Random Access

Monday – 19 May 2008
A new (work) week begins. At least this one is sunny. And it’s supposed to be warm/hot today, too. But, it’s a dry heat.  Should I be… concerned… that Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train just felt like the “right” song to listen to? I mean, that shouldn’t be taken as an omen for the day, should it?

*looks around for Cthulhu cultists*

Last night, SaraRules and I watched Constantine. All-in-all, it wasn’t a horrible adaptation of Hellblazer… although, it would have been nice if they had stayed a little closer to Alan Moore’s vision/version of John Constantine and Hellblazer, but isn’t that the way things seem to go with adaptations of his work? I had forgotten that Shia LeBeouf was in the movie. He’s everywhere these days.

Stray Toasters

• Gewurtztraminer
• A couple of bits of LEGO-related goodness:
  • 5 million-piece LEGO boulder chases Indy, crashes into car
  • Builds LEGO model inside bag without telekinesis
• Just a friendly reminder: Towel Day is coming up!



• DS9 has contracted… something. It will boot in Safe Mode, but I can’t get it to boot in normal mode. It’s not the power supply. It’s not (as best I can tell) a problem with the motherboard. I should just get an iMac and be done with it.
• Hello Kitty comes to Warhammer 40K with the Sisters of Battle
• 
• While flipping channels last night, I saw that The Empire Strikes Back was on TNT. So, we flipped back and forth between that and The Office. One of the scenes we watched was the one in which Han Solo is frozen in Carbonite. I noticed a continuity goof that I had never noticed/overlooked:
  

  Continuity: When Han Solo is lowered into the carbon freezing chamber, his hands are bound by metallic handcuffs. As soon as he’s frozen, his hands are separated in the carbon block. (from IMDb.com)

• Museum of Counterfeit Art
• 

Quote of the Day
When Code Monkey and I went for our morning constitutional, he related a comment that had been attributed to a former coworker of ours:

Code Monkey: Doug’s definition of “perfect democracy” – Two wolves and a sheep deciding on what’s for dinner.

/lunch

Namaste.

Sunday – 18 May 2008
Today has been quite nice. It started off with sleeping in. That’s always a good way to kick off a weekend morning. We had a couple of options of how to start the morning: A trip to the Garden of Sweden or brunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

We opted for The Cheesecake Factory. This time, we actually got in and got seated. The decor, as SaraRules commented, was an odd combination of art deco, Tuscan and Egyptian. It… “works,” but it was a little odd to see all together. I had the French Toast with a side of ham; I thought that it was pretty good. And our waitress, Brandy, was rather attentive and had a pleasant demeanor. All-in-all, I’d give it a thumbs-up.

Next on the docket: Utah Opera’s production of Don Giovanni (1, 2). The production was very good. The principals all did an excellent job, especially Christopher Schaldenbrand, as Don Giovanni – he made the rakish Don both likable and detestable. As added bonuses, we ran into ‘s aunt, a coworker and an ex-coworker of mine.

Next, we stopped in to say “Hi” to SaraRules’ family-unit. Then, home. SaraRules fixed a very tasty lemon chicken, with rice pilaf and broccoli.

Don’t know what’s up for the rest of the evening, but I’m pretty sure that we’ll come up with something.

Stray Toasters

• I stumbled across this on Engadget, it made me laugh:

• How to Pack Everything You Own in One Bag
• I just made a really bad She Talks to Angels joke to SaraRules. She didn’t shake her head at me or pat me patronizingly.
• The new teaser poster for the upcoming Punisher: War Zone movie:



• Pulp Non-Fiction: I don’t care for pulp in my fruit juice.
• If I wanted to do my third Samuel L. Jackson-based Hallowe’en costume in four years (Mace Windu and Neville Flynn, from Snakes on a Plane), I could go as either Nick Fury, from Marvel’s Ultimate line and the recent Iron Man movie or The Octopus, from the upcoming The Spirit movie.



• Donald Soffritti has an amusing look at superheroes in their old age in his blog.

And, that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Saturday – 17 May 2008
One of the great things about the weekend is the ability to sleep in.

Too bad nobody told my body about that.

I’ve been awake since 6:45 this morning.  In an effort not to awaken SaraRules, I headed into the living room and read some of the books that Dave set aside for me during Free Comic Book Day.  When I tired of that, I fired up the XBox 360 and played a bit of Marvel Ultimate Alliance.  I figured that if I couldn’t watch superheroes (since my favorite ‘toons are off the air), I would play superhero.  I haven’t played this game in a LONG time – and the last time I played was on the old XBox… so I was starting over.  From Square One.  But it was fun.

After SaraRules woke up, she made – MADE – a coffee cake.  We also channel-surfed a bit, until settling on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Today, we’re going to run some errands and just… hang out.

Tonight, breakfast.

In between… well, we’ll just see what comes up.

Namaste.

Friday – 16 May 2008
Another week draws to a close…

Last night’s (first) CSI: episode was, thankfully, much better than last week’s episode; I didn’t watch the season finale as SaraRules wanted to see The Office season finale. (And, thanks once again to On Demand, I’ll be able to watch the CSI: episode at my leisure.) While she watched The Office, I finished reading this week’s four-color shwag. I’ll come back to that in a few.

I believe that jet lag – and just general weariness – caught up with me last night, too. While watching an episode of L&O: SVU, I started getting tired. With twenty minutes left in the show, I realized that there was pretty much NO way that I was going to make it that long. We got up, got ready for bed and I was out within minutes of my head hitting the pillow…

…which must have been fairly hard, because I woke up with a lovely headache. *blah*

Four-Color Coverage
Part of this week’s comic haul included a couple of books that I didn’t get last week because of the trip to Florida. A few of the books included Secret Invasion tie-ins/crossovers. While I really hope that Marvel isn’t taking a cue from Staples and just pushing the “Easy” button…

…I have to admit that I am finding the storyline rather interesting. So far, we know that:

1. Some heroes are not who they appear to be.
2. The Skrulls have a SERIOUS mad on for Earth.
3. October 12th is important to Hawkeye.
4. Johnny Storm’s ex-wife has some… unresolved issues.
5. Tony Stark is still a jerk (at least in the comics).

I’m waiting to see how this storyline plays out and what it means for the Marvel Universe after the dust clears.

I also read the long overdue Action Comics Annual, which wrapped up the “Last Son” storyline which began over a year ago in Action Comics. Unfortunately, there have been so many problems in getting that story to print that DC had actually gone ahead and run stories that followed the “Last Son” story… which means that we already know how things wound up. Sure, we might not know all of the “hows” and “whys,” but we can connect the dots fairly easily.

I have a similar problem with Astonishing X-Men, by the way. Joss Whedon’s run was supposed to be 24 issues, but because of delays it ran to 25 issues… with the final issue still not on shelves yet. But, once again, we know how things wind up, to some degree; there are just a few loose ends to tie up.

Stray Toasters

• I have been greatly amused by some of the Lil ‘Formers cartoons, including this one:



• BET Struggles to Relate with Black Viewers
• From NPR Music: Esperanza Spalding – Voice of the Bass
• Cracking open the Atari 2600
• When it was introduced, the 2600 was known as the “Atari 2600 VCS.” Bonus points if you know what “VCS” stood for… without having to look it up, of course.
• Fullscreen Multitouch Mac OS X Is Here (but not from Apple)
• I think I’m going to have a go at making a character card for Phoenix.
• Upcoming Star Wars minifigs

Quote of the Day
Quote #1 comes from conversations with shockpuppet and :

Me: If you and shockpuppet ever get to this point, you HAVE to get it on video: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_fe_st/odd_frying_pan_assault_3
: oh. we do that for fun every friday night.
shockpuppet: totally
shockpuppet: I prefer a panini maker though
Me: Huh.
shockpuppet: it’s a little harder to get swinging
shockpuppet: but

1. it’s heavier
2. it leaves a funny pattern on his face

Me: Best of all possible worlds, huh?
shockpuppet: Well, I’m a believer in efficiency and aesthetics.
Me: I see
: mmm. panini face.

Quote #2 comes from another conversation with :

Me: Did you tell loonybin88 that he’s on point for [project]?
: That’s what I’ve been trying to do.
Me: Is he trying not to hear you?
: Yeah, I think so, actually. But, I figured that I’d go ahead and volunteer him for it and just ask forgiveness later.
Me: What is this… “forgiveness?”
: You wouldn’t understand. It’s like a haircut.

Namaste.

1. has a post, entitled “Unpopular Opinions,” in which she shares her opinion of three trends in popular culture. While I somewhat disagree with her first point and have no frame of reference for her third, I wholeheartedly agree with her second point:
   

   Twittering is the equivalent of short-attention-spam theatre (and in case you are wondering, that typo is indeed intentional). If you want to communicate with/to me, I need substance and depth. Reading twitter posts is like watching Robot Chicken minus the clever humour and pop culture references. It’s like eating plain rice cakes, boring as all fuck and not satisfying at all.

2. I like tulips. I would go so far as to rate them as one of my favorite flowers.
3. 
   (by way of Indexed)

Thursday – 15 May 2008
SaraRules and I had breakfast with her family at Ruth’s Diner this morning.

Sweet Mother Mary…

If you’re in the SLC metro area, go there. Their Sunday brunch is also very good… but be warned: Either get there early or be prepared for a lengthy wait to be seated.

Today has been good, so far. Warm, sunny, a few clouds in a blue sky. Not shabby at all. Work hasn’t been bad either.

Stray Toasters

• Thanks to the joy of Comcast On Demand, SaraRules and I were able to watch last week’s episode of CSI:. I’m not sure that I’m necessarily “better off,” so to speak, for having seen it. It was just… way too over-the-top. I mean, I enjoy a good pun, but you could have set a clock by how often the one-liners and zingers were coming. I hope that tonight’s episode is back to relative “normal” for the show.
• Senator John Edwards endorsed Senator Obama yesterday. Four of the delegates formerly pledged to Edwards have also swung to the Obama camp. The next week, running up to the Kentucky and Oregon primaries, should prove rather interesting.
• The Question of Leadership
• I believe that SaraRules and I are going to see Iron Man again in the next few days. (Must remember to look for Cap’s shield this time…)
• 7 Insane Conspiracies That Actually Happened
• For :



• TorsoPants, by way of …
• …speaking of whom: I saw the Wolverine/Kitty Pryde statue this weekend. If you can get to a comic shop in the area, see if they have a copy of it; pictures of it don’t do it justice.
• Marvel’s universal approach makes it a world apart from DC
• 

/lunch

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 May 2008
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Check.
Houston Hobby Airport. Check.
McCarran International Airport. Check.
In-N-Out Burger. Check.
Six-hour drive to Salt Lake City. Check.

In other words: We are back behind the Zion Curtain.

The vacation was great. We both had a good time. And, let’s face it: Getting a chance to get out of Utah – and head to the Right Coast – is always a bonus. The chance to hang with the family-unit added a few extra points to the score, too.

We had lunch with Kris at Cracker Barrel before heading to the airport; somehow, SaraRules had never eaten at Cracker Barrel before. Back to her place to pack up and get under way for the Great Western Migration.

The flights weren’t bad. On the FLL-HOU leg, we watched Road to Perdition. Wow. How is it that I have owned – OWNED – this movie for months but not watched it?! Unglaublich! I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Since my old laptop was… old… I never watched movies on it. (No DVD player in that one.) So, watching movies on Defiant is a relatively “new” thing. Something brand-spanking new was the idea of watching the movie with the subtitles. This made understanding some of the more quiet parts of the movie much easier. While watching Road to Perdition, I think that the young lady sitting next to me was watching/reading the movie with us… but trying not to look like she was. Added bonus: We shared the flight with a polygamist family. (“It’s not a compound. It’s our home.”)

The HOU-LAS leg of the trip wasn’t hellish, even despite the baby that started screaming about halfway through the flight. Screaming. Banshee wailing. The flight was full and as people were boarding, there was an older Vietnamese (I’m Ivory Soap sure) couple that wound up having to sit apart from each other. The gentleman turned to ask if I would mind changing seats with him. I declined as:

1. I had boarded early enough to choose the seat I wanted.
2. I was sitting next to SaraRules
3. While she is willing fly, SaraRules isn’t overly fond of it.

So, I wasn’t about to abandon her. Tough noogies, Mister.

The drive from Vegas to Salt Lake wasn’t bad. We drove past a moderate-sized brush fire just north of St. George. There were a few minutes before we got to Cedar City when I thought that we might have to stop for the night, but after getting out to top off the tank and get something to drink, I was fine for the rest of the drive. And, other than those things, the drive was rather uneventful.

Stray Toasters

• I neglected to mention that we watched Memento a few days ago, a movie which I have only had a couple of weeks, but also had not seen. I also greatly enjoyed that film.
• Hilary Clinton pretty much swept the West-by-God Virginia primary. Who would have expected that?!
• Rotary iPhone Dial
• Darlin’, it’s better down where it’s wetter: Under the sea!
• passed this along to me the other day; it made me chuckle:



• Why I Started Punching Jerks Again
• Who needs (or “needed”) eHarmony when you could just use the 1939 marital rating scale for wives?
• Mormon Church Goes After WikiLeaks
• And another covet-inducing ‘Clix:

  

  

• Prince Ali!
  Mighty is he!
  Ali Ababwa
  Strong as ten regular men, definitely!
  He faced the galloping hordes
  A hundred bad guys with swords
  Who sent those goons to their lords?
  Why, Prince Ali!

/lunch

Namaste.

Tuesday – 13 May 2008
It’s been a good vacation, but it’s almost time to return to the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.  *blah*

Our flight leaves in a couple of hours. We had breakfast/lunch at Cracker Barrel with Kris. And now, we’re getting the last of our things together to get ready to roll out.

Next stop: The almost-Left Coast.

Namaste.

Monday – 12 May 2008
The ‘rents left this morning, on the way back to Tarheelia.

After Kris got back from the airport, she, SaraRules and I headed to Miami and South Beach.

(click image for gallery)

It was hot and humid. So, naturally, our first stop was a bar called Wet Willie’s. After loading up with frozen drinks, we took to the beach.  We walked along the beach and into the surf, which means that SaraRules and I have done coast-to-coast beaches in just under four months.  After we were done on the beach, we walked along the streets, ate at a restaurant called Puerto Sagua (1, 2) and checked out some shops, including the KidRobot store.

We headed back to Kris’ place… and took naps.  Two-and-a-half hours’ worth of naps.  Let’s see…

• Sun
• Alcoholic frozen drinks
• A good lunch

…yeah, we were FAR beyond “due” for naps.

SaraRules was kind enough to go gallivanting with me, in search of a local comic book shop.  I picked up a few ‘Clix.  At a GREAT bargain.  I got a few rare and super-rare pieces for $1.00 (USD), each.  Yeah… good haul.  We also went for dinner at the nearby Steak ‘n Shake.  Friends and I back home would make the local SnS a late-night dining and gabbing hang-out.

Back to Kris’ to hang out with her and watch the Celtics-Cavs game.  (Cavs won.)

Tomorrow, we chase the sun.

Namaste.

Sunday – 11 May 2008
Happy Mother’s Day

<< Rewind <<
Yesterday was Kris’ graduation; she received her Master of Law degree from St. Thomas University in Intercultural Human Rights.

(click picture to see the gallery)

The ceremony was nice. There was also a posthumous awarding of a Juris Doctor degree to a student who passed away last year. This was the second time in a week that I have seen this – last week a Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded posthumously to a student at SaraRules’ graduation.

After the ceremony, we went to lunch at Texas de Brazil, a Brazilian steakhouse. Sweet Mary, mother of Christ, it was a meatfest. A few of our party hadn’t been to this style of restaurant before, so they weren’t quite prepared for the onslaught of food. They learned. Oh, how they learned…

Back to Kris’ for random naps. Later, we went to the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and Casino. (For : As SaraRules pointed out, it’s the one where Anna Nicole Smith died.) The casino was mostly slots. Since neither of us are really fans of slots, SaraRules and I wandered around the area. Lots of shops, tons of restaurants, more clubs than you can shake a stick at and an art gallery. And tons – TONS – of people-watching fun. Too many fashion faux pas to mention. (Ah, the joys of being in South Florida.) All-in-all, it was a nice way to spend the evening.

> Play >
So far, it’s been a quiet day. SaraRules and I watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. (I didn’t see Dr. Doom, so I’m feeling a little jipped.) I caught online, who often references the scene where Mola Ram pulls a worker’s heart out through his chest:

Me: Mola Ram just pulled the guy’s heart out.
Me: Thought you’d want to know.
: kalima, yuktitay
: rough translation: this gonna hurt, bitch.

Yep. Favorite brother-in-law for a reason.

Not sure what’s on tap for the rest of the afternoon. There’s a rumor that we may visit a beach at some point. We shall see…

Namaste.

Friday – 09 May 2008

It’s… a little after 8:00 AM EDT. I’ve been up since about 6:30. (This is a vacation, isn’t it?!) I’ve been hanging out with Mom – having coffee, watching news, watching her start cooking dinner – since waking up. I’m sure that having been up since O’dark-thirty will catch up with me sooner or later. And, did I mention that Mom is following this year’s election coverage with the same hawkishness with which she followed the O.J. Simpson trial back in the 90s? She is. It’s kind of amusing.

Today will involve a good bit of errand-running, I’m sure. That’s cool.

Stray Toasters

• Severe storms hit the area of NC near Mom’s. I’m waiting to hear what kind of damage the area around the house sustained. I chatted, briefly, with Markin’ Time, this morning; he said that his area was pretty much spared. , what’s the story from your part of the state?
• Burma impounds UN aid deliveries
• 
• Preview of Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1
• I haven’t had an NES for over fifteen years, but this NES Controller Coffee Table makes me kind of wish that I did…
• …of course, if they’re putting an XBox in a Microsoft Surface Table, well, I wouldn’t mind one of them, either!
• Close to the Wind
• 
• John Ridley (1,2) author of The American Way (which, if you haven’t read, you need to read) and Undercover Brother, is a commentator on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Who knew?!
• Mmm, coffee.
• Steampunk in The New York Times
• LEGO + Nathan Sawaya = Skateboard

Namaste.

After seven hours in the air (and a couple of stopovers), we’re in Florida.

I can’t say “sunny Florida,” because it’s night… but it was sunny when we stopped in Tampa. I called to say “Hi” from the airport, but he was in a meeting.

Now, we’re sitting here hanging out with the family-unit.

“…and that’s all I have to say about that.”

Thursday – 08 May 2008
Today is not only the first day of vacation; it’s also my stepmother and younger brother’s birthday…

…and…

…respectively.

The drive to Mesquite was uneventful.  Long, but uneventful.  We stayed at The Oasis.  I was out almost as soon as I hit the pillow.  This morning, we were up and on the way to Florida… by way of Las Vegas.

Human of the Day
The woman on the moving walkway who wasn’t paying attention… and almost faceplanted when it came to and end.

Almost time to push back, so I should probably log off.

Namaste.

(click image for details)