actually this morning’s alarm was, at first, a “slightly” difficult concept to grasp. But, I grabbed a frozen mocha on the way into the office, so that I could be at least nominally awake and coherent. Fortunately, the day hasn’t been to bad/busy/hectic.  And, I even got to have lunch with Tyranist and Cade.

There is most definitely a nap in my post-work future. (Or at least some time in the train room…)

Stray Toasters

• Today is System Administrator Day.

  
  
  

• 10 Reasons to Be (Really) Excited About Football
• Your complete guide to Google+
• Training Modules. Yay.
• Carmakers Back Strict New Rules for Gas Mileage
• A Father Who Creatively Captures His Kids
• 
• I’ve been browsing some of the pictures of the costumers and cosplayers from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. I have also had an epiphany: The so-called “sexy” costumes – or, rather, the “sexy” variants of other characters’ costumes –  that have become so popular/prevalent…? Yeah, they do absolutely nothing for me. Yes, some of the women wearing them are good-looking, but the costumes don’t so much say “sexy” to me as “slutty.”  *shrug* Tyranist – who agreed with me – and I discussed this for a bit before lunch.
• House Committee passes bill requiring your ISP to spy on every click and keystroke you make online and retain for 12 months
• A Young Clown Follows in a Father’s Giant Footsteps
• Hubble Telescope’s successor could face budget ax

Namaste.

Thursday – 28 July 2011
Another NBN Thursday dawns. So far, it’s sunny and clear; it would be nice if it would stay that way, but we apparently have a chance of seeing showers again this afternoon. (This is the high desert, right…?)

This morning was definitely a “Waking up and getting up has never been easy…” kind of morning. Despite that, I still managed to get into the office by 7:45. I also decided that today was a suit day: Black suit, white shirt (with Green Lantern cuff links), black loafers, green/grey/white tie and white pocket square.

It’s also going to be a rather long day, as there are both a doctor’s appointment and (the last) childbirth class on the agenda before I go home.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went out for dinner at Pawit’s Royale Thai Cuisine. (If she’s been “craving” anything during her pregnancy, it’s been a once-a-week helping of Thai food. I’m quite alright with that.) The food was good and the restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. After dinner, I decided to mow the lawn. It seems as though the new sprinkler heads are bringing some of the dry/dead spots back to life. I consider this a “good” thing. After a little post-mowing cool down time, we assembled one of the cribs. It went together fairly well and easily. The allen wrench that was included wasn’t of the best design; so I switched over to using my drill towards the end of things. Mmm, power tools.

Stray Toasters

• By way of Nyx: Reinventing the Classroom
• How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education
• The World As America Dreamed It
• McNabb in Minnesota, huh?   Okay.  Let’s see how it goes.
• 
• Space station to plunge into ocean at end in 2020
• Walter Reed Hospital Holds Closing Ceremony
• The seamstresses behind NASA’s space suit
• By way of Jeff J.:

  

• Peach Rivalry Becomes War Between the Tastes
• Director of US-CERT resigns without explanation

Namaste.

Wednesday – 27 July 2011
It’s the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week. It’s been a sporadically busy day. And, as it’s Wednesday, it turned out that today was, in fact, Sushi Wednesday… although I didn’t go. That’s okay. There will be others.

Last night was Guys’ Night Out. Josh, Ryan, , and and I met up at MacCool’s for beer, food and chat. Once again, we (almost) closed the place down. And it was good.

Stray Toasters

• Don’t forget: System Administrator Day is Friday, 29 July 2011

  

• Classical Lost and Found: Remaking ‘Metropolis’
• Hershey Kisses with Caramel. ‘Nuff said.
• What Happens When a Bus Stop Is Turned Into a Lounge Room?
• DesPop: The Art of Des Taylor
• Got $799,000? You could buy a town in South Dakota
• Fast Slow Food
• The Chart That Should Accompany All Conversations of the Debt Ceiling
• I’m certain that I will find this quite apt in the next few months:

  

• While I don’t necessarily need/want a nap like I did yesterday, I’m ready to call it a day and go home… unfortunately, there are still a few hours left in the work day.
• Hot reads: Tuesday’s NFL player moves, news
• In Which Tim Gunn Tells Men to Watch Project Runway
• Korean Air jets being fitted with three bars

Namaste.

Tuesday – 26 July 2011
Day two of the work week finds me down in the south 40 again. Unfortunately, I am braving it alone, as Minion #2 is on vacation this week. I shall persevere.

Last night, SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden. All was well. We also decided to grab dinner at the local In-N-Out Burger. And, after we returned home, I set about migrating my MacBook from Snow Leopard to Lion. So far, it seems pretty decent. I’ll need to poke around under the hood a bit and see just how similar or different it is.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Both of today’s items come by way of my friend, Janie. She’s found a couple of items in the news that are somewhat thought-provoking and pretty much straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:

• Arkansas High School Appoints Co-Valedictorian Because Top Student Was African-American
• Black Student Not Allowed to Be Valedictorian
• Beck: Norway camp smacks of ‘Hitler Youth’

Stray Toasters

• Put This On: A Web Series About Dressing Like a Grownup
• For SaraRules!: Little Lambs, Not the Sheep, Get Early Lessons in the Rodeo Life
• Study Shows Racial Wealth Gap Grows Wider
• Wealth gap widens for whites over blacks, Hispanics
• 
• NFL, players announce new 10-year labor agreement
• Ravens to Release Key Players
• The trailer for Legend of Korra has made its debut:

• Zurich seeking immunity from covering Sony over breach
• My boss just asked me “How’s AF?” (asking how things are in this office today)
  I responded: “It’s AFU.”
  He laughed.  I’m glad that he understands.
• 
• I just heard this prayer – given before a NASCAR race this past weekend – on the commute to work. It’s hilarious.

Quote of the Day
Today’s nugget of wisdom comes from Top Gear‘s own Jeremy Clarkson:

“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.”

Namaste.

Monday – 25 July 2011
Another work week begins. Many/most of the state offices and local businesses will be closed today in celebration of Pioneer Day (which I will refrain from calling “Mormon Christmas”), which was actually yesterday… but, everyone knows that you can’t celebrate a holiday on a Sunday, especially here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.

Today is also Lish’s birthday:

This has been a busy, but productive, weekend. The (new) guest room has been painted and the furniture has been moved to the new room. The former guest room is now in the process of becoming the nursery – baby furniture (or at least the boxes with the furniture) has been placed in the room. Many thanks to , , and Logan for their time in helping to get things situated!

SaraRules! and I also made it up to Deer Valley on Saturday evening to see Chris Botti perform with the Utah Symphony. It was a good concert and the crowd was quite receptive to Mr. Botti and his guest performers, Lisa Fischer and… a violinist whose name eludes me.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
Today’s musical shuffle selection has been a good one for a Monday morning:

• Liz Phair – The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)
  (Hey, it was stuck in my head after watching a Boomerang-a-long last week…)
• Tin Machine – One Shot
• Ray Charles – Sticks and Stones
• Jamie Cullum – Wind Cries Mary
• 16 Volt – Keep Sleeping
• The Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Yeah, that’s a good start for a Monday.

Stray Toasters

• After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York
• This makes me smile:

  

  (click for full-sized image)

• At 100, Still Keeping Time as the Leader of the Band
• For some reason, this popped into my head yesterday. It made me laugh.
• Five best small towns in America
• How a Man Should Age, Fashionably
• 
• NFL players set to OK labor deal
  • N.F.L. Lockout Keeps Rookie Free Agents in Limbo
  • Michael Vick would welcome Brett Favre as a backup

  

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: To Reach Simple Life of Summer Camp, Lining Up for Private Jets

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled Monday.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 20 July 2011
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the first time that a man set foot on the moon (1, 2) .

As taken from the Purdue University Facebook page:

Today in history: On July 20, 1969, Purdue graduate and astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. That one small step has been inspiring Boilermakers and the rest of the world ever since!

That’s right, a Boilermaker did that.

Last night was D&D 3.5 game night with and company. It was a good session. We encountered an odd group of people at a desert oasis. They were – or at least seemed – friendly enough. And they were… helpful… in that they helped us find a city that we were seeking. And by “helped us find” I mean,”they gated us to the city, which turned out to be of the ‘long-lost’ and ‘floating-in-the-air’ variety. And that’s where we’re picking up next time.

I considered hitting the gym after gaming, but as it was late (after 2300) and I had an early – and long – day on the agenda for today, I opted out. Today is rather full with: A doctor’s appointment (for the twins) this morning and a screening of Captain America this evening… oh, yeah, there’s work on both sides of that doctor’s appointment, too.

::: break for appointment :::

Post-appointment update: SaraRules! and both kids are fine. (And her doctor won’t let her go past 38 weeks.)

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s music selection has been varied and quite good:

• Rush – Limelight (which, to be honest, wasn’t so random a selection…)
• Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
• Tony! Toni! Tone’! – Born Not to Know
• Robbie Williams – Rock DJ
• En Vogue – You Don’t Have to Worry
• Snoop Dogg (ft. Pharell) – Drop It Like It’s Hot
• Liz Phair – Supernova

Not a bad way to kick off a Wednesday, at all.

Stray Toasters

• Farewell, MacBook. It appears as though Apple has consolidated the line to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, only.
• Utah Liquor Laws, as Mixed Up as Some Drinks
• QR codes everywhere — even on grave markers
• 
• 14 Navy commanders relieved of duty, prompting conduct memo
• With N.F.L. Deal in Sight, Both Sides Can Claim Gains
• Curtis Granderson: Where are all the black fans?
• 
• Why Borders Failed While Barnes & Noble Survived
• While I’d seen the first video done for the X-Men parody of Born This Way, I hadn’t seen this version.  Thanks to for pointing it out:

• And that, naturally, leads to this:

  

• Why Did They Put Cargo Netting on Combat Helmets?
• U.S. to Close 800 Computer Data Centers

Namaste.

Monday – 18 July 2011
A new work week dawns in the valley with clouds and a forecast of rain and/or thunderstorms. But, it doesn’t appear as though the rain will alleviate the high temperatures we’ve been experiencing. Fortunately, there’s air conditioning technology to keep us cool.

The weekend was a good and, though brief, enjoyable one. I even managed to drag myself to the gym Saturday morning. I got out of the house a little later than I had planned, but still got in a brief workout:

• Elliptical: 15 min, 1.41 mi. (approx. 5.7 MPH avg.)
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Sit-ups: 3 sets/15 reps
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs

From there, it was back home for a quick shower and change of clothes and then on to meet Chris, Alex and Harley for pre-tournament breakfast. The tournament was good; there were ten participants. It was also one of the closer events we’ve had: less than fifteen (15) points separated first and third places.

Later in the evening, SaraRules! and I headed over to shockpuppet and ‘s house for a reception for and his fiancee, Erica. It was a nice gathering. We also found the oft-mentioned “fairy path” that shockpuppet created — although, at the time of night we saw it, it was more “creepy, dark, wooded path” than “fairy path.”

Sunday was planned to be rather laid back. Instead, it started off with a bit of automotive stress: I ran out to get bagels and some milk for breakfast. The bagel stop was fine; however, as I was attempting to leave The Store, the car decided not to start. *sigh* I gave it a minute and tried again. Nothing. I called SaraRules! and had her come to jumpstart the car. No go, Flight.

::: grblsnrkx :::

So, the tow truck was called. And off to the local Pep Boys we went… because, apparently, my Sunday mornings are not complete without a trip to Pep Boys. Turned out that it battery was dead. I had them check the alternator and starter — both of which were fine after testing. And, thanks to being a member of Pep Boys Rewards, the towing was half-off and the battery was covered under warranty. So, the out-of-pocket cost was FAR less than it could have been. I’m just not sure whether it’s a good or a bad thing that I’m getting to know some of the techs there on a first name basis…

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
The Monday morning musical shuffle selection wasn’t bad this morning:

• The Wiz (Original Cast Recording) – Ease on Down the Road
• No Doubt – Just a Girl
• Luscious Jackson – Naked Eye
• Girls Aloud vs. Madonna – Some Kind of Beautiful Stranger
• Guy (ft. Teddy Riley) – Teddy’s Jam

Not a bad way to kick off the work week, I’d say.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Muslim hate crime victim asks TX court to spare life of white supremacist who shot him
Wow. Seriously… “Wow.” How many of us could – or would – do the same in Mr. Bhuiyan’s position?

Stray Toasters

• Congratulations to my friend, Bret, for having a/another tropical storm named after him.
• Brainscans in the Uncanny Valley
• Politicians Can’t Agree on Debt? Well, Neither Can Economists
• Sides Aim to End Lockout This Week
• 
• The American Man: What I’ve Learned
• Gun-Totin’ Brunnhilde
• Japan wins 1st World Cup title in penalty shootout
• A Resilient Team Soothes a Nation
• LEGO Folding Farm
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Bee-wearing competition
• 21 Google Plus circles you can actually use

Namaste.