Random Access

Friday – 07 May 2010
It’s my “on” Friday… but that’s okay: The team is seeing Iron Man 2 at lunch.

SaraRules and I saw the movie last night… well, “very early this morning.” And it was worth the lack of sleep. It was a well-done bit of entertainment. Mr. Downey looked quite comfortable, once again, as Tony Stark. Don Cheadle turned in a good performance as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, the “voice of reason” to Tony’s “poor impulse control.” Samuel L. Jackson was one bad mother… no, wait…. had it with these motherf…. wait… “he was good in his expanded role as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.”  Scarlett Johansson also did a good turn as The Black Widow. Mickey Rourke did a good job of turning Marvel villain Whiplash (whose back story was given a tweak to fit into the movie’s storyline) into a credible threat and Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer was equal parts unctuous slimeball and opportunistic business man. All-in-all, Jon Favreau did a good job of bringing viewers back into the world of Tony Stark. I was impressed with how his nod to Demon in a Bottle was handled – very subtly, but it made the point. I was also amused by some of the cameos in the film, as well. (Look for “Larry King.”) And, don’t forget to stay for a little bump after the credits. Just sayin’.

And… there were a couple of interesting trailers before the movie, too: A new one for The Last Airbender (which looked pretty nice) and one for an upcoming J.J. Abrams project that looks… intriguing.

Before the movie, Chris came over. We were originally planning on throwing a HeroClix game together, but opted to play HALO 3: ODST, instead. And it was good. Selah.

Stray Toasters

• Most of my cold symptoms are gone… but I’m still dealing with a sore/scratchy throat and swollen lymph nodes. Bah.
• The Art of Style, and the Style of Art
• For SaraRules: No sleep til…
• For Amy: Click or tap along with new ‘Sam & Max’ series
• Couch Forts: A Critique
• The pill: 50 years of birth control changed women’s lives
• The Bell Tolls: Lots of blame in Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell flop… sorry, SaraRules
• By way of Rachel: Things That Can Make You Feel Like an Idiot Almost Instantly
• F.C.C. Proposes Rules on Internet Access
• Nyx showed me this video…

  …and all I could think of was:

  Spider-Bear! Spider-Bear!
  Whats she doing up in the air?

• Former MySpace security chief starts company
• Music round-up:
  • Gustavo Dudamel: Making Classical Cool in L.A.
  • U.S. Troops Spoof Lady Gaga Video
  • Moby: One Song, Two Days, Three Versions
• How a Cellphone Call Works
• April Jobs Report: Best gain in four years

Yep, that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 05 May 2010
It’s Cinco de Mayo.

Even WizKids has jumped on the bandwagon.

It’s also Comics (and possibly Sushi) Wednesday.

Last night, SaraRules had Book Club… which meant that I was “Bachelor for an Evening.” I headed up to the local B&N to do some drawing. I started coloring on a pic that I’ve been working on (well, “off-and-on”) for a few weeks. Mixed results. I had done a lot of graphite pencil-work on it and the colored pencils weren’t exactly dealing with all of it well. I may reconsider my tack and start the picture anew. We’ll see.

After that, I went home and started playing HALO 3: ODST. (What? You think a little something like “no Internet” is going to stop me from getting my game on?! Hah!) I picked the game up a couple of days ago, but hadn’t cracked it open until last night. It’s got the classic HALO feel, but with a few twists. I like it. (I haven’t found the sniper’s rifle… yet… but, I’m getting good at the headshots with the pistol.)

Stray Toasters

• Sore throat != fun
• New (and as-yet unmet) neighbor deciding to wait until 0610 this morning to move his empty trash can from the curb to its resting place between our houses != fun.
  • On the other hand, it gave me an early start on the morning.
• Day of Prayer Becomes Culture War Skirmish
• Homes can be lost by mistake when banks miscommunicate
• Obama’s plea for civility is exactly right
• This image…

  

  …is available as a t-shirt from SPLITREASON.

• DJ Spooky and Chuck D remix “By the Time I Get to Arizona” in honor of anti-immigrant law
• Google moves into online travel business
• Do Not Look at These Dirty, Filthy State Seals
• By way of BoingBoing (and ): A small announcement – as told through Science Fiction

• …and, with that in mind: Stop-Motion LEGO Star Wars Trilogy in Just Two Minutes

Namaste.

Tuesday – 04 May 2010
I am of ill humor today.

This mostly stems from the fact that my thoughts, with regards to Comcast, repeat: “MDK… MDK…”

Not only have I had three (3) calls from their recovery service about their “unreturned lease equipement,” but yesterday I received a notice from them in the mail. You’d think that people would read the notes on an account… but maybe expecting them to actually read what’s on the screen is asking far too much of people. So, they’re about to receive a rather pointed fax – along with copies of Comcast’s own work orders – with my expectations.

::: deep cleansing breath :::

Yesterday was, otherwise, not too bad. I was finally able to cut down the jungle mow the lawn. (I’m still not a fan of that “landscaping” in the front yard, but SaraRules and I are deciding how to change it.) After dinner and a little errand-running, SaraRules and I watched In the Heat of the Night. It was an excellent film; I highly recommend it.

Stray Toasters

• Sallie Mae lowers interest rates on non-federal student loans
• Small-Screen Jazz: Your Favorite TV Themes
• Russian Orphanage Offers Love, but Not New Families
• Join the Dots Wallpaper
• Take Back Our Country – Originally from the U.K., but easily applicable elsewhere…
• 
• Top social ticket: NYC’s Costume Institute gala
• From the “Catches Thieves, Just Like Flies…” file: Free Comic Book Day shoplifted foiled by Spider-Man, Jedis and The Flash
• Terry Pratchett: Doctor Who isn’t science fiction
• ‘Long-term harm’ of too much TV for toddlers
• Being Human Is Different, Or What Science Asks of Us

Namaste.

Wednesday – 28 April 2010
It’s snowing.
Yes, it was better than 70F a day or two ago.
Now, it’s not. According to The Weather Channel, it is 40F right now.
Yesterday, it was also very windy. A LOT of dust was blown into the valley from the desert, making things grey and drab.

Last night, SaraRules and I met at the old apartment to pick up some of the last few things we left there. Things were moving along nicely – we had loaded her car and had started putting things in mine – when, about 21:30/21:45, the power went out.

::: braincramp :::

The flashlight was at the house, as were the candles, so we were effectively done. We piled into our cars and headed home…

…only to discover that the power was out there, too.

*grblsnrkx*

The first and most immediate issue that created: No automatic garage door opener. And the door doesn’t seem to have a handle or manual method for opening it. So, we had the privilege of parking outside. No power also pretty much meant that unpacking most things was out. We found the flashlight and SaraRules tracked down a couple of the big candles and we sat around and chatted (and listened to the still-howling wind) until she nodded off. I tried – somewhat unsuccessfully – to stay away, but drifted off about 23:15.

At 23:34, the power came back on. I took advantage of the situation and prepped the coffee maker, put away some of the fortunately still-frozen food that we had brought from the apartment. Since I had been up and moving around, falling back asleep wasn’t the easiest thing, so I grabbed my GameBoy and played a few rounds of Tetris. Sleep found me about thirty minutes later.

Stray Toasters

• No power + new house = BAH!
  (Of course, it kind of made the no TV/no Internet thing easy to cope with…)
• I’m debating advancing my timetable for having DirecTV installed.
• Check out Jim Lee’s variant cover for Legion of Super-Heroes #1

  

  “I’d buy that for a dollar!”
  (Who am I kidding?  It’s a Legion book.  I’d easily pay TWO dollars for it!)

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sprint employees fired for capturing shoplifter
• Who was the best/worst astronaut… and why:
  • Captain Anthony “Buck” Rogers
  • Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson
  • Colonel Steve Austin

  Discuss.

And with that, Kenneth and I are off to the South 40 to deal with a couple of issues with the kids down there. Pray for us.

Namaste.

Monday – 26 April 2010
Last night was our first night sleeping at the house. It made sense to sleep there as (almost) all of our stuff is there now… including/especially the bed. It wasn’t the most sound sleep I’ve ever had – I woke up a few times, for no reasons that I’ve been able to discern – but it is nice to be out of the shadow of the pending move.

Now comes the “Where did I put the [fill-in-item-name]…?!” portion of the move.

And figuring out what kind of desk I want.

Stray Toasters

• I spoke with the parental units yesterday; they are doing well. After mentioning the work I want to do in the basement at the house, I think that I have volunteered to finish my mother’s basement. We’ll have to see how that works out…
• Ms. Nyx forwarded a couple of interesting items:
  • Antwone Fisher: What guys need to know to be men
  • Hong Kong architect turns shoebox apartment into 24 rooms
• Amy sent a link to Stephane Halleux’ artwork.
• I found a CD I’d been missing for the past couple of months… in my trunk. *facepalm*
• 
• Sony to end floppy disk production, by way of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Goes to ER after One ‘Wicked’ Sandwich
• As Lost Ends, Creators Explain How They Did It, What’s Going On
• I missed the NFL Draft. All of it.
• Blood glucose meter attaches to Nintendo DS
• By way of : The police get involved in the lost iPhone case

Quote of the Day
Today’s QotD actually comes in two parts, both of which are courtesy of Anne (one of the graduating MFAs from SaraRules’ program) to two other MFAs:

1. You need Jesus. Or a midol and a snickers. Whichever.
2. There really is only one way to give a PowerPoint presentation in your senior capstone class: still drunk.

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Sunday – 25 April 2010
The deed is done.
We’re officially residing in the new house.

And, I’m still without Interwebs at home.  Yeah.  I know. The basic story breaks down something like this:

Steve, the tech arrived about 1615 this afternoon. He went to the junction box on the street and then came back into the house, saying: “I have some bad news…”

It appears that there isn’t a line running from the box to the house. That’s not to say that there isn’t a conduit running from the box to the house – there is.  Steve said that it looked like someone had been trenching in the yard and just… pulled the line back down the conduit.

::: blink blink :::

So, Steve called the Comcast Mothership and had them set up a “pre-bury” plan. Basically, they’re going to come out, dig up a section of yard – and possibly the sidewalk – and drop a brand new line.

Installation date: 10 May 2010

That’s right. Two weeks out.

*grblsnrkx*

Oh, well. At least I’ll be able to get A LOT of unpacking and organizing done.

And, there’s possibly a trip or two to The Garden of Sweden in there, too. I need a new desk, after all.

Anyway… If anyone needs to contact me after working hours, phone or text me. Or just wait for me to respond via email/IM the next business day.

But, at least we’re in the house.

Until tomorrow.

Namaste.

Friday – 23 April 2010
I am very glad that it’s Friday, even though it’s my “on” Friday. And it’s my week with The Leash.

Last night, I am not sure if I had my NBN Thursday ruined or not: When I got home from work, the cable was out. I didn’t worry too much about it, as I needed to pack a few things and it was good to not have the distraction. After I packed the items away, I flipped open the BlacIntosh to check something online. No go, Flight.

*blink blink*

I tried the TV again. No signal. I put the boxes in the car and headed to the house. When I got there, I decided to call Comcast to see what was going on. The first sign that there was something amiss came when the IVR said that I had a zero balance on the account. I knew that this was wrong, as I hadn’t yet paid the bill. So, after dialing through the menu, I got to talk to an actual person. After making his way through the details he found the problem:

Our disconnect order went through yesterday, sometime after SaraRules had gone to work.

This was the precise issue that I had been hoping to avoid. In fact, I asked the CSR I spoke with a few days ago – more than once – to verify that it wouldn’t happen.

::: grblsnrkx :::

Granted, we won’t be at home a lot over the next 48 hours, but when we are there, it would be nice to have TV and Internet access. Just sayin’. So, I asked if they could reconnect the service. The CSR said sure and then checked for the first available date. He found one: 27 April 2010. There was only one (slight) problem with this: We’re moving on 25 April 2010.

::: braincramp :::

New-CSR said that he’d leave a message for the morning dispatcher to see about expediting the issue. I was supposed to hear back a little after 0800 this morning. It’s now a little after 1000. I got tired of waiting, so I called them.  And I have an answer: It appears that we will be service-free at the apartment until we move, because they would have to issue a reconnection service ticket to have us hooked back up. And the earliest date possible for that: Monday. *sigh* This isn’t making my choice to return to DirecTV later this summer any more difficult, I have to say. And, now I’m even contemplating a transfer of Internet service, as well. And, I’m not-so-oddly reminded of a lyric from Neurotica, by Rush:

The world is a cage for your impotent rage
But don’t let it get to you

Too late. It’s gotten to me. But, I did at least have the foresight to agree to have a “Customer Satisfaction Survey” call back, this time. It may be just a bunch of button pushing or talking to yet another IVR, but at least I’ll get some of the irritation of this situation off my chest.

Stray Toasters

• MarknTyme pointed out: ‘This Looks So Broadway’: Tim Gunn Critiques Superhero Costumes, which I think that SaraRules should check out.  This is entertaining for a number of reasons, not the least of which include:
  • It combines my interest in comics with SaraRules’ interest in fashion.
    (It’s always nice to find things that combine our respective likes.)
  • It combines my love of comics with my affinity for Tim Gunn.
  • And, it includes the following: “It looks like a bad hooker at Hallowe’en,” Tim Gunn on Halle Berry’s Catwoman costume.
• Complaint: Pa. policewoman sent home for dyed hair
• 
• I was going to post a video of Salt N Pepa’s Shake Your Thang, but the embedding was disabled. So, you’ll just have to go here and get your Friday morning groove on.
• By way of Peggy and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Blame Cleavage: Why Networks Rejected Plus-Size Lingerie Ad (Updated)
• At 1035, I got a call from a Comcast tech: Apparently, we’ve had our service reconnected.
  I really wish that “Hand A” would let “Hand B” know what it’s doing.
• Tony Stark Facts
• City of Heroes is about to celebrate its 6th Anniversary.



• Henge Docks for MacBooks
• CenturyTel to Buy Qwest for $10.6 Billion, by way of

On with the show…

Namaste.

Sunday – 18 April 2010
To quote Bjork: “It’s oh so quiet…”

The only real sounds I am hearing at the moment are the clock on the wall, birds chirping and my typing. Of course, it’s seven-thirty on a Sunday morning, so it’s kind of expected, to be honest. But, I’ve already had eight (8) hours of sleep, so I believe I’m up for the day… unless a nap creeps in somewhere.

Yesterday’s flooring work totally kicked my trash. On the other hand, SaraRules and I learned a very useful new skill: How to install a floor. (Hopefully, it won’t be a skill we have to put into practice too often.)  For those who didn’t see the before and after shots, you can click here to view them. After all of the work we’ve put in over the past couple of weeks, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: We’re moving next weekend. That will be good. Not only because we’ll finally be in the house, but also because it means that we’ll be done with splitting our time between trying to get the house ready/trying to pack up the apartment. It begins to wear you out, after a while. But, in the words of Sam Cooke:

It’s been a long time coming,
But I know a change is gonna come…

And I can’t wait.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules and I went to ColdStone last night for dessert. It was good.
• We also watched The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. It was not so good. I would love to be able to blame its non-greatness to the fact that I was tired – and started nodding off on it – but I can’t. Not even the fact that it had Doctor Who‘s Tom Baker (Doctor #4, my favorite Doctor, by the way) and former Bond girl Caroline Munro and special effects by Ray Harryhausen could save this movie.
• Wajeha Al Huwaider, a woman, driving in Saudi Arabia
• A few points about style and fashion:
  • How to Shop Like a Grown-up (women)
  • Building Your Perfect Business Wardrobe
  • The GQ Guide to Dressing for Less
• 
• Why We Can’t Do 3 Things at Once
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Cookbook misprint costs Australian publisher
• Rising Fuel Prices Could Chill Summer Vacation Plans
• Infected XP owners left unpatched
• I’m liking Delicious Library 2.4 for Mac. It’s still not “perfect” for cataloguing my comics collection, but it does a pretty good job, nonetheless.
• NYC to Close ‘Rubber Rooms’ for Teachers in Trouble
• The Dogs of War: Apple vs. Google vs. Microsoft

Time to see what the day holds.

Namaste.

Friday – 16 April 2010
It’s my 9/80 Friday off. Amen.

I slept in this morning – following falling asleep on the couch last night. When it was all said and done, it looks like I clocked about nine (9) hours of sleep, in all. Yeah, I think that all of the work we’ve been doing around the house is catching up with me… but it’s worth it. We’re getting closer to being done with the pre-moving work. Last night’s task: Tearing out the carpet in the dining room. It went well, but taking out the tack strips was… well… noisy. We stopped, out of deference to our neighbors, because of just how loud it was. We still have about ten to twelve feet of tack strip to remove. That will come either this afternoon or tomorrow morning, before we start laying the new floor.

This morning, however, I am off to play ‘Clix with Chris for a few hours. And tonight, we’re going to see the Buzz Stingers Bees play baseball.

Stray Toasters

• A week or so ago, there was a local news article about a cow that got stuck in a storm drain. Yes, cows underground. I thought it was odd, until I saw this article.
• Mark Evans Art, by way of .
• Stranded leader runs country by iPad
• This, by way of , makes me laugh:
  
  For those who don’t quite get it, here’s the explanation.
• 
• 30 Awesome MacBook Stickers
• 10 Coolest Action Figures Ever Made
• This is a little something for .
• 10 Directors’ Unknown Cameos in Movies
• Laura Hall given drinking banning order across England and Wales

Up. Out.

Namaste.

Thursday – 15 April 2010
It’s another NBN “Technical Friday.”
It’s also “Tax Day” in the United States.

Yesterday, WizKids released their new The Brave and the Bold set for HeroClix. There’s been a lot of hullaballoo about the set as it was slated to feature a number of duo figures – which basically means “two figures on one base.” There was also some grumbling about the new “Alter Ego” game mechanic that this set would introduce. Oh… and the fact that in certain games, feat cards – which allowed figures to gain certain abilities – would no longer be legal. (That was the most-bemoaned point that I’ve heard, so far.) Dr. Volt’s held a Release Day Event: 300-point, sealed box tournament. And the best part of all: I didn’t have to judge the event, so I could actually play — I believe that there were 18-20 participants, including a few of the guys we used to play with at Far West Comics. My draft wasn’t awesome, but it had a few decent figures in it… figures whose best uses I still need to figure out.  *sigh* I went 1 – 2 on the night, but I had a lot of fun. Jeremiah, the Dr. Volt’s employee who decided to run the event, said that he had a new respect for what I had to deal with a tournaments, after running this event. That was both gratifying and amusing.

Stray Toasters

• Tax Day Deals and Freebies for the Taking
• While I was playing dolls last night, SaraRules did the first coat of paint in the kitchen — we’re doing the backsplash area of two walls in the same color as the tops of the dining room walls. She also took down the tape in the rooms we painted over the past week. Apparently, the previous owners weren’t as careful as painting as they could have been and there are traces of paint on the ceilings that we didn’t notice before. So, I get to do a bit of touch-up work this weekend.
• Civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks dies
• Thanks to Nyx for pointing out Vintage-Style Superhero Posters
• 
• I Park Like an Idiot — I wish that I’d come up with this idea.
• WorldWorksGames just released two new sets:
  1. Thoumont’s: TLX Edition
  2. Mayhem Armoury 2: Apartments
• To coincide with the release of The Brave and the Bold, WizKids also unveiled a new website, Heroclix.com, along with a splashy new header:



• I think I have too much blood in my caffeinestream again…
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • By way of SaraRules: Evil Clown Dominic Deville hired for stalking, threats and a pie in the face
    What kind of parent thinks that causing the need for years of therapy for their kids is a “good” thing?
  • Wii Fit injury turns woman into a sex addict!
    So, do you think that this will increase sales of the Wii and Wii Fit?
  • GameStation: “We own your soul.”
• I get to buy a lawnmower tomorrow.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 April 2010
Today is not Sushi and Comics Wednesday…
Today is the day that The Brave and the Bold set for HeroClix releases!
(What can I say?  It’s the little things in life… literally, in this case.)

Last night, SaraRules and I visited Lumber Liquidators. We were in search of flooring for the dining room.  We had originally considered going with a laminated floor (think: Pergo), until my mother mentioned the idea of reclaimed hardwood — made from strips of hardwood, as opposed to synthetic materials with a “picture of wood” on top. After looking around for a while, we found something that we both agreed upon. Seven boxes and a few trim pieces later, we were under way. Tearing out the carpet and laying the floor will be this weekend’s big project.

The night was, otherwise, relatively quiet. SaraRules made cheesesteak sandwiches for dinner. Win! We watched an episode of NCIS and Turf War — it was odd to see Diane Neal, whom I last saw on Law & Order: The Next Generation SVU, on NCIS as a CGIS agent… but not disconcertingly so. After Turf Wars, we set about boxing a few things, in preparation for our move.

This morning, I woke up at 0527… for reasons unknown. After realizing that I still had an hour to sleep, I made my way back to The Dreaming. When I woke up to start the day, I was greeted with blue skies and chirping birds. I also had Johnny Gill’s Rub You the Right Way running through my head. I thought about making it this morning’s video… which was further cemented when Christina Aguilera’s Genie in a Bottle (a song I think of in conjunction with Rub You the Right Way) played during the morning commute:

We’ll see what the rest of the day holds…

Stray Toasters

• For the homeowners out there: It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with mowing a yard, let alone having to buy a lawnmower for said task. I’m in the market for a new mower (gas-powered) and will most likely buy one this weekend. What kind of mower do you have and what do/don’t you like about it?
• I’m considering ordering this:
  



• Lincoln’s Missing Bodyguard
• When Students Ignited a Change in Racial Politics
• It seems as though Jonathan Coulton has released some of his songs for play in Rock Band, including Code Monkey and Ikea.
• 
• Steve Thomas’ Arcade Game Propaganda Posters
• Horrifying stationery
• I’ve been looking for a good library program for cataloguing my comics (and DVDs and books and…and… and…).  I think that I may have found something to fit the bill… without having to code it myself! I may just have to go ahead and pull the trigger on this one.
• What I’ve Learned: Jack Bauer
• U.S. standards on beef are lax, inspector general says
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Robot Toilet Paper Holder

Attack the day
Like birds of prey…

Namaste.

Monday – 12 April 2010
Time flies when you’re having fun… and when you’re working to get your new house ready for moving in. This weekend has been a whirlwind of activity, a good portion of which involved house work. But, I’m back in the office, with a triple-shot-laden large cup of frozen mocha goodness. At least the view from the office windows was nice this morning.

Saturday morning, SaraRules and I met Chris and Mary for breakfast. After that, Chris and I headed up to Dr. Volt’s  for the HeroClix tournament; I decided to make the theme for this event “Ragnarok,” as it was the final tournament for the Hammer of Thor set. There were (technically) 14 players – two players (a father and his young son) played as a team – so there were seven matches per round. Everything went swimmingly. Pictures of the event can be seen here.

After the tourney, I dropped Chris off and headed to the house. SaraRules and Swiz had spent the early afternoon painting. I helped SaraRules finish off the first coat of paint in the master bedroom. By the time we finished Round 1 of the weekend painting, notable progress had been made. Next, we cleaned up and then joined OnlyAly, and a few others for the Grizzlies game against the Las Vegas Wranglers. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies lost — they just seemed to play a soft game against an aggresive opponent.

Sunday, we headed up to the in-laws’ for breakfast. Homemade waffles! Then it was back to the house for Painting: Round 2 – second coats of paint in most rooms… and laundry! After that, back up to the in-laws’ for cake and ice cream (to celebrate Logan’s birthday.) Back to the house to pick up the last load of laundry and then on to the apartment to call it a day.

Stray Toasters

• Our home’s previous owners left us… stuff. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!
• There’s a small room in the basement that SaraRules has considered turning into a boudoir. I discovered this weekend that the male equivalent of such a room is traditionally referred to as a “cabinet.” To be honest, I think that I prefer that term to “man cave,” although, I am still partial to “HALO Command Center.”
• A week or so ago, MarknTyme forwarded a link to Nuit Blanche. Last week, Wired had an interview with its director, in which he explained some of the techniques and processes used in making the short.
• Space Pussy, which – despite its name – is actually quite safe for work.
• Jamie posted a link to a new How It Should Have Ended: Star Trek
• I’ve become far too enamored of DIY Network. I think that I watched at least two hours of Yard Crashers and Turf Wars late last night/far-too-early this morning.
• It seems as though Santonio Holmes is now a Jet.
• By way of comes something with which every LEGO fan will be able to empathize:

  

• We’re having a “Captain, the ship canna take much more of this…!” moment in the office. Yay.
• Space shuttle sequel slated for lift-off
• Maps on the backs of detective novels

Namaste.

Friday – 09 April 2010
It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday. It’s quiet in the office. Hopefully, things will stay that way.

Last night, we took a break from housework and had some down time. It was nice. We tag-teamed dinner: Spaghetti with sauce and garlic bread.  After dinner, I was feeling a little antsy, like I should have been doing something… but I couldn’t put my finger on “what.” I opted to get out and do a little shopping. I hit the local Eddie Bauer store and picked up a new pair of jeans. I wandered over to Nordstrom’s to look for a pair of braces. I’ve wanted a new pair of leather ones for a while, but hadn’t put a lot of effort into getting them. And, unfortunately, Nordstrom didn’t have any, so the hunt continues.

I headed back home and watched Project Runway and Fringe with SaraRules. And, we also split a caramel apple, dipped in crushed Butterfinger candy bar bits. Helloooooo, decadence! I started winding down early, so I made a (relatively) early night of it.

Stray Toasters

• For as-yet unexplained reasons, I had Lady Gaga’s Telephone running through my head when I woke up this morning.
• Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, for my friends who have to maintain gluten-free diets
• Music world mourns godfather of punk
• Coal Miner’s Son Remembers ‘A Hard, Dirty Job’
• Peroidic Table of Imaginary Elements
• 55 catastrophic Star Wars costumes, by way of
• sent a link to Photo-manipulations by Erik Johansonn
• 
• Vegetarian-friendly iPhone App Will Tell You if Any Dead Animals Are in That  Sandwich
• Comic Book Cartography
• Off-shore Energy Clash over Undersea Sound
• I’ve posted links to the Top Gear segment featuring the Bugatti Veryon vs. Euro Fighter Typhoon drag race (…like the one I just posted). Somehow, I don’t think that this Veryon would hold up as well in that race as the one in the video.

That’ll do for now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 08 April 2010
NBN Thursday rides again!

Last night, SaraRules, Logan and I knocked out the last bit of the primer-ing. I need to touch up a three-inch strip near the ceiling in the living room, but other than that… it’s done. We set a timetable for what we want to do and when we plan to have it done. We’re in a good enough position that we’re taking the next couple of nights off from house-prep. Come Saturday, painting begins!

After we left the house, we hit the local Five Guys for dinner. Next, it was back home for some couch time. Okay, couch time for me; quilting time for SaraRules. I finally got around to watching the season finale of Burn Notice. (YES, I know it was on a month ago. Sue me!) I followed that up with an episode of Human Target. I’m slowly but surely getting through the backlog on the DVR…

This morning, I had The Blues, by Tony Tone Toni, running through my head. When I got in the car this morning, I was treated to Word Up. And, quite frankly a video with Reading Rainbow‘s Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge as a fedora-wearing detective can’t be all bad (if you overlook Larry Blackmon’s bulging red codpiece, that is…)

Stray Toasters

• From the “…it’s like red, but not quite” file: I decided to break out my pink dress shirt this morning. I’m Ivory Soap sure that I’ll get at least one “I’m not sure that I could wear a pink shirt” comment from one of the guys in the office.
• Va. Offers Fresh Lesson in History’s Power to Sting
• This appeared in my email this morning:

  

  God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, I know where I intend to be on 05 August.

• My affinity for the SR-71 Blackbird is pretty well-known. So when I saw this article, The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird , on Gizmodo, I was instantly hooked. I went to look up the book that Maj. Shul wrote, Sled Driver, and was in for a bit of a surprise when I saw the prices that were being asked for it.  That doesn’t mean that I didn’t add it to The Covet List, though. (Or, it would make a great birthday present, if anyone is wondering what to get me this year.)
• sent a time-sinking link to some rather cool LEGO sculptures. There goes productivity for the morning…
• Yet another Demotivator that I like:



• ‘Passing’ Across the Color Line in the Jazz Age
• From the “Weekend at Bernies” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files: Women try to take body on plane at Liverpool airport
• Comic Book Resources has an article about Robert Greenberger’s upcoming book: Wonder Woman. Amazon. Hero. Icon.

  

• The Mythology of Spending and Mental Anchors
• Q and Data Examine the Next Generation Padd

Namaste.

Wednesday – 07 April 2010
Waking up to a headache is never a good way to start the day. But, what can you do… aside from take some pain reliever (which I still have yet to do) and get on with the gettin’ on? So that’s what I did.

Many thanks to Matt, Wes, Amy, Laurel, Sanaz and Logan for helping with to primer the walls at the new house. The adage “Many hands make light work” definitely came to mind many times during the process.

By the time that we got home – well, back to the apartment – I was tired. And a bit irritable. So, I put myself in time-out went to bed early — it seemed like a good idea, as I was starting to nod off while watching TV. It took me longer than usual to fall asleep. Meh. Another indicator of I how tired I was: I slept for nearly seven straight hours, without waking up.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I’ve been seeing/hearing news about the recent mine collapse in West Virginia with a bit of a vested interest: My grandfather was a coal miner in a small West Virginia town, before retiring. I still recall spending summers with my grandparents and how he would head off to work in the afternoons… and trying to stay awake until the got home late in the night. As a kid, the idea of a mine collapse never even remotely occurred to me; but now, knowing the potential hazards of mining, I understand – to a small degree – what the families of the missing miners are feeling/experiencing and wish them and their loved ones well.

Stray Toasters

• It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
• Top 10 Geeky Ways to Say “I Love You”
• Leadership ‘somewhere south of Hell’
• Odd search queries
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Doctors perform C-section, find no baby
  • McDonnell’s Confederate History Month proclamation irks civil rights leaders
• 
• Guns and coffee don’t mix
• April 7, 1933: King Kong Opens Wide
• Report: Foster Kids Find Tough Times After Age 18
• Real People Painted to Look Like Paintings

Now, for my next amazing feat: Meetings!

Namaste.