Random Access

Tuesday : 08 August 06
Today was a good day. Minor problem with MFM #2, but nothing insurmountable.

Tonight was Shadowrun night. We started late. Very late. I got the team started on the new run – speaking of which: , your character is now in Denver. You might want to check up on him in the near future.

Stray Toasters

• I am craving a Slurpee.
• Justice is served.
• I listened to Garbage’s first CD today for the first time in a very long while. Then, I added it to my iTunes library… along with Version 2.0
• Harmful Selfishness – the concept of evil in the superhero myth
• Anthology of Mystery
• Sissy is asleep and snoring under my desk.
• : Interview with Kari Wahlgren, the voice of Saturn Girl and Triplicate Girl on the upcoming LSH toon.
• Detective Boogaloo: Hip-Hop Cop

Quote of the Day

[15:59] : http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3344

[16:00] : huh. i wonder if you could put it on a cat.

[16:00] : We’ll have to put that on the list… right after Teflon coating.

Namaste.

On the way to work, I pass a… hill/mountain/oversized pile of rocks and dirt… from which people paraglide and hang glide. They do this at least three days a week. I think that they look neat. I’ve observed that no one else seems to pay any attention to the gliders. Have we, collectively, lost our sense of “Wow…?”

I passed a truck for Stake Center Locating this morning with the following warning on its tailgate: “This vehicle may stop at any time.” The first question that came to mind: “Isn’t any vehicle capable of stopping at any time?” What was it about that truck that was so special that it had to make that kind of announcement? It’s not like the driver would just jam on the brakes in the middle of the interstate… or would he…?

A couple of things that I found amusing:

• Perfectly Aligned
• Submachine 3: The Loop A point-and-click adventure, like The Crimson Room

Okay… back to work.

Sunday : 06 August 2006

<< Rewind <<
Clitorati had a good turn-out – sixteen people, all-in-all (though not all at the same time). No, make that eighteen… as a couple of people popped in to say “Hi” while they were in the neighborhood. Post-Clitorati dinner was good, too. Among the more amusing points of dinner was watching  double-fist gobs of macaroni and cheese into his mouth… between brain-freezing sips of a virgin strawberry daquiri or margarita.

Saturday was pretty low-key. Lunch with  and the boys at The Mayan and then Law & Order: The Next Generation SVU and a couple of movies.

> Play>
Today, I went to the Park City Arts Festival with and Mr. and Mrs. . We were going to start the day with our traditional brunch at Cisero’s… but they were not offering their brunch today. *blink blink* That probably explains why the restaurant was virtually empty. Oh, well. We ate at The Eating Establishment, instead. The food was good, as was the conversation and the company. I made a joke about whether or not I would see anyone that I knew while in Park City; immediately said “No bet.” After we finished eating, it was time to wander ’round the festival. There were a lot of really good things to look at… and things that I considered buying. Instead, I exercised an amazing amount of fiscal responsibility. *sigh* And, sure enough… I ran into someone that I know.

This evening saw more cleaning of the HALO Command Center. Fun. Oh, man… so much fun. Had it been any more fun, I would have had to have charged myself admission.

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
I suited up and headed to Paragon City. I joined a couple of teams and took on Crey, the Clockwork, Nemesis, a few members of the Carnival of Shadows, Praetorians (whom I am beginning to dislike as much as Nemesis and Malta). I died a few times, especially against the Praetorians… which didn’t do much to raise my opinion of them.

Tonight, I went a few rounds with more Crey and some Nemesis. Got smacked around a bit. Did some smacking around, too. By the time all was said and done, I was a little more than two-and-a-half bubbles away from Security Level 42.

And… there was rocking out, too.

And this just made me laugh:
Ahhhhhh, refreshing!
And can you say “lawsuit,” boys and girls? This guy’s name was “Scarlet Speedster,” a name usually associated with this guy:
Stray Toasters

• I want cashews.
• DC Direct unveils Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman statue (Other pics: 1, 2, 3)
• I don’t remember exactly how I found it, but I’ve discovered the City of Zeroes webcomic. It’s about the civilians of Paragon City. If you’ve played the game – or are familiar with it – some of the in-jokes are pretty witty. But, even if you haven’t played it, the last panel of this toon made me laugh.
• Yeager!
• George A. Romero to write and direct Solitary Isle
• Pelican Bay Painter disciplined for running prison business
• From Scott Adams’ Dilbert Blog: Petting the Cat
• : I think that you’ll appreciate the costume on the left of this picture.
• : I don’t know what Green would think, but… Blue Velvet Cthulhu
• Circuit City Copies DVDs… Why Can’t I?
• New TMNT Gets Back To Roots
• Warren Ellis to curate mass webcomics site at “Rocket Pirates”

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Since the Nimoy/Freeman ticket didn’t seem to work in 2004, maybe it’s time to consider a different tack. Something… more… aggressive.

(click the banner for details)Thanks to for pointing this out.

Thursday : 03 August 2006 Another NBN Thursday draws to a close. It’s been a good day. After all, a day where your Team Lead emails you with “Your mech warrior is alive!” and links to this video can’t be too bad. The rest of the work day wasn’t bad, either. Nor was the lunchtime workout.

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
I finally decided on my Epic Power Set: Electrical Mastery. Gee, go figure. It’s in keeping with the character.

I joined a team shortly after heading to Paragon. We took on Crey and Nemesis. Lots of both. By the time that I left the city in other heroes’ hands, I was already three bubbles into Level 41. And that’s not a bad way to go.

Stray Toasters

• I am having (or “had,” depending on when I wind up posting this) Beef Lo Mein for dinner. (Edit: “had”)
• Oh, dear Lord…. *covet*
• : I’ve found a couple of plugins that crosspost from WP to LJ. (Of course, you probably noticed that already.) If you’re interested, I can point you in their direction.
• By way of boingboing.net: Camouflage any webpage as a “work-safe” Word file
• TrueNuff Mac vs. PC commercial spoofs.
• From the “Oh, reeeeeally?” file: Study: Tech Replaces Diamonds As Girl’s Best Friend
• …case in point: Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women
• Darth Vader being a smartass
• I know that this was supposed to be an innocuous headline, but I read it and immediately started laughing: Polly Pockets, Hummers at McDonald’s
• Blufr: a site that tests your knowledge of useless trivia
• Muse’s Knights of Cydonia video – martial arts, westerns and lasers. All in one video.

Namaste.

: 1-0-0-1-0-0-1

I’m trying out a couple of new plug-ins to WordPress to see how well it (now) plays with LiveJournal.

Had this been an actual post, the above line would not have appeared. instead, there would have been actual content and even a few ‘Toasters. But, as this is not an actual post, those things will not appear here.

Thank you.

Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Tuesday : 01 August 2006
It’s been a good – and relatively quiet – day. The monkeys, for the most part, stayed in their trees and behaved. There were a couple of issues that came up, but nothing earth-shattering. The lunchtime workout was good… even though Rebel (not Alliance) Shirt Boy wasn’t there. (Hmm… maybe I’ll just start making up Legion-like codenames for everyone. Well, everyone except the monkeys.)

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
After missions in Peregrine Island, Steel Canyon and fights against Nemesis, Praetorians and Crey, I only have one thing to say: Security Level 41.

Hello, Epic Power Set.

(Now, if I could only figure out what the Hell I’m going to do for that fourth costume… )

Stray Toasters

• I got a call from Dad this afternoon. Very brief, but all’s well.
• Since upgrading ‘Nine to XP, I had neglected to reinstall AVG. That has since been corrected.
• nox aeternus: The ink looks nice. Also, you might be interested in HorrorClix Exclusive Visual Guide.
• It’s going to take a little time to get used to the WordPress interface for doing entries… but I think that I’ll manage.
• Finally!!! Just what I need to complete my super-suit!
• The 25 Greatest Comic Movie Posters of All Time, according to Alex Ross
• By way of asdf_cat: Something Awful’s Epic Mounts: Love in World of Warcraft
• Spider-Man or Witchblade? You decide.
• Die Hard…4 ?
• seekyr: Atom Girl
• The Killer List of Videogames
• The video for Red Sector A is playing on VH1. I can go to bed happy.
• pwned!

Quotes of the Day
These come from a couple of workday conversations:

[08:48] shadorunr: Mariah Carey was just playing on your streamer….
[08:48] shadorunr: Which reminded me of her vocal range….
[08:48] Eric: but now it’s janet
[08:48] shadorunr: Which reminded me of those ludicrously high notes that she used to hit….
[08:49] shadorunr: Which reminded me of the following…
[08:49] shadorunr: This is Lex Luthor. Only one thing alive with less than four legs can hear this frequency, Superman, and that’s you.

…and …

[09:40] shadorunr: Monkey #5 needs [item for a test]
[09:41] asdf_cat: k. already have a request in for that
[11:04] shadorunr: Oh… and Monkey #5 asked if we had an ETA on that item
[11:04] asdf_cat: who is monkey #5?
[11:04] shadorunr: [name]
[11:05] asdf_cat: k. thanks. he will be first to be eaten by the grey ooze.

Namaste.

Friday : 28 July 2006
Worked with a couple of the monkeys.  One decided that he wanted to rearrange the work area that he shares with three other people… none of whom were in the office today.  *sigh*  He asked me for my input on what to move and where to move it.  After I verified that the other three were not in today, I basically told him that I wasn’t doing anything until the others were there to give their feedback – it’s their workspace, too.

Post-work saw me taking a nap.  Not quite a power nap.  Not quite a two-hour deep slumber.  But a nap, nonetheless.  It was good.  Then, it was time for Clitorati.  Small turnout, but a good time.

Stray Toasters

• I’m going to see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy perform with the Utah Symphony tomorrow tonight.
• Chibi spaz!
• The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time (…of which I’ve only seen 15)
• From the “That’s wrong on SO many levels” file: General Authority Trading Cards
• Dictionaraoke (with apologies to …)
• From Comic Book Resources: Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed History
• Pirates and Treasure game

Namaste.

Thursday : 27 July 2006
Today was a rather quiet day at the office.  In fact, the most… amusing or interesting thing that happened was at the gym.  Eric and I had finished our warm-up and were heading to the free weight area to do some bench presses.  On the way, I spotted a guy at one of the benches.  Okay, that’s not uncommon.  He was wearing a t-shirt.  Again, not uncommon.  The shirt had a logo on the left breast: A rebel flag.

Okay… that got my attention.  About the time that I was Ivory Soap sure that I saw what I thought I had seen, he turned around: The back of the shirt had a picture of a non-descript capitol building… flying a rebel flag.  But, even that isn’t what really stuck out.  The picture was surrounded, on the top and bottom, by: “I have a dream,” in big letters.

*blink blink*

Yeah.  It was a little odd.  Eric offered to buy my lunch if I went over and asked the guy, “So… what does your shirt mean?”  I was tempted to do so, but decided that it wasn’t worth my time or the effort.  But it was tempting…

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
It’s amazing how much longer it takes to level up when you aren’t getting double experience for your kills.

I joined a higher-level team to take on some Malta Operatives.  Ostensibly, I was going to work off the debt that I picked up a couple of nights ago.  Instead, I added to it.  I finally managed to knock it out, though.  But, I wound up biting off more than I could chew against a Behemoth Overlord (and his nosy, butt-inski friends) after I left that team.  So, I have 14K of debt left to grind through.

And pictures!

Rocking out in Pocket D:

Taking on a Malta Group Hercules Class Titan:

Seven Nemesis troops (some are behind me) and a Warhulk.  Those odds were so unfair.  To them.

Stray Toasters

• I’m (FINALLY) working on a long-overdue update to my site.  Thanks to for looking at it and making sure that the parts that I have completed didn’t go all ‘splodey.  With the new and nominally improved version, I’m including a new blog section, powered by WordPress.  Like , I’ll most likely syndicate the feed in RSS.
• A few weeks ago, tagged me to list seven songs that I’m into.  I’ve mostly been listening to my iPod or iTunes, so there’s not a lot of “new” stuff… but here goes, in no particular order:
  1. Maktub – You Can’t Hide
  2. Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts  – Tank!
  3. Prince – Pope
  4. Acafool – Hata Blockas  (heard it on the radio… in UTAH of all places… and it cracked me up)
  5. Geddy Lee – Home on the Strange
  6. Fatboy Slim (ft. Bootsy Collins) – The Joker  (with a tip of the hat to )
  7. emmet swimming – Birdman of Columbia and/or 8:45
• 
  (…the only thing missing is a Jell-OÖ® Pudding Pop)

• Speaking of which: Edibles – Action figures you can eat.
• : Whose shot first?
• I finally got past Page #27 of “the puzzle.”
• :  Not only did I click the link to the puzzle you sent me, I completed the Daily Set Puzzle (in 8:54).
• Cheatsheets!!!
• Natasha Henstridge as Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman…?  Hmm.
• :  I’m hoping for the best, but I’m still a little worried about this.  The second half of this article talks about it.
• *voop*

Namaste.

Tuesday : 25 July 2006
Work was.  (And it wasn’t bad.)
Today’s workout was pretty good.  I’m feeling it a bit in my shoulders.
<sarcasm>I’m sure that it will feel great after a night’s sleep. </sarcasm>

Post-work, I took on the front and back jungles.  *gah*

Tonight was Shadowrun night.

Tonight, the group wrapped up the current story arc.  They got rid of a troublesome NPC.  They made a new – and rather.. um… “influential” – friend.  And they made lots of money. 

…and they lived to run the shadows another day.

Stray Toasters

• I (still) have a bucket of cotton candy left over from the weekend.
• Mona Fontenelle and the Joeys
• Given that he has a new(ish) series on Spike TV, spun-off from the movie trilogy, here is the bio of Blade.
• PBS fire kiddie show host for spoof videos she made in 1999
• : Please be sure to show this to Chris.
• and : I think that you’ll appreciate this.
• Monopoly Ditches Play-Dough for Credit
• : You might want to pass this article along to Stephanie.
• Strange Statues Around the World

Quotes of the Day
Tonight’s gems come from and Chris:

• : “G.I. Joe was like sticking a fork in your brain…. and twirling it.”
• I wish that I could recount their conversation about Transformers.  It was pure comedy.
• Chris, explaining Visionaries to Nox:
  Chris:   Let’s say you have a cheetah on your armor.
  :  Why do I have a cheetah on my armor?
  Chris:   Because that’s what you turn into.  Because you’re fast.
  :  I don’t want to be a cheetah.
  Chris:   Tough shit.

Namaste.

Sunday : 23 July 2006
It’s been a good weekend.

and I saw Lady in the Water last night.  It’s been taking a bit of a drubbing, but I liked it.  I didn’t see what people found so confusing about it.  In fact, I think that this movie was just fine.  It wasn’t a “simple” movie, so you couldn’t just turn off your brain at the door.  It was an M. Night Shaymalan movie and thus… there were overt things and many hidden, no… “subtle” things.  I picked up on a couple of the subtleties, I missed a couple of the overt.  And that’s fine with me.

Tonight, we saw My Super Ex-Girlfriend.  I liked this, as well.  It’s not necessarily Oscar fare, but it was fun.  It was a good satire of both the superhero genre and romantic comedies.  And I think that I am beginning to like – and even appreciate – Luke Wilson more as an actor.  And that was Eddie Izzard?!  Really?!  I had no idea of that until the credits rolled.  That was a pleasant surprise.  Director Ivan Reitman seems to be back on top of his game.

I’ve questioned my sanity in the past, but every once in a while, I will do something that brings the whole “Have you lost your mind?!” question screaming back into focus.  I’ve been wanting to get in a bike ride for the past few weeks; for whatever reason(s), I haven’t.  Until today.  When it was 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  At least.  I think that it was about 103 degrees when I finally headed out.  I rode for about an hour-and-a-half.  It was good.  I’m sure that my legs will be good and sore tomorrow, but it was worth it.

[19:03] : Insanity.
[19:03] : That’s the only answer.
[19:04] : yeah?
[19:04] *** Auto-response sent to : Gone, baby… Gone.
[19:04] : Rode from about 5:20 – 6:45
[19:04] : dude.  it’s like 195 degrees out there.
[19:05] : 54th South/32nd East to 36th South to 36th South/36th West THEN did a mile on Granger’s track then back up 36th West to 5620 South and home.
[19:05] : And according to the Weather Channel’s site, it’s 103°
[19:05] : yeah.  195.

Tomorrow is Mormon Christmas… no, that’s not it.
Mormon Pride Day.  No, that’s not it, either….
Pioneer Day.  State Holiday.  Parades.  Re-enactments.  Fireworks.  Rodeos (and I don’t mean the Isuzu vehicles, either).  Everything but the kitchen sink.  I don’t get it as a paid holiday (I think that we are one of the few “local” companies that doesn’t act like a local company –  I’m good with that), but I think that I might take the day off and hang out with and friends.  Hey, if you get paid leave, what’s the point in not using it every once and again?!

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
It is Double XP Weekend in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.  So, I have been on teams patrolling the neighborhoods for miscreants.  I have spent most of this time fighting Nemesis, the Carnival of Shadows and Rikti.

I hit Security Level 40 today. 
“To Level 40….. and beyond!”  (Apologies to Buzz Lightyear.)
Starting with my next level, I get to pick from the Epic Level Powers.

Stray Toasters

• I am currently stuck on going from Page 27 to Page 28 on this puzzle.
• Animaniacs Volume 1 comes out on DVD on Tuesday.
• CIA Software Contractor Fired over Geneva Conventions stand
• AMD buying ATI?  Rumors solidify
• Top 10 Coolest LEGO Gadgets

Quote of the Day
I was chatting with about the weekend and mentioned that Pioneer Day is on Monday.  The conversation then turned (imagine that) a bit to the left:

[19:33] : So how was your weekend?
[19:33] : It’s been pretty good.
[19:33] : Coolio.  I just got back from the annual BBQ orgy that is the Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest.
[19:33] : I think I’m taking tomorrow off for Mormon Christmas… I mean “Mormon Pride Day”…. I mean “Pioneer Day,” since my gf has it off.
[19:34] : Jazz + Ribs = *jealous*
[19:35] : Well, I could give a hoot about Jazz, I go for the Meat.
[19:35] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Day
[19:35] : It’s even bigger than 4th of July
[19:35] : Which makes me sad.
[19:35] : But, that’s me.
[19:35] : The locals eat it up.
[19:35] : Go figure.
[19:36] : I am surprised there isnt a Brigham Young day.
[19:39] : This is pretty close to it.
[19:39] : Besides, he has a university.
[19:39] : And statues.
[19:39] : And stuff.
[19:40] : And stuff?  Like what?  His own line of action figures?
[19:40] : Actually, there’s:  BYU, BYU-Idaho and BYU-Hawai’i
[19:40] : Oooh.
[19:40] : I could make a MINT if I could get some BY action figures made.
[19:40] : *ponder*
[19:40] : That would rock!
[19:40] : O_o
[19:41] : “Relive the early days of The Church with your very own Brigham Young action figure!”
[19:41] : With kung-fu grip.
[19:41] : “I say to you, brethren, that this is the right place.”
[19:41] : Man, you have come up with the BEST idea EVER!
[19:42] : Well, just send me a little of the proceeds, and we will call it even.

Namaste.

Friday : 21 July 2006
All in all, it was a good day.

On the work front: The building is still standing and the walls aren’t dripping with monkey bits… so that’s a plus.
Post work: Clitorati was good, although it had a small-ish, intermittent turn-out.

The Adventures of Indigo Bolt
Tonight, I not only made it to Security Level 39 in about an hour, I also made it four-and-a-half bars towards Level 40.  And that is despite dying about five times.  Maybe more.  I don’t remember.  But five-and-a-half bars to Security Level 40?  That’s solid.  The only “problem” is that I have NO idea what I want to do with the costume that I can get at Level 40.  *sigh*  I’ll deal with that later.

Stray Toasters
Not tonight.  Right now, I have an inner-eyelid study to conduct.

Namaste.

Thursday : 20 July 2006
Another No Bad News Thursday is in the books.  And it wasn’t bad.  Even the parts with MFM #2 were pretty much cake.

Post-work, I had dinner with and her family; we had ribs.  And they were good.  (Now I have an urge to try and find that place in Kansas City that a friend took me to many moons ago.) 

It also got me thinking:  What parts of the country are known for what kinds of food?  For example:  For ribs, I think of Kansas City.  For jambalaya, it’s The Big Easy.  Crabs, nothing beats the Chesapeake.  Chowder from “Bahstahn.”  Um… Jell-O (with carrot shavings), The Zion Curtain.  But, what are other parts of the country known for?  That also led me to the thought that a culinary-based road trip – or series of road trips/vacations – would be fun.  Visit a part of the country and sample some of its best food fare.

Stray Toasters

• I talked with my father tonight.  Nothing in particular, just… talk.  All’s well on the home front.
• asked me to pas this along: She has a pass for six (6) discounted admissions to Lagoon for Saturday, 21 July 2006. If you’re interested in going, please leave her a message.
• Matt, a coworker, sent me a link to this puzzle.  You are supposed to figure out how to get to the next page; there are thirty pages.  From “1” to “2” is pretty easy.  I’m currently stuck trying to go from “17” to “18”.  If you decide to give it a go, “Good luck.”
• – From Wizard Magazine: Exclusive ‘Morgana’ HorrorClix Figure
• Devlin develops new Stargates
• Worth 1000 Contest: Bad Ads
• There was something that I was going to put here, but I forgot what it was.
• – Clerks II Takes Smith Back to the Beginning
• Heath Ledger will be The Joker in the next Batman film.

Namaste.

Wednesday : 19 July 2006
It’s been a good day.  No real issues with monkeys.  I helped suss out a couple of hardware issues.  I even have something to keep me busy for the first few hours of work tomorning.

Post-work has been pretty quiet and relaxing, too.

Stray Toasters

• I have used the phrase “stupid poopy doody-head” in two, unrelated conversations in the past twenty-four hours.  I’m not sure whether I should be amused or worried by this.
• Samurai Stormtrooper
• Caffeine Corner: Products ranked by amount (of caffeine)
• 
• … and remember: Every overlord, evil or not, needs a Self-Destruction Button.
• Something Awful + The 2006 FIFA World Cup = This
• This amuses me for a multitude of reasons:
• This, on the other hand… MagiQuest’s Family Vacation Inside a Video Game
• 1983 Animated Dungeons & Dragons coming to DVD

I think that about covers it for now.

Namaste.