Random Access

Wednesday – 10 November 2010
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday!
(The usual suspects all had other things come up that preclude being able to go to sushi for lunch.)

Today is also the 235th birthday/anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps:

And, it’s also my friend, Adrian’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I went out for dinner at Hopper’s Restaurant and Grill. It was a nice change of pace.  She had a Mac and Cheese dinner with Hoppers’ seasonal Hefeweizen; while I had the Far From Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, along with a pint of the Madame X Stout. After dinner, we popped into the local Target to pick up a few things… where I ran into a former coworker from the USPS. (She’s also left Postal Service’s employment.) Then, it was back home for a movie: Law Abiding Citizen.  The movie had promise, but kind of fell flat. I’m still not quite sure if it’s a low-LEGO brick or a high-lawn dart movie.  *shrug*

Stray Toasters

• It’s another suit day: Black suit, white shirt, black and rust African masks tie
  • Black Suits Comin’ (Nod Ya Head) – Remix

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: The Power of an Earthquake Turns Train Tracks to Spaghetti
• Pop!: Land of Lost Tales – Dave Stevens’ Superman and Rocketeer Miniseries
• Thanks to eBay, I have the following items, formerly on The Covet List on the way:
  • Validus Build-A-Figure from DC Universe Classics (to go on my Legion shelf)
  • The Griffin graphic novel
  • X-Men/Teen Titans graphic novel
  • Tailgunner Jo miniseries
• More graphic cigarette warnings proposed
• 
• More than 1,800 libraries to celebrate National Gaming Day on Nov. 13
• Real-Life Gadgets for Real-Life Superheroes
• Tightrope: If employees have to give two weeks’ notice, shouldn’t you, too?

And…. done!

Namaste.

Tuesday – 09 November 2010
Another day that started with flurries.
Welcome to mid-Autumn in Utah.
They’ve stopped… for now.

It’s also “Take a Model Train to Work” Day.  So, I brought in my LEGO train:

Today, we have a “meet and greet” with our company’s new president. I’ve seen him walking around the office a few times; I’m curious to hear what he has to say about his vision for leading the company.

Last night, , Nathan and Wes came over for Monday Night Football. Wes…. is a Steelers fan. I didn’t discover this until recently. I think I still like him, despite such a major personality flaw.

After the game, I did a little more work on my Signal Tower – it’s probably 90-95% complete, aside from some trim and accessories.

Instant Replay: Football

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
27 – 21
The Steelers traveled to Cincy to take on the Bengals in a division rivalry game.The boys from Pittsburgh looked like they came to play ball. The Bengals looked like they suited up a junior high JV team… and a poor one, at that. The first half of the game was “All Steelers, all the time.” Period. Somewhere in the third quarter, the Bengals put some actual NFL players in the jerseys and played some good football – coming within a six points of the Steelers – but the Steelers were able to hold on and keep the Bengals out of the end zone during their end-of-game drive. Sorry and … I was actually hoping that the Bengals would pull off the upset.

Stray Toasters

• It’s a suit day: Grey suit, white shirt, red/black/grey/gold deco tie.  Aw, yeah…
  



• Company Accused of Firing Over Facebook Post
• From the “Whoops!  I was…. NEVER… HERE…” file: Two Guys Use Excavator in the Wrong Place and Destroy an Entire Port
• For SaraRules!: 6 year old skateboarder Asher Bradshaw at Venice Beach Skatepark
• What Alcohol Actually Does to Your Brain and Body
• Paul pointed this out to me earlier: The tunnel people of Las Vegas: How 1,000 live in flooded labyrinth under Sin City’s shimmering strip
  • After a little surfing, I found this: Dark Days, a documentary about a subterranean community in New York City
• Scratching Under the Vinyl Era:Warner Music Digs Into Its Archives
• Parents worry about toddlers’ tiny fingers itching for iPhones
• Destroy All Movies!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film
• I can’t stop thinking big
  I can’t stop thinking big
  In a world where I feel so small
  I can’t stop thinking big
• From the “Get Your Dance On, Girl!” file: First Lady’s Dance Moves Woo Indian Crowds
• Mystery missile launches off California coast

Namaste.

Monday – 08 November 2010
It’s the grey and rainy beginning of another work week…

…unless you’re SaraRules!, who is extending her birthday weekend into today. (Lucky.)

Yesterday was a good day for relaxing.  I worked a little more on my railroad — I started assembling the Signal Tower Kit that I picked up on the trip to The Wonderful World of Trains. I’m probably 75% through with it. I have no idea what the next addition to the railyard or “town” will be. That’s the kind of dilemma that I’m okay with.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched The Walking Dead and followed it up with Twelve O’Clock High, starring Gregory Peck. (I remember watching the TV series when I was growing up…) In the movie, Peck portrayed a general who takes command of a flagging B-17 bomber group from another officer. The movie started a bit slowly, but the pace picked up in the second half.

Instant Replay: Football

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
20 – 23
The Raiders hosted the Chiefs… …and came away with a “WIN,” thanks to two kicks from K Sebastian Janikowsi that: A) sent the game into overtime and B) won the game. There was a stat shown at the end of the game that noted that this was Oakland’s first three-game win streak since the 2002 season. Congrats, SaraRules! and lj user=”1silver_seraph”!

.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
8:30 PM (EDT)
The Steelers and Bengals meet tonight in an AFC North match-up. This will be one of those rare occasions that I will be cheering for the Bengals.

Stray Toasters

• The rain… has turned into snow.
  I’ve already called my father to tell him that it’s snowing…
• Placido Domingo: The Spellbinding Voice of a Titan Tenor
• Nudging Grocery Shoppers Toward Healthy Food
• Possibly a lot closer to the truth than we know…

  

• Kindness of a Stranger That Still Resonates
• For SaraRules!:Grand ole party as Loretta Lynn marks 50 years in biz
• Color Comes to E Ink Screens
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • A Muggle’s Dream: Quidditch as a NCAA Sport
  • Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds
• For : Neil Diamond, Covering His Favorites from Others
• Learning from the Sadness

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 November 2010
Today is the beginning of Diwali.

It is also Guy Fawkes Day.

It’s also my 9/80 “on” Friday.

Last night, SaraRules! and I attended the Ballet West performance of:

The performances were good. I was unfamiliar with The Four Temperaments (as a dance piece); it was interesting and a little odd. I was familiar with the music from Carmina Burana, but the performance was less of an interpretation of the the story and more of an expressionist piece of modern dance.

Stray Toasters

• Graphitti Designs is (FINALLY!) coming out with a new Legion t-shirt in January!  Covet!
• Secret Ohio Warplane Graveyard Unearthed
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: 10 Toys That Will Permanently Screw Up Your Kids
• How Fanboys, Fandroids and Crackberry Junkies See Each Other
• E.U. Says It Will Overhaul Privacy Regulations
• Comics Career Guide: What to Expect from a Career in the Arts
• 
• Cooking for Geeks
• Microsoft has a hit with Kinect Xbox 360 game controller
  • Of course… Kinect has problems following dark-skinned users
• Learning in Dorm, Because Class Is on the Web
• Qantas CEO: ‘Faulty design’ may be behind jet engine blowout

Our outgoing President/CEO bought a foosball table for the office as a parting gift. I just played foosball for the first time in… in… well, let’s just say “a very long time.” I must admit: It was fun.

Namaste.

Thursday – 04 November 2010
Another NBN Thursday is upon us.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had Angela, Kate, A.J. and John – Utah Opera’s resident artists – over for dinner. We had a fantastic meal (maple chicken, roasted root vegetables, sauteed green beans with mushrooms) and got to learn a little bit more about the artists and what they do. It was a lot of fun. We also had an excellent dessert, as the residents brought a German Chocolate cake with them. It was a great way to spend the evening.

After the residents left and the dishes were put away, it was time to read this week’s comics haul. There were a couple of good reads, including Adventure Comics #520 and Superboy #1.  (I foresee a new Four-Color Coverage in the not-too-distant future…) I should also admit that I’ve been rather pleased with how Paul Levitz and his conspirators have reintroduced a young Clark Kent and Kara Zor-El back into Legion continuity. I was curious to see how it would work, given that Kara has already spent time with the Threeboot Legion, but Supergirl Annual #2 (last week) did a good job of it.

Today’s musical interlude: Anita Kelsey – Sway (“performed” by Jennifer Connelly)

Tonight: Carmina Burana at Ballet West

Stray Toasters

• I woke up this morning with Rocket 2 U, by The Jets, running through my head. I have NO idea “why.” I was more than “a little” disturbed and worried by it.
• Tennessee Titans Claim Randy Moss on Waivers
• might want to consider clicking here.
• 
• 2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet
  I used to get Hess trucks for Christmas as a kid… but none of them had a jet.
• More than 20 tons of pot smuggled in border tunnel
• Covet!

Namaste.

Tuesday – 02 November 2010
Today is Dia de los Muertos, “The Day of the Dead.”

I’m fairly certain that this makes George A. Romero quite happy.

It is also Election Day here in the U.S. and its territories.

I’m taking a late lunch to cast my ballot.

Last night, came over to watch Monday Night Football. After the game, SaraRules! and I watched the end of Buckaroo Banzai.  Again, I marvel at the fact that I hadn’t seen this movie before.

Instant Replay: Football

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 30
The Texans went to Indy to take on the Indianapolis Professional Football Club. I don’t know what happened in the first half, but the Texans looked… listless, allowing Indy to take the reins and rack up points in the first half. However, the Texans looked like an honest-to-goodness team in the second half, making a show of it late in the third and early in the fourth quarters… …but it was too little, too late.

Stray Toasters

• Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for winning The World Series.



• SaraRules! mentioned this item from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file to me a few days ago: Randy & Evi Quaid: “We’re running for our lives”
• Paul mentioned the Tehachapi Loop to me last week, but he couldn’t remember the name of it until this morning. We looked it up on Google Earth and Wikipedia; it looks pretty interesting.
  • The San Diego Railroad Museum has an HO Scale model of the loop.
• Huge Virus Breakthrough Could Mean a Cure for the Common Cold
• 
• Eisenberg: Harbaugh, Not Garrett, Was Right Choice
• pointed out an interesting website: What the Fuck Has Obama Done So Far?
• Alien Hand Syndrome
• Libraries Say “No DRM,” Springer Agrees

And that should do for now…

Namaste.

Friday – 29 October 2010
It’s my 9/80 “off” Friday and the start of my weekend. Amen.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to Market Street Grill for the retirement party of my company’s President/COO.  It was done as a cocktail hour… without cocktails, but was still a nice affair.

After that, we came home and got ready for the evening’s entertainment: We had SaraRules!’s parents, brother and his fiancee over for Hallowe’en cookie decorating and then watched the classic Disney The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, featuring the voice of Bing Crosby.  It was a fun way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• What Can You Do in Twenty-Five Words?
• The year is 2010. Detroit is a crime-ridden carcass of the gleaming metropolis it once was. The city only has one hope. And he’s 2 years old.
• Is the proper use of an apostrophe really that hard to figure out?
• Welcome to Dracula’s Castle
• Lisa Black: Gear-Turning Steampunk Taxidermy
• 
• National parks have room for all races
• Comic Book Resources has a preview of the upcoming Superboy #1, from Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo. This version of Superboy is not a young Clark Kent, but a clone spliced from the DNA of Superman… and Lex Luthor, known as Conner Kent. The character first appeared in the “Reign of the Supermen” storyline, following the “The Death of Superman” in 1992.  I think that I have a fair portion of his first series (1993-2000), but mostly followed it because it was a Superman-related title; the character was still a bit… rough. Over the past year, Paul Levitz has breathed new life – and definitely added some depth – to the character. (That… and he’s renewed/strengthened Conner’s ties with the Legion.) This new title has the potential to be good. And just plain fun.
  • I just talked with Jeremiah – one of the guys from Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection – and found out that he did an interview with Jeff Lemire for Big Shiny Robot.
• The Biggest Movie Monster Ever
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Police arrest man after beer found in child safety seat

That’s good for now. I need to get ready to get out of here — and I are grabbing lunch and then heading up to Ogden to visit The Wonderful World of Trains.

Namaste.

Thursday – 28 October 2010
Another NBN Technical Friday is upon us.
Amen.

Last night was D&D game night with Melody, Jack and company. My character nearly died. Twice. Not good. Fortunately, though, he didn’t and lives to adventure another day.

After the game, I headed home to read yesterday’s four-color haul. There were some good reads… and a few mediocre ones.  And, I’m still not a fan of John Romita, Jr.’s artwork. (That’s right, I said it. Again.) After a few books, I decided to combine a couple of relaxation methods: Reading comics while soaking in a hot bath. It was a good mix.

Stray Toasters

• From the “SkyNet is now online…” file: Meet Suzette, the chat program that convinced an expert she was human
• For SaraRules! and others: George A. Romero Explains “Zombies” (video)
• Apple Tried to Buy HALO’s Creators
• Musical Interlude: Ray Charles – Sticks and Stones
• DiyOrNot Calculates the Cost of DIY Projects
• China Wrests Supercomputer Title from U.S.
• 
• Firefox zero day being exploited in the wild
• Hurray for fire drills!
• How to Spot Your Evil Twin
• Musical Interlude #2: Nelly (ft. St. Lunatics) – Batter Up
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: 3M claims ownership over purple
  • 3M Owns the Color Purple (But Not How You Might Think)
• In Spain, Homes Are Taken but Debt Stays
• James Bond’s Astin Martin sells for 2.6M pounds at auction

And with that…

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Monday – 25 October 2010
Okay, I’m not really a pirate, but thanks (and apologies) to Jimmy Buffett for the title of today’s post. (You can listen to the song here.)

I turn 40 tomorrow.

I don’t look at it with trepidation or lots of introspection or trying to figure out what I want/need to get past a mid-life crisis. To be honest, I’m looking forward to it. (Besides, given the fact that I have been known act somewhere in the 8-14 year-old range, I’d say that I have a good ten to fifteen years before I start looking for a fast car or plastic surgery or fake hair.) And the biggest “plus” of all: Another birthday means that I will have successfully avoided the embrace of the Dark Lady for another year. And I have a lot of things that I still want to do. So, bring on forty… and beyond!

Saturday was an eventful day. I started off the day, having breakfast with Chris. From there, we headed up to Dr. Volt’s, where I judged another HeroClix tournament. There were fourteen (14) players in the event – the largest turnout we’ve had in a while. As this was the closest event to Hallowe’en, I decided to make the tournament’s theme “Monster Mash,” in which each team had to have at least one figure with the “Monster” keyword. It went pretty well. After that, six of us played a three-on-three match. That was fun, as I haven’t played in a while. I also established the theme for the next tournament, on 06 November.  I’m calling it “Rock the Vote” and all figures on players’ teams must have either the “Politician,” “Ruler,” or “Reporter” keywords.  That should make for some interesting teams.

After the tourney, SaraRules!, her mother and I went to a birthday celebration fora friend of the family. SaraRules! and I wound up the evening with a couple of movies: Let the Right One In and Eight-Legged Freaks. It’s near Hallowe’en — thus horror movies were in order. We wanted to catch Right One, before seeing its new American remake. It was good… and rather different than I expected. I looked up trivia about the movie and discovered what the movie left out. It also made me interested in reading the book on which it was based. And, Eight-Legged Freaks was just just turn-your-brain-off fun.

Yesterday was a good day. I slept in. I worked at getting my comics collection reorganized.  I moved my train equipment and assembled the second table. I ran errands. I watched football.  And, SaraRules! even watched a couple of movies: The Karate Kid (2009) and Repo Men. We enjoyed both movies.

Instant Replay: Football
Yesterday had a lot of good – and surprising – games:

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
34 – 37
The Ravens hosted the 0-5 Bills… …and nearly gave them their first win.  Fortunately, the timely return of Ed Reed – along with an overtime interception by Ray Lewis – helped propel the Ravens over the Bills.

.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
59 – 14
The Raiders went to Invesco Field and wrecked shop. Seriously. It was a “Take no prisoners” kind of game. How bad was it? Well, let’s just say that the score was 24-0 at the end of the first quarter. Quarter, not half.  Yeah. It was like that. Congratulations, SaraRules! and .

.

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
20 – 23
The ‘Cats hosted the Niners… and came away with a win.

.

Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
32 – 39
The Bengals dropped this one to Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Sorry, and .

.

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints
30 – 17
The Browns went marching into the Superdome beat up Super Bowl champion Saints, who seem to have lost their mojo.

Stray Toasters

• There is more snow on the mountains today. And it’s lower down the mountains, to boot.
• Decoder Ring: Boston Typewriter Orchestra Applies the Wite-Out
• Why Do People Confess to Crimes They Didn’t Commit?
• 
• App Makers Take Interest in Android
• Thanks to for pointing this out: Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort
• Celia Cruz: The Voice from Havana
• Foreclosures Had Errors, Bank Finds

It’s Day 3 of my four-day weekend.  Time to find some trouble to get into!

Namaste.

Saturday – 23 October 2010
In the words of Bjork: “It’s oh so quiet.”
The only sounds, aside from my typing, are from birds chirping outside the window.

Last night, I had a great time: SaraRules! organized a birthday dinner for me at MacCool’s; my birthday isn’t until Tuesday, but she correctly figured that it might be “a little difficult” to get people together on a school night. There was good food (Prime Rib!), good beer (Black and Pumpkin, made with Guinness) and the delightful company of family and friends. We followed dinner with cake and ice cream back at home. It was a great evening and truly an excellent way to wind up the week.

Today, I’m judging another ‘Clix tournament this afternoon at Dr. Volt’s. As there’s no tourney next week, this is our Hallowe’en-themed event, which I’ve been referring to as “Monster Mash.” For this match, all teams have to have at least one figure with the “Monster” keyword.  I’m looking forward to some interesting combinations.

Stray Toasters

• New misspelling: “Stray Toaters.”  I was surprised to learn that “toat” is actually a word.
• I talked the paternal parental unit this morning. He sent me a book, Trains of the World, for my birthday.  In it, he noted a train that used to run through his hometown when he was younger.
• Wonder Woman Day Unleashes Awesome Art for a Good Cause This Sunday
  • And, if you’re in the Flemington, NJ area, check out Comic Fusion’s Wonder Woman Day event, which kicks off today.
• Why Is Clint Eastwood Still the Man?
• Sweet gourd-mangling Cthulhu… I have found Ravens pumpkin carving stencils! I may actually have to carve a pumpkin this year…
• 
• Words & Unwords
• 10 geek sins that will get your geek card revoked
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Celebrity Invention: Penn Jillette’s Bathtub for the Ladies
• Repaneled

I should probably get ready to hit the road.

Namaste.

Friday – 22 October 2010
Bonus points to those of you who get the subject line without having to look it up.

It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday.
It started off somewhat quietly… but it picked up a little, around 9:45. No big deal. Nothing insurmountable.

Last night, after a couple of rounds of “Let’s Clean the House,” I managed to sneak off to Nova Praetoria for a while. I hadn’t played City for a week or two, so it was a nice change of pace. I ran a few missions. I leveled up once. I remembered how slow running through a city can be… although it’s still faster than Hover.

I also got in a bit more reading in Starship Troopers.

Stray Toasters

• Tweaking Tradition, Even in Its Temple
• Moon Crater Contains Usable Water, NASA Says
  • Shawn Colvin & Ernie: I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon
    
• Recently Rediscovered Letter Shows Wonder Woman’s Earliest Costume
• Middle Classes in Africa
• Haunted Mansion ghost hearse made from LEGO
• A Son Grows Thankful for His Father’s Tough Love
• Gays, Mormons and Boy Scouts’ discrimination
• 
• Credit Cards Soon to Get a Makeover
• T-shirt turns into a zombie
  • Sears reaches out to the neglected Zombie-American demographic
• No Net for the Man in Charge

Namaste.

Monday – 18 October 2010
A new work week begins.

This past weekend was, quite possibly, one of the most relaxing weekends I’ve had in a while.  That is FAR from a “bad” thing.  I think that it was also quite beneficial, given how crappy I felt Wednesday through Friday.

Saturday afternoon, SaraRules! and I went on a mid-afternoon date to the movies. We saw Red. It was fun. Kind of like The Losers: Senior Class, but with a bit more wit.

Later in the evening, we got gussied-up and had an evening on the town: Dinner out and the opening night of

It was a great performance.  There were four set changes – one set was used in Acts I and IV – and each of them truly transformed the look of the stage into a different place.  The casting was also something that I’ve not seen in a Utah Opera production before: 1/3 of the main cast was African-American. That was a refreshing change of pace (or, as I told SaraRules! after the show: “That’s the Blackest opera cast I’ve seen here yet!”).  I do not know if Utah Opera is trying to expand its productions to include more multicultural casts, but if so, I commend them on their effort. It’s refreshing to see more people of color in the arts… and especially in opera.

Today, we slept in; it was a treat in which I indulge far too infrequently. After we got up, we went out for breakfast and ran a couple of errands. We came back home where I did some cleaning… while watching the NFL.com Game Center of the Ravens giving away the game to the Patriots. *ARGH* A little later, we went for a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon, to see the fall colors. (Pictures can be seen here.) I still want to see more fiery reds, but the foliage was very nice despite its absence.

After our excursion, we came home, changed and then met SaraRules!’ family and Swiz’ family for a lovely dinner, in honor of Swiz and Logan’s engagement. The food was simply exquisite and was matched by the company.  It was the perfect way to wrap up the weekend.

Stray Toasters

• Pope canonises first Australian Saint, Mary MacKillop
• ‘Fractal’ mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot dies aged 85
  • Jonathan Coulton: Mandelbrot Set
    
• 10 Best Alignment Charts
• The Zombie Network: Beware “Free Public WiFi”
• Sesame Street (yes, “THAT” Sesame Street) had a couple of bits of “win” this past week, apparently:
  • Sesame Street Teaches Black Girls to Love Their Hair
  • Old Spice spoof… with Grover
• Thanks to for pointing this out:



• The Perfect Steak Grilling Guide
• Weirdest Things Smuggled on an Airplane
• 10 Badass Old Folks

Hi-ho, hi-ho…

Namaste.

Saturday – 16 October 2010
Yesterday, and I headed up to Clearfield to check out a new (to us) train shop: Almosta Junction.  They have the largest O-scale selection that I’ve encountered in Utah. And, they had an amazing layout, including one train that had at least 40 cars on it. pointed out that it “…isn’t just a toy train set, that is definitely a model.” We didn’t get to see the trains in action, but just seeing the layout was great. The shop was pretty cool and I am Ivory Soap sure that I’ll be heading back there again in the not-too-distant future.

After the model railroad outing, I came home and hung out until it was time for Clitorati. Last night’s gathering was small, but nevertheless good. And, I had recovered enough of my appetite to have a little something to eat when dinnertime rolled around.

This morning, we got up and took SaraRules!’ car to the shop to have tire and brake work done. After that, we made a quick stop at the store to pick up breakfast-typed food stuffs. While there, we ran into my former coworker, Brooke, whom we haven’t seen in a few months. Then it was back home for breakfast (French Toast and eggs).

Stray Toasters

• Prince announces tour to start in December
• The Swiss Have the World’s Longest Tunnel and They’re Proud of It
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Passenger: Airline said I’m ‘too disabled’ to fly alone
• Fox channels go dark amid financial dispute
• 
• HOW TO: Make a Zombie Barbie Garden
• 12 Awesome Airplane Paint Jobs

Now: Yard and garden work (ostensibly the last of the season)
Next: Red
Later: La Boheme

Namaste.

Wednesday – 13 October 2010
Technically, I wrote this last night, before going to bed. But, thanks to the miracle of WordPress’ scheduler, I can have it post after the sun is up.  (Or, at least after it’s up on the east coast.)

It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday. Amen. After a couple of days of getting into the office between 0600 and 0615, I shall gladly take some time in the middle of the day to retrieve my four-color crack and indulge to in a bit of raw fish goodness.

To recap the past couple of days…

I went to work for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon.  Some progress was made, but there were still a couple of issues to be dealt with on Monday.  After that, I went with the lovely SaraRules! (I keep forgetting to add the exclamation point on that) to enjoy a lovely German-themed dinner with the in-laws. It was quite good.  After we got home, I was a bit brain-dead and all I wanted to do was flop down on the couch and watch some TV. The ever-understanding SaraRules! was kind enough to keep me company until it was time to hit the rack.

Monday was… “a day.” I was in the office early — I expected it to be a “less than pleasant” day of work and I wanted to just get it over with.  And, I was right: It wasn’t pleasant.  As I noted in a brief foray to Facebook, I felt like the mythical Sisyphus. (Unfortunately, no matter how many times Carve Away the Stone ran through my head, it did nothing to alleviate my mood.) The day got better after I left work… despite dropping a full cup of frozen mocha goodness on the garage steps – and myself – while getting ready for Monday Night Football. *sigh*

Tuesday was a remarkably better day. While it wasn’t a necessarily “perfect” day, things fell into their proper places and my urge to punch people in the throat was notably absent. After work, I strolled up to Pin-up Girl Espresso for a white tea with peach. I chatted with Jim and Natalie (and Deja, from the neighboring floral/garden center) for a bit before walking back home. After dinner, SaraRules! went gallivanting, while I waited for Chris to come over.  On tonight’s agenda: Halo: Reach.  There was a wonderful bit of (much needed) catharsis in wantonly shooting things. It was a good way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• By way of MarknTyme: Homeless Man – Under Pressure
  (NOTE: Be sure to watch the CNN interview with the performer.)
• Dan Savage’s Message to Gay Youth: ‘It Gets Better’
• Worf: Worst Klingon Ever
• 
• IRS servers go down during crucial week
• X-Men Arcade Coming to Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade
• WWII Star Wars action figure mods
• This both amuses and frightens me…



• …however, the cosplay photography of Jay Tablante reaffirms my faith.
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Empire Strikes Back
• Monkeys…
• Improv Everywhere’s 8 Geekiest Stunts

I should get to bed: It’s early and I have to get up later.

Namaste.

Friday – 08 October 2010
It’s almost the weekend.
It is my 9/80 “on” Friday… and there’s some work that needs to get done before it’s Miller time.

Speaking of work: I’ve been part of a project that has been in various stages of development and progress for a year or so. A couple of months ago, a large part of it wound up falling into my lap. To be honest, a good portion of what needed to be done fell “a little” outside of my personal experience/knowledge base. But it was mine, so there no use crying over “But, I can’t…” or “I don’t…”  (Not that there haven’t been times that I’ve wanted to say those things and walk away.)

On more than one occasion, I’ve been reminded of a song, Discipline, by Bobby McFerrin:

for those who have been trained by it,
no discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful.

The lyrics are actually taken from Hebrews 12: 11 (NIV):

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Very apt.
More to the point, I haven’t walked (or run) away from the project.
And, despite the learning curve – and some frustration/irritation from learning a good number of things on the fly – it’s been a great learning opportunity.

Stray Toasters

• LEGO Universe is live, as of this morning.
  Of course, I won’t get to play it until this evening or later tonight. *shakes fist*
• Flawed Foreclosure Documents Thwart Home Sales
• Tom Bancroft’s DCU Elementary
• 
• Rediscovering an Earthy Master
• Pirate Johnny Depp makes surprise school visit
• For : Batman: The Killing Joke Relived Via LEGO
• Spammers Using Soft Hyphen to Hide Malicious URLs
• There is a new anime-styled ‘Iron Man’ animated series coming to G4 this Spring. Not too surprisingly, someone’s found the opening title sequence and posted it on YouTube:
• Fringe Star Anna Torv Explores a New Reality
• If the future’s looking dark
  We’re the ones who have to shine
  If there’s no one in control
  We’re the ones who draw the line
  Though we live in trying times
  We’re the ones who have to try
  Though we know that time has wings
  We’re the ones who have to fly…
• Duke Winces as a Private Joke Slips Out of Control
• The Art of Steve Thomas
• From the “Everything’s Heavy Underground” files:
  • Underground: graphic novel thriller set in a cave
  • Luxury underground community: bomb-shelter meets gate-guarded community
• Ancient Roman helmet sells for ten times estimated amount
• Newspaper Publishers Still Hope Tablets Will Save Them

Back to the grind…

Namaste.