Random Access

Thursday – 19 April 2012
It’s a grey and intermittently drizzly NBN Thursday in the valley. Looking into the distance, it looks as though we’ll have clear(er) skies a little later.

Last night was my turn to give the girls their baths. Given how well they did in the hotel tub, we decided to remove the chair from the girls’ baby tub. Diana had a ball, discovering that she could splash in new ways:

Vanessa was more apprehensive at first, but warmed up to the concept after a few minutes:

The next few bath times should be interesting, to say the least.

After Team DiVa was abed, SaraRules! and I watched Hugo for our date night movie. We both knew next to nothing about the film, other than it won awards and that people we knew said that it was good. So, we took a chance…

…and it was totally worth it. It was a fantastic film. I’d heard it described it as “Scorsese’s love story about movies.” And, I’d have to agree – it was definitely a movie about a man’s love and passion for movies. And it was very well done.

Stray Toasters

• TV Emperor of Rock ‘n’ Roll and New Year’s Eve Dies at 82
• How Your Name May Cost You at the Mall
• Oregon Town Weighs a Future With an Old Energy Source: Coal
  The first thing that I thought of when I read this was The Energy Blues.
• 
• Vatican orders crackdown on American nuns
• Which Carriers Have the Fastest 3G and 4G Right Now?
• Anticipating Space Shuttle’s Arrival, Old Warplanes Ship Out

And, it looks as though the sun has finally put in an appearance.

Wednesday – 18 April 2012
It’s midweek. Which means new comics and Pasta and Movie Date Night. (I should really figure out what we’re watching, as it’s my night to choose a movie.)

Last night, Team Diva (and SaraRules! and I) had a visit from SaraRules!’ Justice League Junior League co-members, Brittany and Jana. The girls were fairly social, although Diana once (re-)discovered the knocker on the front door, she found it nearly impossible ignore. (She also makes the cutest flinching face just before she lets it go.) After Brittany and Jana left, we fed the girls and put them to bed — they fell asleep quickly. I think they might have still been a little worn out from the trip.

SaraRules! and I watched NCIS over dinner and followed that up with the tail end of Top Shot. The part we caught was an elimination challenge: The competitors had to run an obstacle course in which they had to breach three doors and shoot nine targets, against each other’s time. After the elimination, SaraRules! proclaimed:

I don’t know what this is, but I think it might just be the greatest show ever!

We’ll have to see another episode before I can make that claim, though.

Stray Toasters

• I’m confused – and strangely amused – by the seeming dichotomy of this concert lineup.
• How That Tupac Hologram at Coachella Worked
• Marco D’Alfonso Draws the Mashups That Make the Whole World Sing
• ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ Mashups With Everything from ‘Watchmen’ to ‘The Walking Dead’
• The 2012 HotelChatter Hotel WiFi Report
• Thanks to iTunes, I’ve been listening to a couple of radio stations from back home today.
• The 21 Absolute Worst Things in the World

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 17 April 2012
Day One of the work week. It started off rainy, but skies have cleared a bit.

TeamDiVa’s first road trip was a success.  The basic breakdowns were:

• Five days.
• Four states.
• Three hotel rooms.
• Two little ladies who traveled incredibly well, all things considered.
• One honest-to-goodness zebra.

It would be something of an understatement to say we’re “a little” tired. That was a lot of driving. But, it was a good trip. And, I wasn’t kidding about the zebra:

“Sure, there’s a zebra and some llama, Daddy… but there are cars and trucks right over there!”

There’s a petting zoo at the Flying J Truck Stop in Scipio, UT. We’d heard – and forgotten – about it, since we don’t go through there much anymore. But, we needed to stop so that the girls could have lunch. Thus, zebra.

And, while I don’t say this very often: I’d like to commend UDoT for the five (5) 80 MPH zones between Provo and the Arizona state line. They made a few of the long, boring stretches much more tolerable.

Stray Toasters

• Space Shuttle Discovery flies over D.C. to cheers — and warnings
• World’s Greatest Piggyback Ride
• I Love Ya But You’re Strange — That Time Wonder Woman Worked at Taco Bell
• 
• I am trying to avoid too much coverage of both Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises; I’d like there to be at least a few on-screen surprises.
• New treatment for prostate cancer gives ‘perfect results’ for nine in ten men: research
• 
• How to Fit Reading Into Your Schedule and Actually Finish the Books You Want to Read

Namaste.

Wednesday – 11 April 2012
Midweek, once more, is upon us.

Last night, because of their Uncle Logan’s birthday, Team DiVa stayed up a little past their normal dinner and bedtimes.

Vanessa (l) and Diana

They did nap a little on the way home; after a bite to eat, bottles and pre-bed wash-ups, they were still calm enough for a quick bedtime story. (Or, maybe they were just punchy.) But, they were out pretty quickly once they were in bed.

After they were down, SaraRules! and I split a piece of birthday cake (Raspberry Marzipan) and watched a little NCIS before calling it a night.

Stray Toasters

• Just a note to say that SaraRules! wins the Best Wife Ever Award. And Human of the Day. Again. This morning, I was so scatterbrained that I forgot my trusty travel mug o’ coffee. I realized this as I was at work, getting out of the car.

  She called me a few minutes later, letting me know that she was bringing it to me on her way to work.

• Long-lost Titanic S.O.S. is on view for the first time
• By way of my friend, Jeff: zxcvbn: realistic password strength estimation
• Commodore 64 pioneer Jack Tramiel lived Silicon Valley’s story
• Seat Assignment: Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style
• For SaraRules!: Largest Rube Goldberg Machine: Purdue team set new world record (2012)
• TSA Waste

Namaste.

Tuesday – 10 April 2012
Another day in the valley. And it’s a rather nice day, at that. A bit breezy and few high clouds, but nothing horrible.

And, today is also my brother-in-law, Logan’s birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! had a Justice League meeting. My father-in-law came over to help me get Team DiVa ready for bed and to do some duct work in the basement. Both jobs were successful. When SaraRules! got home, we relaxed and watched a bit of House Crashers and Yard Crashers to wind out the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Even as Violent Crime Falls, Killing of Officers Rises
• Microsoft quietly buys Netscape browser technology
• Seeking Robots to Go Where First Responders Can’t
• For Galadriel:
  
• LEGO CUUSOO
• Raising the Floor on Pay
• It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and It’s a Small, Small World

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 April 2012
Another Thursday in the valley. Hopefully, this one will maintain the NBN tradition; it’s doing pretty well, so far.

This week’s been pretty decent. Busy, but decent. SaraRules! and Team DiVa are doing well.

Diana, Sara and Vanessa

Vanessa

Diana

Last night was Pasta and Movie Date Night. It was SaraRules!’ turn to pick a flick; she chose to start catching up on Mad Men. I was good with that, considering that we’re a season-and-a-half behind. We watched three episodes and are only two away from only being one season behind. (Hey, we’ll take the small victories where and when we can.)

I didn’t play MW3 last night, opting to read some of yesterday’s new comics. As part of the haul, I also downloaded Marvel Comics’ Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #1 – available only as a digital comic – which serves as a prelude to the Avengers vs. X-Men miniseries, which also started yesterday (technically, it came out on Tuesday, but let’s not quibble). If this is a possible look at “the future of comics,” as it claims, I have to give it thumbs-up for presentation. Well played, Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen.

Stray Toasters

• Many Colors of Prejudice Are Revealed in ‘Dark Girls’
• By way of SaraRules!: Robot with Human Skeleton Steps Toward Artificial Intelligence
• Nike’s new NFL uniforms built for speed, comfort
• The Nike Elite 51 Uniform
• 
• College Student Pieces His Way to LEGO Mastery
• Untangling a Border Could Leave a Mess for Some
• By way of one of my brothers-in-law: Quietest place on Earth mutes all sounds, messes with your head
• Yet another babysitting concern:
  
• Chrysler’s new SRT Viper bares its fangs
• Jeffrey Brown Imagines a More Fatherly Sith Lord in ‘Darth Vader and Son’
• Apple, Priceline and Google race to hit $1000-a-share mark

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Saturday – 31 March 2012
Just a quick hit…

Today, I’m judging a HeroClix event for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. So far, it’s gone rather well. But the bigger “news” is that I’m using this event as a field test for replacing my MacBook with my iPad for gaming…

…and it’s been great.

Smaller. Lighter. And, since I installed Numbers and the ‘Clix rules pdfs on here (oh yeah… I’m writing this on the iPad, too), I’ve got pretty much everything that I need.

Color me satisfied.

Thursday – 29 March 2012
It’s another Thursday in the valley. So far, it’s held up to NBN scrutiny.  Hopefully, that will continue.
(UPDATE: It did.)

Last night, SaraRules! and I watched…

…for our Date Night movie; I’ve seen it before (we own the DVD), but she hadn’t. She liked it, despite a couple of uncanny valley issues.

Stray Toasters

• Tonight, SaraRules! performs with the Utah Symphony! Again!
• By way of @wbalradio:
  

  On this date in 1996, the Baltimore #Ravens came into being when the team was officially given the name.

• Just Say No to the ‘Cinnamon Challenge’
• GM, WellStar Develop LEGO® based Visual Management Tool
• Medvedev blasts Romney for ‘number-one foe’ remark
• Hopefully, I won’t have to worry about something like this with babysitters…
  
• Looks as though Bachmann Trains has finally released their E-Z Streets line.
• The Line, It Is Drawn #83 – Comic Book What If…?’s
• In Court, Sharp Questions on Health Care Law’s Mandate
• Shelby unveiling 950-horsepower, street-legal Mustang
• Shelby doctors pictures of Shelby 1000 lifting off ground
• Maryland’s Batman Looks Like a Real Hero

Quote of the Day
This nugget of joy comes by way of my sister-in-law, Chelsea, and my nephew, Caden:

Caden: Mom, what’s that?
Me: It’s a water tower.
Caden: Oh. . .Where’s the othere one’s?
Me: What other one’s?
Caden: The milk tower and the juice tower.

The utter brilliance and genius of the three-year-old mind.

Namaste.

Monday – 26 March 2012
Kicking off the day by neglecting to get your morning travel mug of coffee could be considered “less than auspicious.” I didn’t realize that I was coffee-free until I pulled into the parking structure at work. Fortunately, I had twin cuddles (and wife cuddles) beforehand, so the morning was far from a complete loss.

I drove through at least three weather patterns on the way to work: Dry, rainy, and snowy. That’s pretty impressive, especially when you consider that my commute is less than three miles.

Stray Toasters

• I’m still achy from Saturday’s 5k.
• School District Told to Replace Web Filter Blocking Pro-Gay Sites
• Trayvon case shows more blacks tapping power of social media
• How to Live Well in 100 Square Feet
  I went from this to the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company website and looked at some of their designs. I think that some of the homes would make neat guest cottages.
• James Cameron dives to deepest ocean point
• Top 10 Essential DIY Skills That Aren’t as Hard as You Think

That’s good for today.

Namaste.

Thursday – 22 March 2012
Today has been a good day. Any day that kicks off with wife and kid cuddles can’t be bad. And, of course, it’s another No Bad News Thursday, so that didn’t hurt, either.

…and it’s William Shatner’s birthday.

Last night, SaraRules! and I watched The Muppets for our date night movie. It was a lot of fun. It was reminiscent of both The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie… and with a dash of Muppets Tonight. I give it a big ol’ thumbs-up with an okay.

Stray Toasters

• Million Hoodie March for Trayvon Martin under way in NYC
• Straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Chuck Winder, Idaho Lawmaker, Suggests Women Use Rape As Excuse For Abortions
• Your Money: The Comeback Chronicles
• Hilarious memoirs from the HR Department: Chapter 15 of “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”
• The 7 Worst Smartphone Injustices and How to Fight Them

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 March 12
Midweek is upon us once again. Today is apparently supposed to return warm(er) weather to the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. This would be a “good” thing, in my book… even if we are only two days into Spring.

Team DiVa are doing well. We’ve been working on their independent sitting; they are progressing well. We have also tried introducing them to Gerber Graduates Puffs. Vanessa seems okay with them, but Diana is not a fan. At least, not yet. But, she makes the most adorable “What is THIS?!” face while chewing and just before she spits it out.

Stray Toasters

• In vitro babies denied U.S. citizenship
• War Rocket Ajax #105: ‘Princeless’ Writer Jeremy Whitley On Making a Better Fairy Tale
• One more sleep ’til Lush opens. Selah.
• 
• Your brain, your food and obesity
• Artist Treats San Francisco Beach Like an Enormous Etch-A-Sketch
• Monkeys!
• Fooling facial recognition surveillance cameras with cunning and crocheting
• The Search for Amelia Earhart Resumes with Help from Hilary Clinton
• Clue In Old Photo Leads To New Search For Amelia Earhart’s Plane
• 
  
• Minimalist LEGO Sculpture Ads Capture Cartoon Favorites
• Can wooden skyscrapers transform concrete jungles?
• Dark Energy and the Joy of Being Wrong
• Original Einstein manuscripts posted online

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 March 2012
Midweek…? Check.
New Comics Day…? Check.
Pasta and Movie Date Night…? Raincheck.  (We’re having company for dinner this evening; PMDN will be tomorrow.)

And, on top of all that, it’s Pi Day. (See also: The Pi-Search Page)

Last night was relatively quiet. Team DiVa didn’t go for a stroll, but there was some pre-bedtime playtime. After the girls were down and dinner was eaten, I got around to herding a bunch of free-range ‘Clix. I’d been negligent about sorting them for longer than I’d care to admit. After that, I made my way onto CoD: MW3 with a coworker. I had some horrible rounds. Seriously bad. I thought about changing my gamertag to “BulletMagnet” at a couple of points.

Stray Toasters

• 3.1415926535897932384
• Rising Sea Levels Seen as Threat to Coastal U.S.
• Visit the Titanic for $12, 500. But hurry! Only one seat left!
• 
• After 244 Years, Encyclopedia Brittanica Stops the Presses
• Lost Boy Uses Google Earth to Find His Way Home After 25 Years
• Love and Capes’ Thom Zahler did today’s strip for The Gutters:
  
• Flaw in Microsoft tool that enables remote connect is patched
• What’s in a Word? A ‘Dictionary’ of Americanisms
• What is a game?

Namaste.

Tuesday – 13 March 2012
I went outside this morning to find that the gate to our side and back yard was… mostly gone.

*grblsnrkx*

We had some strong winds overnight and the gate finally gave way. I’ve never been a big fan of that gate, so aside from the annoyance factor this just means that I get to/have to replace it sooner than I had expected. Yay.

After work last night, we took Team DiVa for a walk around the neighborhood. Just as we were getting ready to leave, Natalie (one of our Pin-up Girl baristas) and her boyfriend, Nick, stopped by.  We spent a few minutes chatting before setting off.  The girls handled the stroll well, watching the houses, cars and people as we strolled past. Another Adventure Babies outing successfully completed.

As an added bonus to the evening, SaraRules! also baked a few RubySnap Scarlett cookies. Win.

Stray Toasters

• Zombies, Run! Turns Your Exercise Routine Into a Game of Survival
• White House appoints new federal CTO
• The Most Astounding Fact About the Universe, As Told By Neil DeGrasse Tyson
• How to Be Creative
• Little League
  
• DARPA Director Bolts Pentagon for Google
• Use of Homeless as Internet Hot Spots Backfires on Marketer
• Ordinary Batman Adventures

Namaste.

Sunday – 11 March 2012
It was a very good weekend. It was busy. It was productive. But, most of all, it was fun.

Saturday, we took Adventure Babies: Team DiVa to their first concert.

Diana (l) and Vanessa

Utah Symphony performed The Carnival of the Animals. SaraRules! got us tickets in the First Tier (stage left), just above the stage, so we had a fantastic view of the symphony and the dancers. The girls were great. Seriously. They sat and watched the musicians and the dancers – until they fell asleep. Vanessa knocked off first, early into the performance, but was up for Carnival; Diana stayed awake through the beginning of Carnival, and couldn’t fight sleep any longer.

Saturday afternoon, Steve (father-in-law), Dave, Jason and Sean came over to help frame the train room. We started a little after 1:00 and by 4:30 were mostly done — we ran out of lumber for the closet wall. But, what we did looks great. (Here are the pictures to prove it!) However, this didn’t come without a price: Steve put a framing nail through his thumb. Fortunately, it was a through-and-through and missed the bone. But it still prompted a visit to the local InstaCare.

Saturday evening, as you might imagine, was quiet and low-key. It involved mostly sitting on the sofa and watching shows from the DVR.

Sunday was clear and warm. The girls slept until 8:30 AM, thanks to the miracle of Daylight Saving Time. (Yes, It’s “Saving,” not “Savings.” Don’t believe me? Look it up.) We had a relatively quiet morning in and, after the twins’ lunchtime feeding, headed to the Salt Lake Tribune Home and Garden Festival. It was actually my idea/desire to go. And, to be honest, I wanted to go for ONE reason: Ahmed Hassan (from DIY Network’s Yard Crashers and Turf War) was one of the featured guests. And, I’m a (big) fan. So, off we went. The show was crowded, which surprised me on a Sunday in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. The girls handled the crowds and the activity beautifully. We caught about half of Ahmed’s 1:00 PM talk. He was as entertaining – and amusing and informative – in person as he appears on TV. After his session was over, we wandered around the show. There was a LOT of stuff, but nothing that really caught our attention. We made our way back over to where Ahmed was doing a photo and signature meet-and-greet… and waited in line. A few minutes later, I had this to show for it:

…and this…

We chatted, briefly, while taking the pictures and while he checked out Adventure Babies: Team DiVa. All-in-all, nice guy.

On the way home, SaraRules! detoured past Black Water Coffee Company (Pin-up Girl Espresso “2”) for a Sunday coffee. Then it was time to feed the little ones and put them down for a nap. Feeding happened. Naps didn’t. So, we put them in their Johnny Jump-ups to play for a bit. (And, yes, there will be a new Adventure Babies video following soon.) A little later, the ladies were tired enough to knock out for a bit. SaraRules!’ parents came by a little later for dinner. We had chicken tacos with Spanish rice. The grand’rents helped put the girls to bed before leaving.

And now, it’s Monday. But, it’s my short week. Selah.

Stray Toasters

• By way of my friend, Christopher: Uncanny X-Men Fan Series
• LEGO Modern Home Design Competition
• The Best of: The Rules
• 
• For Creators of Games, a Faint Line on Cloning
• From the “YeahbuhWHAT?!” file: Women Told to Cover Cleavage During Chess Tournament
• USS Enterprise carrier leaves on final deployment
• How to Quickly Read a Terms of Service
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: I Love Ya, But You’re Strange
• Never off duty when malware infects the weekend
• Because I enjoy seeing – and sharing – great reviews of this book: Princeless #1 – Review

Namaste.

Friday – 08 March 2012
End of the work week. Amen.

Last night, we modified the Adventure Babies’ sleep schedule once more. For the past month, SaraRules! and I have been waking them up for a feeding and diaper change just before we go to bed. This has greatly facilitated their sleeping through the night. We have gradually stepped down the amount of formula we gave them at this feeding for four weeks… until last night. Last night, we went to bed without waking the girls first. No diaper change. No feeding.

Diana (l) and Vanessa, ready for breakfast

Diana slept until 4:00 this morning. And, there was no whining or crying when she woke, just some cooing. I got up, changed her and put her back in her crib. By this time, Vanessa had awakened; again, there was no crying. SaraRules! got up and changed her. Then we both went back to bed. The girls talked amongst themselves for a few minutes and then went back to sleep until 7:00 AM.  I consider this “a success.” We’ll see how things carry out from this point forward.

Stray Toasters

• I just had the Utah Elk Slider, this month’s featured item, from The Chow Truck. And it was good. Very good, indeed.
• NASA Engineer Explains – Yet Again – Why the World Isn’t Ending
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Probation for men who drove with friend’s corpse to bars
• One Year Later: Japan’s Wreckage and Recovery
• By way of m3lodywise: Reimagined Miyazaki Films
• Hayao Miyazaki’s Films as LEGO constructs
• Can Government-Subsidized Birth Control Really Save Taxpayer Money?
• Repeat after me: Giant Chocolate Cthulhu Idol

Namaste.