Random Access

Saturday – 14 July 2007
For reasons yet unknown, I was up at 8:15 this morning… after going to be sometime around 3:30. Not that this was a problem, per se, I just wasn’t expecting to be up quite so early.

Last night was apparently Rob the Route Planner (not to be confused with Bob the Builder) night – both Dad and Adam are travelling, and I was acting as remote navigator. Not a problem, especially as I’m kind of used to the role, but it was a little amusing. Adam is traveling a small portion of the route that I took when I moved out here, so I was passingly familiar with some of the things he should look for, but had to consult the Internet and a Rand McNally atlas to fill in some gaps when he got into an area that I didn’t travel. And I neglected to ask him to stop in Metropolis, Illinois to get a picture of the Superman statue. And, I just spoke with Dad; he’s about 10 miles out of Reidsville – he’s stopping in to see Mom and my stepfather and one of my aunts on his way home from West-by-God Virginia. He’s spoken with Adam this morning, who is already underway on the next leg of his trip.

Last night was also Clitorati night. Good turn out… and Acolyte Derek also put in an appearance at coffee. The conversation-to-musical reference generator in my head was turned up to 11. I think that it amused Chris S. to find out just how quickly – and randomly – it worked.

This morning, I watched a “new” episode of Legion of Super-Heroes: “Phantoms.” In it, Clark inadvertently releases a criminal from the Phantom Zone. This results in lots of property damage across New Metropolis as the Legion tries to wrangle him back into the Zone.

I saw Transformers (again) with <lj user=”duckspeaker”> and his… friend and/or co-worker (I think), Terry. Watching robots wantonly blow up lots of property is a great way to start off a Saturday afternoon.

The Best
New addition to the list: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – I Wanna Be Like You (from The Jungle Book).
You can check out a version of it here.

Four-Color Coverage
This week’s take included eleven weeks of Countdown, DC’s latest weekly maxi-series that I had originally intended to skip… until I found out that Karate Kid seems to be featured in it. Which means that it’s a Legion tie-in, even if only tangentially. Which means that I am compelled to buy it. So, that said, let’s get to it:

• Action Comics #851 – Superman is trapped in the Phantom Zone, while General Zod, Ursa (and a few other Kryptonian villains) are free on Earth. But, just like Ringo Starr, Superman gets by with a little help from his friends. Or just one friend, in this case: Mon-El, who at this point had been in the Zone for about 15 – 20 years… of the 1,000 years that he would wind up being there.
• All-Star Superman #8 – More adventures on Bizarro World. And Lois discovers Superman’s secret. No, not that he’s Clark Kent (that was Issues #1 and 2… and she didn’t believe him). The secret that his mission to the sun in Issue #1 is killing him.
• City of Heroes #20 – Final issue. This issue has a big knockdown, drag out fight that lasts for seven pages, establishes a few changes in the CoH/CoV uniferse and alluded to a few things in the upcoming in-game update, Issue 10. There was a little too much exposition in this issue and it felt as though they tried to wrap things up a little too quickly. But, what’re ya gonna do?
• Countdown #51 – 42 – Something is amiss in the newly reborn DC Multiverse. The Monitors – DC’s answer to Marvel’s Watchers – are back; they who haven’t really been seen since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now, there are 52 of them – one for each level of the new multiverse. And, at least one of them is on a mission: Eliminate anomalies in the timestream/multiverse – namely, anyone who should be on one Earth, but has migrated to another one.The mysteries don’t end there. Why is Jimmy Olsen suddenly exhibiting superpowers? What’s happening to Mary Marvel? What are the Flash’s Rogues planning? What’s the story behind the Athenian Women’s Help Shelter… and what’s Harleen Quinzel’s angle? Who’s killing the New Gods? What is Monarch planning for the new multiverse?One thing that I am appreciating is a look at some of the between-the-pages scenes that occurred during “The Lightning Saga.” Case in point: A scene aboard the JLA Watchtower, with Dr. Mid-Nite, Dream Girl, Karate Kid and Starman looking down on Earth:
  

  Dr. Mid-Nite: Does she still look the same in your era? Or have we managed to completely pave her over by then?
  Karate Kid: Actually, Earth’s axis is tilted differently in our time. The South Pole’s in Australia…
  Dream Girl: Can we please not make chitchat? I’m worried about the others.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Understood, Dream Girl, but we’ll find them, safe and sound, just like we found you.
  Karate Kid: We appreciate your Justice Society and Justice League putting everything into finding our lost teammates, Dr. Mid-Nite… but Dream Girl says one of us is going to die before this is all over, and she’s never wrong about these things.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Perhaps… but all of you experienced memory loss when you arrived here from the thirty-first century. In the case of Starman, the cognitive impairment was, shall we say, even more profound. How do you know Dream Girl’s precognitive abilities aren’t similarly affected? Just let us finish tracking down your missing teammates’ flight rings. We’ll bring them back here safe, just like Dream Girl. And, hey, at least you’re not locked up in one of our holding cells anymore.
  Karate Kid: Aren’t we? You’ve given us free run of the station, but we’re effectively in quarantine up here.
  Dream Girl: Val, this man is trying to help us.
  Karate Kid: He’s diagnosing us, Nura. He knows a potential infection when he sees one.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Fair enough, Karate Kid, but can you blame me for being cautious? You very nearly took down Batman!
  Karate Kid: I was mind controlled. I’m not a threat anymore.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: *hh* Do you know why you traveled a thousand years back in time to come here?
  Karate Kid: You know I don’t.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Do any of you know why you’re here?
  *blank looks on Dream Girl, Karate Kid and Starman’s faces*
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Then until we’re sure your mission isn’t something along the lines of “Kill Sarah Conner,” I suggest you relax and enjoy the view.

  …and…

  *Karate Kid approaches Batman on a Gotham rooftop*
  Batman: People who try to sneak up on me usually regret it.
  Karate Kid: I’m sorry, Batman. I didn’t come to make trouble. I just wanted to say that the Legion is returning to the Thirty-First Century. I’m going to go rendezvous with them right now…
  Batman: Don’t let me keep you.
  Karate Kid: Before I go, I, uh… I am humbly grateful to have fought such a skilled martial artist–
  Batman: Don’t. You outfought me. Once. You wouldn’t in a rematch.
  Karate Kid: I wasn’t trying to rub your nose in it. I only wanted to… Never mind. *flies away*
  Batman: *smirking* Did you expect a sidekick job?

• Fantastic Four #547 – I think that this has to be one of my favorite issues of FF ever, if only for the following exchange between Storm, The Thing and The Black Panther:
  

  Storm: I can’t believe you said that.
  Thing: I didn’t say it, I’m just telling you what Michael said.
  Storm: You can tell Michael Collins that my hair is completely natural.
  Thing: Okay, you know. Whatever. Sorry I brought it up.
  Storm: This is not a weave. Go ahead.
  Thing: Go ahead what?
  Storm: See for yourself. Pull my hair.
  Thing: Are you nuts?
  Storm: *wrapping strands of hair in Ben’s hands* Hard as you want.
  Thing: I don’t want!
  Storm: Do it. *irritated look on her face*
  Thing: *lifts Storm a few inches off the floor… by her hair* There. Happy now?
  Storm: I think I proved my point.
  *Black Panther walks into the room*
  Thing: T’Challa, I can explain…
  Black Panther: Don’t bother. She’s very sensitive about her hair. Word of advice: As you value your life, never ask her if she’s wearing colored contact lenses.
  Storm: I ‘m not!
  Black Panther: I know, my love. *walks out of the room*

• Green Lantern #21 – Aftermath of the attack of the Sinestro Corps. 59 Green Lantern rings seek replacement bearers. Most of the Guardians are… ignoring… the Blackest Night prophecy. Two Guardians – Sayd and Ganthet (surprise) – don’t think that it’s a wise course of action…. and recruit Officer 2814.1 (Hal Jordan) to spearhead an attack against the Sinestro Corps. But, what is it that Hal Jordan (still) fears?
• Justice Society of America #7 – Another post-“Lightning Saga”thread weaves through this story, with Superman visiting Starman at the Sunshine Sanitarium:
  

  Starman: *singing* “…to make me fret, I fly a-round! I had strings, but now I’m free– there are no strings on me!” *walks into the cafeteria*
  Doctor: Good afternoon, Starman. You did a very good thing this morning, pulling that school bus from the river. You saved a lot of kids and made a lot of parents happy.
  Starman: Well, today should be a good day for everyone, Doctor. It’s Wednesday, after all.
  Floyd: Hi, Starman.
  Starman: Hi, Floyd. Oh, yes! *bends down to look at Sloppy Joes on the lunch counter* They don’t have these when I come from.
  *off-panel voice* Excuse me, Starman.
  Superman: I know the Justice Society wants a few words with you , but since we’re old friends– I asked for some time first. I want to know more about what’s happened with the Legion. And I want to know more about you.
  Starman: *chompf* You ‘anna ‘oppy ‘oe, Kal?
  Superman: I’d love one, Thom.
  *the pair get lunch trays and sit down*
  Starman: Aren’t you going to drink your milk?
  Superman: Um, no.
  Starman: It makes your bones stronger. You’re not still mad at me, are you, Kal?
  Superman: I’m not mad at you, Thom.
  Starman: The we’re still friends?
  Superman: The Legion will always be my friends.
  Starman: Mine too. I like Power Girl an awful lot, but not in the way I love my Dreamer. I can’t wait to see her again. *chompf*
  Superman: Why didn’t you go back with the other Legionnaires?
  Starman: I wanted to, but I can’t. I’m here to help.
  Superman: Help who?
  Starman: Myself. And Earth, too! The black hole is supposed to help her see the truth. Then he’ll come and why… the Justice Society of America shows us all the way. The world needs better good guys! That’s not just our world, you know. Or our time. But the future isn’t up to me to save. I have my own job. I have gravity powers! I’m quite happy about that. *uses his power to crush a milk carton*
  Superman: Why did the Legion come back here?
  Starman: There’s trouble in the 31st Century, you see. The big three say you can’t help them.
  Superman: Why not?
  Starman: Why Clark Kents can’t come! It’s common sense.
  Superman: When they opened the Speed Force, Wally West and his family came back.
  Starman: And they say lightning never strikes twice in the same place! Pfft! Just ask him.
  Superman: But is that why the Legion were here? To bring the Flash home?
  Starman: From the vibrational plane! Zip! Zoom! The Legion of three worlds! Do you remember XS? She had such a crush on you. And I got to meet another Thom and another Thom!
  Superman: I don’t understand what you’re talking about.
  Starman: Yeah. Me either.

• The New Avengers #32 – Welcome to “Who Wants to Be a Skrull-ionnaire?” There’s tension on the team. After last issue’s revelation that Skrulls may have replaced some of Marvel’s best and brightest, now the question looms: “Who can you trust?” In the New Av’s case: It seems to be no one. Not even your teammates. Where are Scully and Mulder when you need ’em?
• Supergirl #19 – Finally! FINALLY! Kara grows up, grows a pair (so to speak) and owns up for her actions – or lack thereof – over the past year. Maybe this book will actually see some progress and story advancement now…
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #43 – The Silver Surfer arrives… and he’s not exactly the harbinger of good news.
• Ultimate X-Men #84 – Wolverine lets off a little steam. Stryfe attracts the attention of a fleet of Sentinels. Bishop’s team of X-Men makes a public appearance.
• Uncanny X-Men #488 – Nightcrawler and the Professor go off in search of Magneto. The Morlocks declare war on the over-world. Storm, Hepzibah and Warpath head to the Morlock tunnels in search of some answers, which leads to this scene:
  

  Storm: Can both of you concentrate, please? We’re about to enter potentially hostile territory.
  Hepzibah: I do not like tunnels either, Storm. Especially not ones that stink of rats and vermin.
  Storm: For me, it’s a little bit worse than not liking them, Hepzibah. It’s worrying that they might drive me insane… *hovers down into the sewers*
  Hepzibah: Warpath? What does she mean?
  Warpath: Storm’s claustrophobic. Can’t take being in small places, or being boxed in. It takes all she’s got to even go into these tunnels.
  Hepzibah: Then let us not leave her on her own down there. *drops through manhole… into sewer water* Ukk. This is so unclean.
  Storm: Heh… you look…
  Hepzibah: Careful with your next words…
  Storm: I was just going to say… dignified. You look dignified. For a wet cat.
  Hepzibah: You are a brave woman, Storm. Very brave woman.
  Storm: You don’t know the half of it.

Stray Toasters

• I spoke with Dad and Adam again today; their respective trips are going well.
• I am going to have to replace my cell phone. Today. This one is on its last… hinge.
• To go to the Garden of Sweden or not to go? That is the question.
• I should install – and play – Locomotion. Finally. I’ve had it since God was a boy.
• I think that I’m actually craving Ika… and maybe a few other types of sushi.

Time to get something to eat and get some errands taken care of.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 03 July 2007
I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but this morning’s commute was relatively monkey-free and it had a good soundtrack:

• emmet swimming – Arlington
• Rush – Tom Sawyer
• Duran Duran – Notorious
• Rush – The Spirit of Radio
• The Presidents of the United States of America – Lump
• Michael Jackson – In the Closet (the man may be a whackjob, but some of his music is damned entertaining and good)

I’m not sure whether or not it was the technopathic link with Nomad in action, but I was very pleased with that lineup.

Thanks to those of you who gave comments on last night’s “Irish Creme + Decaf = ???” question. As it turns out, it was rather tasty and made for a nice pre-bed drink while I read more of Vision of the Future. made the suggestion of Butterscotch Schnapps and coffee… I will have to explore this possibility. Do any of you have any other “alternately leaded” coffee recipes/combinations that you enjoy? I’d be interested to see what they are, if so.

Stray Toasters

• I not only have a frozen mocha, I have chocolate espresso beans, as well.
• How and why in the Nine Hells do you “fire” a “living goddess?” Wouldn’t you think she might shove lightning bolts up your ass for something like that?
• I think that I need to take in a Real Salt Lake game…
• Tyranist pointed me in the direction of the trailer for Shoot ‘Em Up (Hey, , it has Clive Owen!)… which then led to a link to the trailer for I Am Legend. I will have to see both of these movies.
• Conform or be cast out…
• 
• 33 Ways to Watch Free TV Online
• I think that I slightly covet this tape dispenser.
• Whenever I read stories about this, I hear Heaven Is a Halfpipe in the back of my head.
• Reason #489537 of “Why amuses me”: She sent a link to this picture.
• Captain America Buried in Arlington National Cemetery… but does anyone care at this point?
• If WizKids did Young Avengers ‘Clix, why didn’t they include one for Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)?

And now to pick up and put down heavy things.

Namaste.

I just made a run to the local purveyor of packaged goods. I exited with:

• A bottle of Merlot
• A bottle of Gewurtztraminer
• A bottle of Irish Creme

I was struck by the thought that an Irish Coffee sounded pretty good as a nightcap. Then I thought about the flip side of that: I don’t know that I want to start drinking coffee at 10:00, if I plan on being in bed sometime around 1:00, especially since I haven’t been sleeping well of late…

Then I remembered: I have some decaf coffee, left over from when Chris would drink it on Shadowrun nights. But then I was stuck with the conundrum:

I know that decaf is pretty much the coffee equivalent of masturbation, but is it blasphemy/heresy (or even prostitution) to put Irish Creme in decaf?

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Friday – 29 June 2007
The week finally draws to an end. Selah.

Today’s been good, aside from the slight… I’m not really sure how to explain it… feeling that I’ve had since waking up. Light-headed? Swimmy? At first, I attributed it to the differences between wearing my glasses, as opposed to my contact lenses – it was the same kind of distortion/perception. But, it didn’t go away when I reinstalled the integrated secondary optical enhancers.

More studying. Today: Networking – specifically, DNS & BIND. I’m going through a book by O’Reilly & Associates. I believe that this is the first time that I have actually read an O’Reilly book. It’s not bad. Not bad at all.

For “lunch” today, I went to Dr. Volt’s. I picked up my four-color shwag… and my Legion Heroclix. Mm-hmm, that’s right!

Stray Toasters

• I talked with Mom earlier; she’s doing well.
• I tried out WordPress’ “Import” feature. It’s not bad; it’s a little slower than I had expected, but it works… and that’s the key thing here.
• The iPhone launched today. Beware first-gen tech. Consider that your only warning.
• Coworker Dave(SLC) pointed me in the direction of: Chaco. He apparently used to live not far from here.
• Grand Funkmaster Dis
• showed us Sexy Back (Kirk/Spock) at Game Night on Monday… I forgot to post it. Until now.
• Dasks.

Quotes of the Day
Two quotes today. First up, from a conversation with :

(6/29/2007 3:02:09 PM): is Adobe ActiveX alright to install without worry?
(6/29/2007 3:02:32 PM): yes
(6/29/2007 3:04:08 PM): is www.canadanbeerhookersattheborder.ca.org alright too, then?
(6/29/2007 3:04:30 PM): Oh, of course!
(6/29/2007 3:04:46 PM): I’m surprised that it’s not on your usual bookmark list.
(6/29/2007 3:05:01 PM): well, I hate to lie to you Rob….but……..
(6/29/2007 3:05:23 PM): yes, I have that site hooked into my t.v. in the bedroom to fall asleep to/wake up to every day
(6/29/2007 3:05:28 PM): I just get hooked, man
(6/29/2007 3:05:41 PM): Oh, it’s easy to do.
(6/29/2007 3:05:42 PM): *nod*
(6/29/2007 3:05:50 PM): Canadan women with floppy jahoobies and BEER?!?!
(6/29/2007 3:05:54 PM): I mean, c’mon!!!
(6/29/2007 3:06:33 PM): look… give me my vices, alright?

And the second, from a conversation with Derek:

(6/29/2007 3:17:35 PM): Take Konnie mini-golfing.
(6/29/2007 3:17:38 PM): Or to the batting cages.
(6/29/2007 3:17:45 PM): Or to Boondocks.
Derek (6/29/2007 3:20:24 PM): we will probably do something of that nature
Derek (6/29/2007 3:20:33 PM): I want to get a wii bowling tournement going sometime
Derek (6/29/2007 3:20:39 PM): oh and she hates stufffed animals
Derek (6/29/2007 3:20:42 PM):
(6/29/2007 3:23:28 PM): Reeeeally?
(6/29/2007 3:23:36 PM): Bad experience as a child with one?
(6/29/2007 3:23:48 PM): …or is she afraid of becoming a plushie?
Derek (6/29/2007 3:24:11 PM): she just finds them pointless
Derek (6/29/2007 3:24:20 PM): haha when I went to moab I got her a souvenir
Derek (6/29/2007 3:24:26 PM): I got her a rock from the side of the road
Derek (6/29/2007 3:24:36 PM): and just said, “I got you a rock”
Derek (6/29/2007 3:25:04 PM): then I told her that I meant to carve a cool petroglyph on it, and she said she wanted me to do that before I gave it to her.
Derek (6/29/2007 3:25:06 PM): so ya
Derek (6/29/2007 3:25:11 PM): she has a rock instead of a stuffed animal
(6/29/2007 3:25:15 PM): Nice.
(6/29/2007 3:28:40 PM): You should get her an action figure.
Derek (6/29/2007 3:28:46 PM): lmao
(6/29/2007 3:28:55 PM): When she goes “What’s this?” you can say “Not a stuffed animal.”
Derek (6/29/2007 3:29:02 PM): lmao
Derek (6/29/2007 3:29:06 PM): I am SOOOOO doing that
Derek (6/29/2007 3:29:09 PM): you win
(6/29/2007 3:29:16 PM): I always win.
(6/29/2007 3:29:19 PM): That’s why I’m the Pope.
(6/29/2007 3:29:52 PM): Or General Zod.
(6/29/2007 3:29:59 PM): I get them confused sometimes.

Namaste.

Wednesday: coda
And so, another mid-week ends…

I came home this evening and took a somewhat unexpected nap. Then it was time to feed. But, I didn’t feel like cooking and, as I do not have the powers of Ronson (yet), making pizza and beer appear from thin air wasn’t an option, either. So, I did the next best thing: I went to Charlie Chow’s Dragon Grill. And, as an added bonus, went with me. Spring rolls. Beef with broccoli. Oolong tea. And a fortune cookie! After dinner, we headed over to Salt Lake Coffee Break for a bit. Nyx shared with me some of her ideas for upcoming art pieces; my thoughts hovered somewhere around “Wow.” I am looking forward to seeing them when she’s done with them.

Stray Toasters

• Don called shortly after I got home; I don’t think that we’ve had a chance to talk since I got back from the Right Coast, so it was a rather pleasant surprise. He had a couple of questions about Silk Road Online and how some of its stats/info compared with other RPGs/MMOs. I wasn’t familiar with the game… but that’s what the Interweb is for.We also talked comics, books, movies, and other games. (Go figure!) So, it was a pretty standard conversation for us. Among the things we talked about, he mentioned a series of books – the Cassandra Kresnov trilogy, by Joel Shepherd – that sounds like an interesting read.
• Vindication 2.0
• Missing Heroes?
• I’ve been a fan of Irregular Webcomic for… a couple of years, I think. Maybe more. Maybe less. I found the editorial/thoughts in this post to be particularly interesting – it’s a somewhat lengthy read, but it’s good food for thought.
• UnRealID.com
• Giant Otter Pop of Doom.
• Designer Interview: City of Heroes & Villains – Issue 10: Invasion
• From Comic Book Resources: Dwayne McDuffie on the Balance of Justice and Injustice
• When ‘Digital Natives’ Go to the Library
• Yes, it’s an iPhone news round-up
• I just had a horrible audio-visual pun go through my head when I glanced at a Magic: the Gathering card: Que Serra Serra…
• Oldman to quit acting?

Quote of the Day

[19:40] : So.
[19:40] : Aye?
[19:40] : When buying a new SATA drive for your PC it is best to make sure your PC has SATA support first.
[19:40] : sigh. 🙂
[19:40] : SATA add in card here i come.
[19:40] : I take it that you didn’t confirm this beforehand.
[19:41] : You’re aware that this will be posted, aren’t you?
[19:46] : yeah. i didn’t. i just assumed. *sob*
[19:46] : mistakes were made.
[19:46] : some deaths were involved.
[19:46] : or maybe i just wanted a new motherboard, CPU and RAM too. hmm. 😀
[19:47] : Maybe so.

Namaste.

Sunday – 24 June 2007
It’s been a pretty decent day… even though I haven’t done a lot.

The day started with brunch at Ruth’s Diner with , , Carrie Kelly and Dina. From there, I drove up Emigration Canyon and down Parley’s back into the valley. I decided to take Wasatch Blvd. back rather than 215. A quick stop at B&B and then back home. and Dina got their gear and – after we exchanged a few videos on YouTube – headed for the northlands.

came over a little while later and picked up the kids. It’s going to be a bit more quiet (esp. around 4 in the morning) without them here.

I decided to have Nefer-Tem spend a little time in Paragon City. Shortly after logging in, I was invited to a team – comprised of a few Peacebringers, Tanks and Blasters. Usually, I’m a bit leery of teams like this, as I prefer teams with a Defender or Controller to help with the healing. But, I ventured on. And it was a pretty good team. I did die once, but only once; and that was despite us taking on some rather healthy-sized groups of The Council and The Freakshow.

Now… I think that I’m going to head downtown again. There is jazz at the Arts Festival. The temperature is cooling off and it will be a nice way to wind down the evening. Something that I neglected to mention last night: I was a little… disappointed in this year’s festival. It seemed “smaller,” with respect to the number of artists’ booths. I think that I walked through pretty much all of them in about an hour. If hadn’t spotted me – and I hadn’t sat around to chat with her and a few others, I would have been out of the gates after that hour. But, that’s okay… The Kimball Arts Festival in Park City is just around the corner.

I just got a message from saying that she made it home safely. Selah.

Namaste.

Monday (coda)
Post-work, I did something that I neglected/avoided doing yesterday: Grocery shopping. I was rather proud of myself for sticking (mostly) to the things on the list.

Came home and cooked – soft tacos for dinner tonight AND pasta for dinner/lunch later this week. came over; we ate and watched Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut – something we’ve been planning on doing for months, but never got around to actually doing. While Donner never finished his version of Superman II – he was fired from the production by the Salkinds and replaced with Richard Lester – this is a closer version to his vision. There were scenes that had been completely changed – and a screen test that was added as footage. I liked the feel of the “new” stuff. I think that it worked well with the story and, to be honest, I couldn’t be happier that they got rid of the “kiss of forgetfulness” scene. On the whole, I think that this version edges out the “classic” version – at least in spots. And it was a fun way to spend the evening.

Four-Color Coverage
First off: The Sinestro Corps.

They are being set up as the anti-Green Lantern Corps. (Duh.) Instead of being able to overcome great fear, their power comes from being able to instill fear in others. Fair enough. In… Green Lantern #9, I think, we see one of the Sinestro Corps rings choosing a new host: This guy. Makes perfect sense, as instilling fear is his M.O.

Tyranist made a good counterpoint though: Of all of the characters in the DCU, why doesn’t Scarecrow get a Sinestro ring?

And now, on to the reviews:

• Action Comics #850 – A look at the Man of Steel… through the eyes of the Girl of Steel (who is still temporally displaced in the 31st Century). An interesting thing here is that we get – through Kara and the Legion’s eyes – a look at Superman through the years, but we also get some insight into Kara’s feelings about her cousin.
• Avengers: The Initiative #2 and #3 – Superhero-in-training boot camp continues. Some of the cadets are hiding secrets from some of the senior Avengers. An ex-New Mutant pays a visit to Camp Hammond. Nanobots? Who are the guys in the familiar-looking red-and-gold outfits?
• Elephantmen #9 – What do you do with a drunken sailor an Elephantman with a broken leg? How does he get his groceries home? Why is that truck barrelling out of control down the road? And… was that a pick-up line?
• Green Lantern #20 – We learn more about the nature of the Star Sapphire and the Zamorans. It also seems that the Zamorans are capable of rubbing a couple of brain cells together and coming up with “a clue.” How will that bear out for the Green Lanterns? Will the Sinestro Corps find a place in the equation? Somebody get me a color wheel!
• Justice #12 – The 12-part maxi-series comes to a close. Wonder Woman is falling apart. Literally. Superman is… uncertain? Aquaman is pissed off. Green Lantern calls some friends for a sleep-over a little assistance. And Batman is, as ever, cool as the other side of the pillow. Speaking of which: Why is Toyman sporting an almost-cyberpunk look? Black Manta without his helmet is just as megalomaniacal… but just not as threatening. Brainiac’s master plan has been thought out to the nth degree, but Lex Luthor is hedging his bets… just in case. All of this AND a two-page spread of my favorite 31st Century team? Yeah, this story closes out with a bang. And a smile.
• Justice Society of America #6 – I covered this one yesterday.
• Liberty Girl #2 and #3 – I’m still trying to get a handle on this title. I like it… but trying to figure out the timeline is a bit like trying to read current issues of The New Avengers. Despite that, it’s still intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages.
• The New Avengers #31 – Wong asks Jessica Jones a breast-feeding question. (How, exactly, does one “delicately” ask a former superhero a question about breast-feeding?) Ninjas. LOTS of ninjas. And [spoiler deleted].
• newuniversal #6 – The Starbrand and Nightmask travel the Superflow. Justice is served. The President calls a meeting. And, the Project: Spitfire HEXsuit comes online. Can World War III be far behind?
• Supergirl #17 and #18 – We learn more about what’s going on inside the Girl of Steel’s head. And it’s not a very happy place. And it may just be that someone else is pushing her buttons and pulling some strings to push her farther and farther out of synch. Who would do something like that? Ask Troia, I’m sure she’d have an idea or two.
• Superman #662 and #663 – Pop Quiz: What do you do when an ancient Atlantean sorceror comes to you and basically tells you “Get off of Earth or everyone and everything dies?” Yeah… aren’t you glad that your biggest decision today is “Should I super-size the fries and drink?” All this and a surprise appearance from the New Gods. Plus, Lana and Clark get some time to talk. Plus, Lois and Clark get some time to talk.
• Superman/Batman #34, #35 and #36 – Dr. Magnus, I presume? And the Metal Men. And Brainiac…? And… wait… the last time we saw [spoiler deleted], didn’t it just about bring the DCU to a flaming, screeching, crashing halt? Right. I thought so. So… why has Batman kept this around?! Warning: Bumpy ride.
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #42 – Reed lets his father get under his skin. Again. Ben Grimm’s mom shows her poker face. Literally. And… a surfboard?!
• Uncanny X-Men #487 – The Morlocks are back. Hepzibah does her best Yoda impression. And Storm pulls rank… not only as an X-Man, not only as a member of the Fantastic Four, but as the Queen of Wakanda. How much do you want to bet that the Office of National Emergency blinks first?

Stray Toasters

• Sissy the Wonder Kitty strikes again!

She was in the master bathroom.
She walked out, next to the cabinet under the sink…
Raises a paw to open the cabinet door…
Looked down the hall to see if I’m watching her…
Saw that I was…
And walked off like she never planned to touch the door in the first place.

• John Williams’ Superman Theme is a great piece of music.
• For :
  
• HOWTO knit a baby Viking helmet
• Instant Karma’s gonna get you
  Gonna knock you off your feet
  Better recognise your brothers
  Everyone you meet

  …which reminds me of…

  Take a walk outside myself
  In some exotic land
  Greet a passing stranger
  Feel the strength in his hand
  Feel the world expand

Namaste.

Monday – 18 June 2007
Another week begins.

So far, the day has been rather quiet and uneventful. This morning’s excursion to Ye Olde Shoppe of Coffee yielded an improper elixir. I didn’t really notice it until after I had gotten into the car and was preparing to leave – apparently, the machine that makes the “frozen” part of the “frozen mocha” was not working properly. It just gave out mocha-colored liquid, far from frozen. You would think that I would have noticed that the triple-shot of espresso just… sank to the bottom of the cup beforehand. Nope. Ok, well. I went back in, asked about it and Niki went about fixing a new – frozen – drink from another dispenser.

Yesterday, post-pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden, I went home and hung out with the kids for a few hours… after which, I decided that I wanted to get out for a bit. I headed up Fort Union Boulevard and towards Wasatch Drive. Then, I noticed that I was getting hungry. Not ravenously so, but enough to allocate a couple of brain cells to the task of figuring out what I wanted and where to get it. I called Angela, with whom I haven’t spoken since God was a boy, to see what she was up to. Not much, it turned out… and she hadn’t eaten, either. We opted for Redrock Brewing Co. They have a very smooth Oatmeal Stout. And calamari. And “Maryland Crab Cakes.” The calamari was good, as always. The crab cakes were alright… but I’m pretty picky about anything claiming to be “Maryland Crab Cakes” or “Maryland-Style Crab Cakes.” After dinner, we headed over to The Gateway to check out the remnants of the Chalk Art Festival. Most of the drawings along the south end of The Gateway had been removed, but the north end was still cordoned off and the drawings were mostly intact. Mostly. There were footprints in a lot of the drawings and – this was irritating – people were taking the beadwork off of the picture (based on this piece) drawn by Gina Jrel. Some peoples’ children…

The Scales of Justice
After I got back home, I decided to see what was going on in Paragon City. I’d already missed (most of) Double XP Weekend, but I had finally worked up the desire to play. I started the CoH loader and was greeted with a notice about Issue 10: Invasion. Wait… Issue 10?!?! We just barely got Issue 9 and they are already talking about Issue 10!? Sweet! Looks as though the Rikti are back… and they’re not happy about having been repelled.

I was invited to a team shortly after logging in. I played for a couple of hours and managed to get two levels under my belt before logging off. That’s right: Security Level 30. Which also means a new costume slot. Which also means that I have to figure out what I want to do for the new costume.

Stray Toasters

• I finally finished the picture of :
  

  

• CNet Top 5 Worst Things About the iPhone
• Cover to Cover: Deja vu All Over Again – A Crisis of Infinite Homage Covers
• For <lj user=”trellos”> and Carmen: Nepali “Living Goddess” is rather into gadgets
• Starfish and coffee
  Maple syrup and jam
  A butterscotch cloud
  A tangerine
  And a side order of ham
  
• What Steampunk Means
• By way of Wired: Steampunk gallery
• 1408 opens this weekend…
• …as does the Utah Arts Festival

Namaste.

Friday – 15 June 2007
So far, it’s been a pretty good day. Of course, any day that starts “Fri-” us usually pretty good.

Unless it’s 1929.
And October.
And the last Friday of the month.

But, it’s not. So we’re good.

I’m working in the Salt Lake office today and that’s a good thing because a semi driver decided to play chicken with an overpass – the one at the exit I take to get to the A.F. office – and lost. Big time. He was hauling a pre-fab home. I guess that he technically is still hauling it… but it now has one hell of a sunroof:

Picture courtesy of Acolyte Derek

Yeah. Not so good there.

Last night, I went to a taping of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! with KHAYLA. I had a ball! I was expecting it to be fun, but nowhere near as much as it was. The whole taping took about two hours… of which only forty minutes or so will make it on the air. That’s a shame, because I’m willing to bet that some of the really funny stuff is going to be edited out. Your loss. The panel was Paula Poundstone, Mo Rocca and Tom Bodett and their celebrity guest for “Not My Job” was Donny Osmond (by phone from L.A.). I have never been the biggest Donny Osmond fan, but I have nothing against him, either… and he was quite funny. DANGERMOUSE_UT: You were right – Peter Sagal is not a very tall man. But, he knows how to work a crowd, has good comedic timing AND he knows when to just let the panel – and Carl Kassel – just go off on their riffs. Last night’s taping will air on Saturday, 16 June 2007, check your local NPR station for the time.

Stray Toasters

• I lost the original version of this post this morning. *sigh*
• I’m getting the urge for prime rib from Outback. Maybe I’ll satiate that desire sometime this weekend.
• Jan, yet another coworker, has introduced me to KLOV – Killer List of Video Games… like I needed another distraction.
• Giant snake terrorizing Pennsylvania – Okay… are we sure that this isn’t just an American chupacabra story? TIPHASAURUS, would you look into this?

• 

• Wooden robot toys!
• Getting an iPhone, but not an iTunes Music Store fan? Better rethink that.

Tonight: Clitorati
Tomorrow: Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer with Perry and Max and the Chalk Art Festival… and, at some point, a trip to IKEA.

Namaste.

Sunday (coda)
The day ended well.

• I picked up from the airport and delivered her home.
• Presto has apparently forgiven me for giving her cat treats that apparently didn’t agree with her. Eleven times.
• I hung out with Perry and the kids.
• I talked with Kris for a bit.
• I didn’t die while playing CoH.
• I had ice cream.

So, all-in-all, it was a relaxing way to end the weekend.

And it’s only four days till Friday. Apparently, Loverboy was right: Everybody’s Working for the Weekend. But, that then makes me wonder where Huey Lewis And the News’ Workin’ for a Livin’ fits in… We know that Kool Moe Dee is all about working, since he told us I Go to Work; and Big Daddy Kane said I Get the Job Done, so I’m not to worried about his work ethic. Geddy Lee is Working at Perfekt, so you have to admire his desire to get things done right… if not his spelling skills. And, he’s apparently been at it a long time – since 1974, in fact, when he told us that he was the Working Man, back from the days when he worked with Misters Lifeson and Rutsey.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, now what’s a title to fit me?
A champ like Tyson, a Captain like Kirk, no
Employee of the Month, cause yo, I do work
The K-A-N-E is on the J-O-B
An expert, cause I get it D-O-N-E
So lights, camera, action – all hail the one!
That gets the job done

*blink*

Um… sorry about that. It slipped.

Stray Toasters

• I’m craving cotton candy again.
• : I’m not sure what possessed me, but I tried posting something on ‘Opinionated… and it ate it. All of it. Didn’t even leave seeds or stems. Besides that, where did everything else go?!
• Superhero Recipe
• I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream ice cream last week. It’s not bad. Tasty, even.
• “…on a train.” (which is NOT to be confused with: “To. Your. DOOR!”)
• Day Watch. Wednesday.
• …speaking of which: Tyranist, if you acquired Night Watch, I would like to borrow it tomorrow, please.
• The Stardust movie website has been updated.
• Sometimes, songs get stuck in your head. When it’s something like Brian Wilson or Scotty Doesn’t Know or Chiron Beta Prime or Code Monkey, I’m okay with that. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car? No problem. When it’s something like Pina Colada… it makes me want to perform a slow, painful frontal lobotomy on myself. You know the song…
  

  If you like Pina Coladas
  And getting caught in the rain
  If you’re not into yoga
  If you have half a brain

  That one. I had this song stuck in my head for three days once. Three. Days. Like I said, “slow, painful frontal lobotomy.”

• 
• Ed Brubaker on “The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire” – Conclusion
• Should the words “World’s cutest” and “goatse” ever be used together?
• 30 Days of Night (official site)
• M.O.D. are you out there?
  I can’t see your face
  But you left a trace on a data back-road
  That I almost erased
• : Legion Animated Cosmic Boy

Namaste.

Ordinarily, I would be inclined to agree with the TANSTAAFL principle.

Today, however, I am eating Pollo Porcini Canneloni, with bread and salad – brought in from Ottavio’s for a meeting. One that I am not party to, even. But Mindy came by, asked whether or not I had eaten and told me to have at it.

And I did. And it was tasty.

Friday – 25 May 2007
Aside from dropping my mocha – 23½ ounces of pure frozen mocha goodness – on the way into the building this morning, it’s been a good day. Quiet. Only a couple of very small fires to put out. And, I got a headstart by starting the day in the SLC office.

But there is still that whole “I dropped 23½ oz. of frozen mocha goodness” thing. *sigh*

Last night, some of the Clitorati got together for dinner at Olive Garden. I had one of the new featured dishes: Stuffed Chicken Marsala. It was rather good. I recommend it. After dinner, I went home, with the intent of checking my email and then spending some time on the mean streets of Paragon City. I made it as far as checking the email and starting the CoH loader. While waiting for a new patch to be applied, I went into the bedroom and stretched out on the bed, ostensibly “just for a minute.”

Three hours later…

Yeah, the only thing left to do at that point was turn off the lights and go to bed. And that’s what I did.

Stray Toasters

• I have spread the Gospel According to IKEA to and onlyaly. They have seen the light. *genuflect*
• knows of my… affinity… for IKEA. We were talking yesterday and this came up:

[15:23] asdf_cat: so i’ve realized something that might be a serious problem.
[15:23] shadorunr: ?
[15:23] asdf_cat: you.. drive by IKEA twice every day.
[15:23] shadorunr: Yeah.
[15:23] shadorunr: I know.
[15:24] asdf_cat: that just doesn’t seem safe for you or IKEA.
[15:29] shadorunr: http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=165
[15:29] shadorunr: It’s kind of like that.
[15:30] shadorunr: http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=166
[15:30] asdf_cat: yeah. a problem!
[15:31] shadorunr: Potentially.

• Shortly after this conversation, I remembered that my weekly Status Report was due. And, since it has to go to Mr. , I attached the following to my report. And it took almost NO time to come up with. Apologies to Misters Lee, Lifeson and Peart…

We’ve taken care of everything
From food to eat
To sheets you clean
And hooks on which
Your wet linen can dry

Poäng for all, Amon for one
Put together
Groove and tongue
Lack – tables or shelving
Hung up high…

We are the priests
Of the Temples of Sweden
Our great furniture
Fills the hallowed halls.
We are the Priests
Of the Temples of Sweden
Sofas, beds and lights
Are held with in our walls

• Derek sent me a link to this story, with the following commentary, which made me laugh:

[16:44] Derek: the title made me laugh more than anything
[16:44] shadorunr: Wow.
[16:45] Derek: now we know who let those mother freaking snakes on that mother freaking plane

• just sent me a link to following “news story” (link below) from Utah ABC4. Could they sensationalize this any more?! Or researched it any less?! Monkeys.

[14:54] janietrain: You should be so rpoud of your locals.
[14:54] shadorunr: Hiya.
[14:54] shadorunr: Um…
[14:54] janietrain: http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=65333
[14:54] shadorunr: MD or NC locals?
[14:54] janietrain: Utah locals
[14:54] janietrain: Check out that video.
[14:54] janietrain: You shall laugh until you pee.
[14:55] shadorunr: Very little that they do makes me proud.
[14:55] shadorunr: 🙂
[14:55] shadorunr: *watches*
[14:55] janietrain: hehehe
[14:55] janietrain: This is possibly the most out of touch, reactionary thing I’ve ever seen in the history of TV news.

• J.A.F.O.
• Eric sent me a link to a story on NPR called ‘Rethinking Thin’ and the Myths, Realities of Dieting. It’s about a book by Gina Kolota. When I read her name, the first thing that came to mind was…

If you like Gina Kolota
Getting caught in the rain…

• Demented kids’ book photoshopping contest
• 
• Steampunk turntable

And I’m going to hit “Publish” before Firefox decides to firmly insert its head up its ass. Again.

Namaste.

Saturday – 19 May 2007
WHY was I awake at 8:06 AM?!  There’s no discernable reason that I’ve come up with, so far.  None.  But, there I was -  my time in The Dreaming at an end.  Although, given some of the dreams I’ve had lately, being awake isn’t such a bad thing.

Yesterday was a good day.  Because I didn’t sleep well/much Thursday night, I stopped for a triple-shot laden cup of frozen mocha goodness on the way to work.  I got to the office, put out a few small fires, did some reading and then the day was done: The IT department had “offsite training” – lunch at Cafè Trang and Spider-day Night Fever Spider-Man 3.   After the movie was over, a couple of guys asked what I thought of it; I repeated what I had said a couple of weeks ago: “It wasn’t Amazing.  It wasn’t Sensational.  It wasn’t Spectacular.  But, it was fun.”  A couple of them looked at me and asked: “You saw this already!?  Why did you see it again?”  My answer was simple: “Because I didn’t have to pay for it.  And I can spring for a bucket of popcorn for a free movie.”  (I did kick myself for not taking my refillable cup, though.)  After the movie, I stopped by to see Kate, Perry and the kids for a bit.  Then, I was off to dinner with Jenn at Yamato.  Teriyaki beef with sushi… which turned out to be pretty tasty California Rolls.  I also had a couple of pieces of Ika (squid) nigiri.  Then, back to ‘ders for Clitorati.  But, by the time I got there, the party had already moved to Applebee’s.  But, I ran into Gin and Roger, a couple I know from Jitterbug; I talked with them for a few minutes.  As I was getting ready to head out, showed up… so we headed to Cheers: North to hang with everyone else.

Did I mention that I still have no idea why I was up so early this morning?  I did?  Oh.  Alright.  Just checking.

The only thing on the day’s agenda was Tristan’s birthday party this afternoon.  Operative word: “Was.”  Seems as though I may be heading to the zoo shortly – Liz wants to go, I have an open schedule and I haven’t been in a while.  After all, it’s the zoo.  Speaking of which, I need to make a foray to the Living Planet Aquarium – I want to see how it stacks up against the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Hmm… since I’m going to the zoo, can I use “monkeys!” as a tag for this post…?  Oh, what the Hell.  Why not?  It’s my blog.  And, just like Bobby said: “It’s my prerogative.”

Stray Toasters

• I have coffee.  All is becoming right with the world once more.
• UTFO
• “Fuckmuppetry.”   (And, no, this is not an Avenue Q reference.)
• Tyranist and I were discussing this the other day: While we realize that flashy costumes are part and parcel of the four-color comics superhero world, why don’t more heroes wear costumes/outfits that are easily replaceable?  Something off-the-rack, for example.  Look at how often a hero’s costume gets torn to shreds in the heat of battle.  Wouldn’t it be much easier to pop into Kohl’s or The Gap or Dillard’s, pick up a new shirt (or jacket or pants) and get back on the job?  Instead, they either have to whip up a new costume or go see their tailor/costumer and wait.  (Of course, no one ever waits in comic-time, but you know what I mean…)
• : I don’t know if you’ve gotten into HeroClix, but has a new item about the upcoming Legion of Super-Heroes set, if you’re interested.
• There were a few videos I wanted to look for on YouTube, but I can’t remember what they were.  Frustrating.
• 

Zoom!

Namaste.

Monday (coda)
Tonight, I watched the next-to-last episode of the season of the Angry Jack Show 24. It was good… and, of course, had a last-minute plot twist that I didn’t see coming. And I’m still trying to get my head around the concept of Powers Boothe as a not-so-likable Vice President. Although, he did play the charismatic Jim Jones in Guyana Tragedy many moons past…

Other than that, it’s been a rather quiet evening.

Stray Toasters

• I want to clarify something from this afternoon’s post: IMPACT = creepy/odd/bizarre. I have no desire or intent of becoming one of the Stepford Children. Some of the things my coworker told me about that organization – a member of his family became involved with IMPACT a many years ago – came off sounding almost cultish or like a Mirror Universe version of Amway. Thank you, no… I’ll pass.
• For those of you who are planning on boycotting gas stations tomorrow: You might want to read this. I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing not buying gas, if you feel that it will make a difference, but there is some good information here.
• Geek Troubador Jonathan Coulton profiled in New York Times Magazine
• For Tyranist and :
  
• Pirates of the Great Salt Lake
• – Japan boy ‘severs mother’s head’
• PX! Book One: A Girl and Her Panda
• I should see if I can track down a copy of Tailgunner Jo; I don’t think that I fully appreciated that story when it was originally released.
• …and I also need to figure out to whom I loaned my copy of The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. My signed copy. *sigh*
• …and I want to track down issues of The Griffin.
• From lordmesa, of the Comics2Film Digital Concept Gallery, comes a simple – yet effective and elegant – solution to Civil Bore War:
  
• I believe that I shall have a Merlot nightcap again tonight.
• If anyone has suggestions of a good brand and/or type of wine that I should try, please let me know.
• Papercraft Back to the Future III Train

Time to go punch holes in the walls of the universe and screw with continuity.  Again.

Namaste.

Thursday – 10 May 2007
It’s only a three-day work week… and I am phenomenally (do DO do-do-do) glad about that.  In retrospect, I think that I should have just taken the entire week off.  Oh, well.

Last night, I shopped for groceries.  Because: a) I needed them and b) I like to eat.  Two birds.  One stone.  I was a bit disappointed to find that the store I went to did not have any beef or chicken stir-fry strips (and I didn’t feel like taking the extra effort to cut steaks/chicken breasts into the appropriate size and shape).  So, I cooked another batch of spaghetti and sauce.  Liz came over and we watched Aliens.  Hudson cracked me up… as usual.

So far, today has been good.  I slept in… because I needed it, apparently.  Stopped in the north office before trekking to the south one.  Gym.  And now… food.  (And a quick post.)

Stray Toasters

• I saw this article on boingboing… and it reminded me of this.
• pointed out this article: Armless driver eludes police chase
• I completely spaced this off the other day when I talked about Spider-Man 3: There’s a new trailer for Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer
  
• Speaking of the FF movies, Tim Story – the movies’ director – has said that he’d like to do a sequel with the Black Panther in it… with Djimon Hounsou as T’Challa
• , this one’s for you…
  
• One of the Daves at work sent me a link to this video.  Cute… and pretty damned funny.
• And Eric sent this Emo Philips audio clip.

Back to it.

Namaste.