Random Access

Friday – 03 February 2012
It’s my 9/80 day off with the girls.

Diana (l) and Vanessa

I’m trying to decide what we should do. There’s an offer on the table for a short road – and hobby shop – trip that’s sounding more and more appealing. On the other hand, we’re already planning to hit the World’s Greatest Hobby train show on Sunday, so I’m (somewhat) less inclined to buy something today.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s person of note is: Don Cornelius

Donald Cortez “Don” Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012) was an American television show host and producer who was best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971 to 1993.

Originally a journalist inspired by the civil rights movement, Cornelius recognized that in the late 1960s there was no television venue in the United States for soul music, and introduced many African-American musicians to a larger audience as a result of their appearances on Soul Train, a program that was both influential among African-Americans and popular with a wider audience. As writer, producer, and host of Soul Train, Cornelius was instrumental in offering wider exposure to black musicians such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jackson, as well as creating opportunities for talented dancers that would presage subsequent television dance programs. Cornelius said “We had a show that kids gravitated to,” and Spike Lee described the program as an “urban music time capsule.”

By way of NPR’s Dan Charnas:

Don Cornelius proved a truism about America and race that so few people, even today, understand: Black culture, expressed in undiluted form and unapologetically, will by virtue become accepted by the American mainstream. It’s something that future rap moguls like Russell Simmons and Jay-Z understood instinctively. So it’s a tragic irony that Soul Train‘s decline came with the dawn of the hip-hop era.  Last year, the set and memorabilia of Soul Train landed at the Smithsonian’s Museum of African-American History and Culture.

In the early-morning hours of February 1, 2012, officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Cornelius with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead by the Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner. According to former Soul Train host, Shemar Moore, Cornelius may have been suffering from early onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and his health had been on the decline.

Information courtesy of NPR, The New York Times and Wikipedia

Stray Toasters

• Baratunde Thurston Explains ‘How To Be Black’
• I Love Ya But You’re Strange – That Time Batgirl and Wonder Woman Both Fell in Love with Batman
• Jailbreaking Is Not a Crime: An Interview with Bunnie Huang
• 
• Congratulations, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, you now have your very own SWAT team

And tonight, I’m playing HeroClix: Star Trek Tactics with the guys…

…just before the HeroClix: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ event that I came up with and am judging tomorrow.

Weekend full of tabletop gaming goodness. Aw, yeah…

Namaste.

Thursday – 02 February 2012
It’s not just another NBN Thursday, it’s also Groundhog Day.

Yep. It’s just like that. And, apparently, the groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter. (Apparently, Utah never gets that memo.)

Last night was Movie Date Night around the household. The movie I chose was Drive, as SaraRules! and I both have an affinity for car chase movies. It was good… and far from what I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I can’t really say “how” or “why”, but I will say this: The movie is not for the squeamish.

After the movie, I played a little CoD: Modern Warfare 3. There was one round that was horrid. Seriously abominable. The team we faced locked my team down on a map and just ate us up. We’d respawn. We’d die. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Fortunately (or “mercifully”), the round was over fairly quickly.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s person of note is Benjamin Banneker.

Benjamin Banneker (November 9, 1731 – October 9, 1806) was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.

It is difficult to verify much of Benjamin Banneker’s family history. Some writers have stated that he was a grandson of a European American named Molly Welsh, who came to colonial America as an indentured servant.Researchers have questioned this, as Banneker described himself only as having an African ancestry. None of Banneker’s surviving papers describe a white ancestor or identify the name of his grandmother.

Born on November 9, 1731 near Elliott City, Maryland, Benjamin Banneker was educated by Quakers, however, most of his education was self-taught. He quickly revealed to the world his inventive nature and first achieved national acclaim for his scientific work in the 1791 survey of the Federal Territory (now Washington, D.C.).

Benjamin Banneker has been called the first African American intellectual; because of his dark skin and great intellect he was called the “sable genius.” Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught mathematician and astronomer. In 1753, after studying the inner workings of a friend’s watch, he made a wooden pocket watch – one of the first watches made in America – that accurately kept time for more than 40 years. Twenty years later, Banneker began making astronomical calculations that enabled him to successfully forecast a 1789 solar eclipse.

From 1791 to 1802, he published the Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia Almanac and Ephemeris, which contained tide tables, future eclipses, and medicinal formulas. It is believed to be the first scientific book published by an African American. Also a surveyor, Banneker was appointed by President George Washington to the District of Columbia Commission, which was responsible for the survey work that established the city’s original boundaries. When the chairman of the committee, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, suddenly resigned and left, taking the plans with him, Banneker reproduced the plans from memory, saving valuable time. A staunch opponent of slavery, Banneker sent a copy of his first almanac to then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to counter Jefferson’s belief in the intellectual inferiority of blacks.

On August 19 1791, Banneker sent a copy of his first almanac to secretary of state Thomas Jefferson. In an enclosed letter, he questioned the slaveholder’s sincerity as a “friend to liberty.” He urged Jefferson to help get rid of “absurd and false ideas” that one race is superior to another. He wished Jefferson’s sentiments to be the same as his, that “one Universal Father . . . afforded us all the same sensations and endowed us all with the same faculties.” Jefferson responded with praise for Banneker’s accomplishments.

Banneker never married. Because of declining sales, his last almanac was published in 1797. After selling much of his farm to the Ellicotts and others, he died in his log cabin nine years later on October 9, 1806, exactly one month before his 75th birthday. A commemorative obelisk that the Maryland Bicentennial Commission and the State Commission on Afro American History and Culture erected in 1977 stands near his unmarked grave in an Oella, Maryland, churchyard.

Wednesday – 01 February 2012
It’s not only midweek and new comics day, it’s also 2-1-12… which means it’s also Rush Day!

Today is also the day that HeroClix: Star Trek Tactics hits the shelves. (Think Star Fleet Battles… but updated. And in ‘Clix form.)

After the girls were asleep last night, I headed out to meet the guys for Guys’ Night Out. It was a good crowd. And, when mixed with good food, drink and conversation, made for a great way to spend a Tuesday night.

Today, to quote Al Jarreau: “I got my certain and my sure ‘nough on…” In other words: It’s a suit day. Grey herringbone suit, white and purple striped shirt, purple tie, white pocket square, grey socks, black loafers AND… purple LEGO cufflinks. BAM!

And tonight is movie night. (And I still have NO idea what we’re going to watch…)

Chew on This: Food For Thought – Black History Month
Today also marks the start of Black History Month.

Today’s person of note is: Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Most of her singing career was spent performing in concert and recital in major music venues and with major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965. Although she was offered contracts to perform roles with many important European opera companies, Anderson declined all of these, preferring to perform in concert and recital only. She did, however, perform opera arias within her concerts and recitals.

Anderson displayed vocal talent as a child, but her family could not afford to pay for formal training. From the age of six, she was tutored in the choir of the Union Baptist Church, where she sang parts written for bass, alto, tenor, and soprano voices. Members of the congregation raised funds for her to attend a music school for a year. At 19 she became a pupil of Giuseppe Boghetti, who was so impressed by her talent that he gave her free lessons for a year. In 1925 she entered a contest with 300 competitors and won first prize, a recital at Lewisohn Stadium in New York City with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Anderson became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid twentieth century. In 1939, when the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her DAR membership in protest and sponsored Anderson’s concert at the Lincoln Memorial, before a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions.

Anderson continued to break barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955. Her performance as Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera at the Met was the only time she sang an opera role on stage.

She also worked for several years as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and as a “goodwill ambassadress” for the United States Department of State. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Anderson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, the National Medal of Arts in 1986, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.

In 2001, the 1939 documentary film, Marian Anderson: the Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored Marian Anderson as part of the Black Heritage series. Anderson is also pictured on the US$5,000 Series I United States Savings Bond.

The Marian Anderson Award was originally established in 1943 by Anderson after she was awarded the $10,000 Bok Prize that year by the city of Philadelphia. Anderson used the award money to establish a singing competition to help support young singers. Eventually the prize fund ran out of money and it was disbanded in 1976. In 1990 the award was re-established and has dispensed $25,000 annually. In 1998 the prize was restructured with the “Marian Anderson Award” going to an established artist, not necessarily a singer, who exhibits leadership in a humanitarian area. A separate prize, the “Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists” is given to promising young classical singers.

(Information courtesy of biography.com, FactMonster.com and Wikipedia)

Stray Toasters

• Early filers may have to wait longer for their tax refund
• You Bought It, but Do You Own It?
• A couple of sad bits of news:
  • Authorities: ‘Soul Train’ founder, Don Cornelius, dead of gunshot wound
  • Comic Book Artist Al Rio Reported Dead
• Breast Cancer Surgery Rules Are Called Unclear
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Twitter jokes ruin U.S. vacation for two British tourists
• 
• Al Jarreau will be in concert in Las Vegas in April. Hmm…
• This is what women in superhero comics should be
• Why Komen defunded Planned Parenthood
• Home ownership rates fall to 66% as downturn nears a bottom
• Google won’t pull Android apps deemed malicious

Namaste.

Tuesday – 31 January 2012
It’s the end of the month. More specifically, it’s the last Tuesday of the month. That must mean it’s time for Guys’ Night Out. Amen. The only thing that could – and did – make the day better was starting the morning with cuddles from Diana and Vanessa, as well as a kiss and a hug from SaraRules! Quadruple win.

I would also like to thank Ms. Galadriel for coming over (again) last night to help put the twins to bed while SaraRules! was at a Justice League meeting. There was no wailing, moaning or gnashing of teeth. And the twins were fine, too.

My subconscious has been drawing from my memories of 70’s and 80’s TV shows. This has become especially apparent over the past few nights’ dreams.  A few nights ago, Nicholas Hammond (probably most “known” for playing Peter Parker in CBS’ prime-time, live-action The Amazing Spider-Man) made an appearance. And last night, I had a dream sequence that was like a scene from the old Lynda Carter Wonder Woman. (Although the costume was a little wrong.) It was a little odd, but amusing, nevertheless.

And, I woke up with this running through my head:

Stray Toasters

• What Comes After Segregation?
• She Has No Head! – Interview with ‘Princeless’ Creator Jeremy Whitley
• What Is It About Mormons?
  Having lived in The Land Behind the Zion Curtain for more than a decade, my answer is: “There’s nothing ‘about’ them.” I have made a number of good friends who are LDS and they are just as human – for better and/or worse – as anyone else.
• 
• It’s fairly common knowledge that I’m a fan of Fringe. As such, I’ve come to like Lance Reddick‘s Agent Broyles/Colonel Broyles character(s) over the past few seasons. But, I think that both of them could learn a few things from his Toys R Me character.
• And yet another reason to like him: He’s from Baltimore.
• Letters of Note: To My Old Master, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Teacher charged with lewd acts allegedly told kids it was ‘game’
• 
• N.F.L. Super Bowl Ad Will Stress Safety
• YORU FOOT
• Ask the Captain: What happens when all systems fail during flight?
• 
• Illinois Assemblyman withdraws urine-testing for welfare bill when colleague adds urine-testing for Assemblyman amendment

Namaste.

Monday – 30 January 2012
Wow. Looks like it’s been almost a week since I posted. Long time, that. So let’s get to it…

It’s been a good week. In a nutshell, it’s included:

• Spending time with SaraRules! and the girls:
  

  Vanessa (l) and Diana… with Tigger and Pooh

• Watching Real Steel with SaraRules! (It wasn’t bad; think “Rocky Meets Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots”)
• Kicking off a new multi-month ‘Clix event series for Dr. Volt’s… (in addition to the regular tourneys)
• Playing a fair bit of Modern Warfare 3… and a little Gears of War 3
• Picking up a Butterfinger-dipped caramel apple (!!!)
• Seeing Utah Opera’s performance of Rigoletto.

Yeah, It was a good week.

This week has the possibility of being quite nice, as well.

Stray Toasters

• My mother-in-law made a fantastic chicken tortilla soup for dinner last night. I feel sorry for those of you who didn’t get a chance to sample it.
• Superheroines, and Their Better Halves
• Airline Fees
• This is a great article about my friend, Jake Black: Super story: Father, husband, comic book writer and cancer survivor enjoys the simple life
• The Avengers Shouldn’t Text
• 
• The Bookstore’s Last Stand
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Report: Body in storage unit for 17 years
• It’s Time to Rethink Steampunk
• It’s Illegal to Talk About the Super Bowl?
• Ruling on Contraception Draws Battle Lines at Catholic Colleges

Namaste.

Wednesday – 25 January 2012
It’s the middle of the week. So far, so good.

Last night was a fairly low-key night around the household. The girls wound down a little early, but we managed to keep them awake until their normal bedtime. Even so, we managed to get a couple of pre-bedtime pics of the little ladies:

Me with Diana:

Sara with Vanessa

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
Today’s musical theme: “Songs from the Ghetto”

• Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) – Jay-Z
• Ghetto Superstar – Pras (ft. Mya and Ol’ Dirty Bastard)
• Ghetto Gospel – 2Pac (ft. Elton John)
• Ghetto Heaven – The Family Stand

Stray Toasters

• In Address, Obama Makes Pitch for Economic Fairness
• President Obama’s Fourth State of the Union Speech
• While I don’t regret taking down my layout – in the name of getting the basement finished – I’m missing the ability to run my trains.
• The 5 New Trends to Emerge From Fashion Week
• 
• Twitter acquires web malware fighter Dasient
• The Next Xbox Could Be Six Times as Powerful
  But, will it be backwards compatible!?
• Space Adventures planning for lunar tourism
• What goes on in the mind of a sniper?

Namaste.

Tuesday – 24 January 2012
For a day that started off grey with low clouds, it sure is sunny and bright out there. Of course, that’s a marked improvement over yesterday evening’s snow, so I’ll not complain.

Yesterday morning:

This morning:

Last night, came over. The original plan was for her to help me get the girls to bed while SaraRules! attended a Junior League meeting… but the meeting got rescheduled. So, she just came over and hung out with us, instead. She also tried to teach Diana to do The Time Warp, but it didn’t go so well. (I attribute it to the fact that the twins can’t stand yet, let alone dance.) But, I applaud her effort.

And, here’s a shot of the girls from this past weekend:

Stray Toasters

• Chaotic Start to Egypt’s First Democratically Elected Parliament
• Funny Ad for DC’s New Logo Parodies Fan Backlash
• This article is about a young lady that some friends of mine know: Colorado Teen Girl Recalls Train Accident: “I was watching my legs get crushed by coal cars.”
  Click through to The Times Call interview/article.  It’s worth it, for many reasons.
• Ex-Stanford Prof Starts a Totally-Free Online School
• Carroll Shelby marks 50 years with 800 hp Super Snake
• Yeah… add this to The Covet List.
• I got to spend the day surrounded by “quite a few” Shelbys when I went to Miller Motorsports Park a couple of years ago.
• 6 Made Up Nerd Words That Made It to Common Usage, and 8 That Should
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: In Police Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims
• Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting Earth
• Solar radiation storm sweeps over Earth
• Storms in the Void: Space Weather and Childhood’s End
• Not Quite Smart Enough

Thursday – 19 January 2012
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley… but it’s one without snow. Mother Nature appears to have overlooked us, at least for the moment.

Last night, the girls slept pretty well. Thankfully. Vanessa woke up for a bit at 10:30, but found her way back to sleep about 45 minutes later. Again, thankfully. Both girls were up for a 2:15-ish feeding, followed by another four hours of sleep. So, all things considered, I’d call it a “good” night.

After the girls went to sleep, SaraRules! and I watched Limitless. We had an inkling of what to expect, but I found they took a couple of turns that I didn’t see coming. I appreciated that. While it wasn’t a perfect movie, I thought that it was well-done and quite entertaining. I give it a definite “thumbs-up with an okay.”

Stray Toasters

• Zombie Family Car Stickers
• By way of Maddox: I hope SOPA passes
• In Fight Over Piracy Bills, New Economy Rises Against Old
• …and, combining two great tastes that taste great together:
  
• The Soul of a Demon
• World Bank warns countries to prepare for a global slump
• America’s Worst Weather Airports
• A Way of Life on Its Way Out in Wichita
• Bum’s the word in Japan security scans

And… done with meetings for the day. Finally.

Tuesday – 17 January 2012
It’s Day One of the work week for me. And, it’s my short week, to boot. AND, there’s a train show on Friday. Triple score!

Yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Like last year, I took the day off of work and volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. And it was good. After that, I stopped at RubySnap and picked up a few cookies before stopping in to say “Hi” to SaraRules! at work and making a couple more stops before heading home. Yes, one of those stops was The Train Shoppe. No, I didn’t get anything. (Besides, I just ordered a new switching engine online a couple of days ago.)

The girls have been a little under the weather. According to the pediatrician, they don’t have colds, but a “respiratory illness” that has the earmarks of a cold, minus the runny noses. All I know is that they’re congested and a little irritable. Hopefully, they’ll be over it soon-ish.

Instant Replay: Football

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
13 – 20
Sunday, the Ravens hosted the Ravens for the Divisional Playoffs… …and won. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy. But, it was a win. And, a little fun fact: Ravens Not Penalized For First Time Ever Next stop: Foxoboro, MA.

Stray Toasters

• Happy Birthday to The Greatest, Muhammad Ali Is 70 Today
  
• Black Voters Are Wary as Hopefuls Seek Kinship
• Predictions Of What 2011 Would Be Like From A 1911 Newspaper
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file” Taco Bell’s Stupidly Exploitative MLK Day Tweet
• U.S. to Force Drug Makers to Report Money Paid to Doctors
• 
• More schools likely to lose accreditation, experts say
• Oversight of Cruise Lines at Issue After Disaster
• The Wreck of the Costa Concordia
• 
• Burger King tries home delivery
• Artist Builds a Six-Million Matchstick Monastery
• Zappos breach affects 24M, opens door for more attacks

Namaste.

Friday – 13 January 2012
It’s Friday. Hallelujah! And the fact that it’s Friday the 13th? Meh. It’s my “on” Friday, but it’s quiet around the office, so I should be able to get a few things accomplished with minimal interruption. That would be a “good” thing.

It’s also Playoff Purple Friday:

Last night was a fairly quiet night around the homestead. It was bath night for little girls, both of whom took their baths without much ado. And, they even went to sleep fairly easily. Although, Diana did wake up about 12:45… which is almost an hour earlier than her norm. I am chalking it up to the fact that she – and Vanessa – seem to be a bit congested, of late and that’s making sleep a little more difficult.

After the girls went to sleep – and after dinner and an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles – I played CoD: MW3. I was able to team up with a few friends, which made it all the more fun.

Stray Toasters

• When Cosplay Collides with Cuteness
  Our kids are sca-rewed.  🙂
• Obama to Ask Congress for Power to Merge Agencies
• 
• Court rules Black minister owns title to building housing famous KKK shop
• Uneasy Neighbors in a Southern Gothic Tale
• Bill Cowher has turned down at least three NFL teams
• The Inbreeding Coefficient of Superheroes
• 
• Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
• Morgan Freeman doesn’t just make movies — he’s a fan
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Dumb, dumber and dumbest: Burglars snort ashes of a man and two dogs after they mistook them for cocaine

Namaste.

Thursday – 12 January 2012
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley. There’s sun, but it’s still quite cold outside. But, my morning started out with cuddles from both girls, so I got a good kickoff to the day.

And, speaking of the little ladies, this picture was taken during last night’s “tummy time:”

Vanessa (l) and Diana
(*waits to see how long before this picture appears on my mother’s Facebook page…*)

Last night was also “Pasta and Movie Date Night” at our house. SaraRules! picked up a movie on the way home: Tangled. It was a cute – and rather fun – movie, putting a slightly different spin on the Rapunzel fairy tale.

Before bed, I read a little more of World War Z. I’m still enjoying it. After turning out the light and calling it a day, I was treated to a few hours of zombie-infested dreams. Go figure. But it wasn’t all The Walking Dead. It was more like “The Walking Dead meets Resident Evil (movies) meets S.H.I.E.L.D. meets The X-Men.” Yeah, it was that weird. Suspenseful. Action-packed. Slightly frenetic. And I think it is that combination of things that kept it from being outright scary/fear-inducing.

Stray Toasters

• I was listening to Huey Lewis and the News yesterday (thanks, Spotify!) and realized something: They made a lot of fun/amusing videos and it was pretty easy to see that the band just really seemed to have fun playing music.
• Author of SOPA Is a Copyright Violator
• Survey Finds Rising Perception of Class Tension
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Oh My Fucking God This Woman Coughed Up Her Own Tumor
• Man Killed in Train Accident Sued By Woman His Flying Body Parts Injured
• Religious Groups Given ‘Exception’ to Work Bias Law
• Miss. judge blocks release of 21 convicts Barbour pardoned
• I still haven’t seen a purple cow.
• Spam with QR code targets mobile users
• Cremation, Burial or Body Farm?

Namaste.

Wednesday – 11 January 2012
Midweek. My day started with pre-work cuddles from both of the girls. AND there shall be new comics today. AND tonight is “Pasta and Movie Night.” I’d say that this is a Wednesday full of “Win.”

Last night was another baby bath night around the homestead. It was also a 180° change from Monday night’s pre-bedtime experience. The girls, while tired, were little troopers through their baths and bedtime preparations. We’ve also stopped double-swaddling the girls and just going with the single-blanket swaddle… and (so far) it hasn’t bitten us in the ass.

After the girls went to bed – and after we ate dinner – I decided to unwind by spending a little time playing DC Universe Online. After a fairly brief patch/update, I was back in Gotham City.

I finished out a mission that I started… probably back in November. I thought about doing the final mission in that arc, but realized that I was already up a bit later than I had planned to be. So, I called it a night.

Stray Toasters

• Doomsday clock moved closer to midnight
• A meeting that was almost scheduled for today has been pushed back to tomorrow. I’m fine with that.
• Stopped they must be; on this all depends — reddit goes dark in protest of SOPA
• 
• Simon & Schuster has posted an excerpt of Carrie Fisher’s new book, Shockaholic.
• Bacon: Good or Bad?
• Courtesy of Christopher M. and the “Some Peoples’ Children…” file: !@#&^%$!!!!!! (Cellphone halts Mahler’s Ninth mid-movement)
• Energy Department to analyze power grid cyber threats
• 
• We Can’t Get Enough of the Google Girls
• Independent DABC Committee Taps a Keg of Bar Owner Frustration
  And the “best” part: They scheduled this meeting yesterday, from 2:00-4:00 PM. You know… when most people (who might object to it) would be at work.
• After firing coach, Raiders GM promises title
• Fatal Stampede in South Africa Points Up University Crisis
• What We Expect to See at Fashion Week

Namaste.

Tuesday – 10 January 2012
Work Week: Day 2. So far, it’s been monkey-free and relatively painless. But, it is Tuesday, so there will be meetings. Hazard of the job, I guess.

Speaking of “hazards,” for some reason, I had this running through my head last night:

Last night, my sister-in-law, Sanaz, came over to help watch the girls and put them to bed while SaraRules! was at a Junior League meeting.

Under normal circumstances, bedtime is a fairly easy time of night — it’s just that two kids makes it nigh-impossible for one person to get them squared away without help. Last night, I don’t know what exactly happened, but Diana and Vanessa were not happy and wailed – at the top of their lungs –  for the better part of forty-five minutes before winding down enough to eat and go to sleep. (I don’t think that I’ve been so happy for them to go to sleep in a long time…) In thinking about it, it hasn’t been that hard to get them both to sleep in at least two months. And I can’t fathom what I would have done without Sanaz’ help.

After the girls fell asleep – which was almost immediately after they ate – Sanaz and I went into the kitchen so I could tackle the stack o’ bottles from the day. We chatted while I busted suds. I found out a bit about what she does (I know that she’s a pharmacist, but there’s more to her job than just doling out medication), what she would like to do and the world of pharmacy. It was a good conversation.

After SaraRules! got home, I found that I was restless and couldn’t decide how to spend the rest of my evening. I frittered away the better part of an hour before deciding to call it a relatively early night and just read in bed. I know I’m late to the party, but I started reading World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks. I am liking it.

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday, I discovered that Duncan Jones – director of Moon and Source Code – is the son of none other than The Thin White Duke, himself. Color me surprised.
• Amazing Archive of High-Res Photos from NASA’s Gemini Missions
• Egypt’s Women Find Power Still Hinges on Men
• New content for DCUO goes live today; maybe I’ll spend some time in Gotham City or Metropolis tonight.
• Players Roll the Dice for Dungeons & Dragons Remake
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: “If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…” Homework Asks
• E-payments rapidly phasing out paper checks as an option
• Symantec: Hackers did steal code, but it’s old
• A New Race of Mercy to Nome, This Time Without Sled Dogs

Namaste.

Monday – 09 January 2012
A new week begins. My day started with cuddles from Little Miss Diana (Vanessa was still asleep), so how could my day be bad?

I’ll get this out of the way now:

Yeah. John Fox’s Denver Broncos hosted the guys from Steeltown… and won. To sum up my thoughts on the game, I turn to a paraphrasing of the words of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury :

Nick Fury: You’ve been very busy […] you’re giving away all your stuff. You let your friend fly away with your suit playoff spot. Now, if I know better…
Tony Stark: [interrupts] You don’t know better. I didn’t give it to him. He took it.
Nick Fury: Whoa, whoa, whoa. He took it? You’re Iron Man Big Ben and he just took it? The little brother walked in there, kicked your ass and took your suit spot? Is that possible?

In this case, Nick Fury would be portrayed by Ball So Hard University’s Terrell Suggs and Tony Stark would be played by Ben Roethlisberger.

I’ve never been a huge Denver fan, but I was one yesterday. I was also glad to see that Coach Fox – formerly the head coach of the Carolina Panthers – was able to take his team to the playoffs and have a good showing.

Stray Toasters

• Cadillac ATS goes diesel to pluck BMW 3-Series buyers
• Badass of the Week: Dakota Meyer
• How to Investigate Your Elected Officials
• Hackers say they have Symantec’s Norton AV source code
• 
• A Tech Show Loses Clout as Industry Shifts
• Scrolling LEGO TV brings minifig Superman to life
• From m3lodywise and the “People Are Strange When You’re a Stranger” file comes this.
• Airbus Refuses to Ground A380s Despite Cracks in Their Wings

Namaste.

Sunday – 08 January 2012
Sunday afternoon quick hit while the ladies of the house are napping…

This morning (after a not-so-great-night-of-sleep-for-the-girls), we all went out for breakfast at Millcreek Cafe and Eggworks. The girls, as usual, were little centers of attention. And with outfits like these, courtesy of their Aunt Kristen…

…how could you expect anything less? Diana has pink boots, like Vanessa’s white ones, but kicked them off before we got the picture.  Oh, well.

It’s been a good weekend, so far. Yesterday, I judged a ‘Clix tournament (with a rather good turnout) for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection, had a RubySnap Josephine cookie, (finally) got around to watching Moon, which was:

1. not what I expected, and
2. very good.

…and, like sprinkles on an ice cream cone: The Texans beat the Bengals, meaning that the Ravens will face the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium next weekend. And, to be honest, I would rather face the Texans than the Bengals.

Stray Toasters

• Go, Broncos!
  
  Hey, I have no great love for Tim Tebow and company, but I think that it would be uproariously funny if they beat the Steelers.  Just saying.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Lamar Smith: “If you oppose SOPA, you don’t matter”
• I packed up two of my three train sets the other night. (Yeah, it was a bit sad…) I also packed up some of the accessories and rolling stock. All of this is in anticipation of beginning work on finishing the unfinished areas of the basement. (Although, if it doesn’t happen “soon-ish,” I may just wind up with a floor layout for a while.)

Okay, sounds like someone is waking up.  Time to go.

Namaste.