Random Access

I’m home. 🙂

More later.

Namaste.

Friday : 23 December 05
Day 1 of the 6-Day Weekend… and it’s been good.

I was going to meet Perry for coffee this morning, but he never answered his phone. So, I came home. I had been here about fifteen minutes when my phone rings. Perry. He had been in a meeting, but was free to go to coffee at this point. So, I hopped back in the car and headed back to the coffee shop. We drank coffee-laden drinks and chatted for a while.

I came back home with the intention of either taking a nap or starting my packing. I didn’t do either. Instead, I just… puttered around the house.

invited me to lunch at a restaurant near her office. We went… and they were closed. Currrrrrrrrsessssssss! We wound up going to… of all places… on today… the mall. I needed to pick up a couple of things and thought: “Two birds, one stone.” I should have shot myself right then and there. It would have been more simple. The mall was packed. (Big surprise there…) The Food Court wasn’t too terrible. I headed to The Gap to get one sibko member’s gift. Then it was out and over to Men’s Warehouse for one final present. I went in with the intention of just getting a gift card, but they were having a sale. I found a very nice cashmere jacket. In my size. It fit nicely.

But, I didn’t buy it.

I took it off and told the nearest associate that I wanted to get a gift card and get out before I did something hazardous to my wallet. (Well…the coat really wasn’t badly priced, but I didn’t go in there to shop for me.) Purchased said card. Exited the store. Jiggety-jig.

Back home to do some laundry and the packing that I didn’t do earlier in the day. Packing goes much more fluidly when you know what you’re going to take. And when you’re not planning on taking much – I’m sure that some of my gifts will be clothing – it goes that much faster. I did laundry, which included some of the things I planned on packing.

and I exchanged gifts before we headed to Clitorati. She got me:

• Season One of The West Wing
• Madden ’06 and
• a Carolina Panthers knit cap (to go along with my Ravens knit cap)

Very nice stuff. It put a smile on my face. And then… we were off! Tonight’s turnout was rather decent, especially considering that it was two days before Christmas. The favorite item of the night was the Mega Blox Pyrates set that we got for Christmas. Half of the table played with them; they did things with those toys that neither God, Darwin nor Tropicana Twisters ever intended. But, it was funny to watch.

News

Morning Edition – The Story of St. Nicholas
Morning Edition – Sedaris and Crumpet the Elf: A Holiday Tradition
Day to Day – Mormons Mark Joseph Smith Bicentennial
All Things Considered – Losing My Music, or “When Good Hard Drives Go Bad”
Fresh Air – John Spencer, an Actor’s Actor

Stray Toasters

• Home (from the Broadway musical The Wiz)
• “Too… many… monkeys…”
• Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town makes me smile.
• By way of Slashdot: 30 Greatest Games of 2005
• and : New kitsch pinup book from Octacvio “Winkytiki” Arizala
• : Ultima V – fan remake of classic RPG launches after 5 dev years
• CNET’s Top 100 Products of 2005
• + harpoon gun = bad things

I’m leaving on a jet plane… but I do know when I’ll be back again.

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the holiday of your choosing.

Namaste.

Thursday : 22 December 05
Today cruised along at a decent clip. There weren’t any major problems, which is good for a “No Bad News Thursday.” My lunchtime workout was good, too. And, to top the day off, when I walked out the door at the end of the workday, I started my six-day weekend.

I spent most of this evening wrapping presents. I think that the *ahem* highlight of wrapping was: I had gotten down to the last two gifts. Both of them were in the same sized box. I wrapped one and decided to wait until tomorrow morning/afternoon to wrap the last one. On a lark, I decided to verify the name on last box – good thing that I did: It was one that I needed to be ready first thing in the morning. *sigh* So, I wrapped the last one. I still need to hit two stores tomorrow and pick up a couple of gift cards, but other than that, I believe that “Christmas Shopping 2005” is complete.

Stray Toasters

• In less than forty-eight hours, I will be on the Right Coast.
• By way of Slashdot: Britain to log all vehicle movement
• : Dark Phoenix Saga Storm Statue (info)
• From the Detroit Free Press: Unmasked, Hero is human
• This scene, had it been very early in Episode I, would have made that movie 150x better…
• Hard to Find 800 Numbers Revealed
• My brother’s penchant for sending… interesting… text messages continues to amuse me.
• While looking up something at work, I came across this site: Beatboxing.com
     I don’t have a joke here. Words… fail me.

Namaste.

<groove>
     The Champs – Tequila
     Jim Carrey – Cuban Pete
     Rage Against the Machine – Renegades of Funk
     David Bowie – Jump They Say
</groove>

What’s getting your blood pumping this morning?

Wednesday : 21 December 05
We’re having a… heat wave, of sorts. It was in the low 50s today. Or, as one coworker called it: “Tennis weather!”

We had a company lunch at the main office today. That’s right: Two round trips to/from American Fork today! It was nice to see the people who are working in the other office. And the food was good, too.

Tonight was ‘ Call of Cthulhu game. We… tried playing. We didn’t get very far. Our collective headspace wasn’t entirely in gaming mode.

News

Morning Edition – More Stories Emerge of Rapes in Post-Katrina Chaos
All Things Considered – What America Is Buying, Spending for Christmas

An acquaintance of mine is a correctional officer at the prison in Draper; she told me about a story – Pay a problem in retaining officers – that appeared in Sunday’s paper. Wow.

Stray Toasters

• My shoulders hurt. I blame Tuesday’s workout.
• A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden Image-intensive, but worthwhile.
• Methadone clinic comix: HOOKED!
• “Gravy.”
• Someone needs to invent self-wrapping Christmas presents.
• From Baltimore City Paper: The Semi-Free State – When It Comes to Gay and Lesbian Families, Virginia’s Loss Is Maryland’s Gain
• Commodore Back in the Game?
• I want a snack… but I have no idea of what.
• Miller returns to Sin City
• The 213 Things Skippy Is No Longer Allowed To Do In The U.S. Army

That’s enough for now. I’m going to try something radical and go to bed “early.”

Namaste.

<groove>
     Gwen Stefani ft. Eve – Rich Girl
     Eve ft. Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Your Mind
     Atomic Kitten vs. Geri Halliwell – Ladies Night
     Jonni Lightfoot – Little Worlds
     Schoolhouse Rock! – Conjunction Junction
     U2 – Angel of Harlem
</groove>

What are you listening to this morning?

Tuesday : 20 December 05
Decent day, all around.

Work wasn’t bad. We even had a rather random moment: One of my coworkers said “You know what I like…?” My first thought was that he would say “Pie.” I was wrong. When he finished, I told him what had run through my head… and then asked him what kind of pie was his favorite. And then I asked another coworker. And another. We asked everyone on the team. For the record, my favorite is Sweet Potato Pie.

I had to run a few errands after work. Despite the holiday-shopping masses, the experiences were rather painless. Crowded, definitely, but painless. While I was standing in a line, the gentleman behind me remarked at how quickly it had moved and that he had expected to be standing in line “until the cows came home,” direct quote. But, the line moved rather quickly and life went on… cows not included.

After that, it was time to pick up from work and head to the AMF (USPS “Air Mail Facility”) to get a package and a couple of cards in the mail. They’ve been doing construction in and around the airport. That has turned some of the traffic patterns into a complete clusterfuck. But, we made it out alive.

Stray Toasters

• I received a text message from Adam (youngest member of the sibko) this evening: “Beer is tasty!” The boy makes me laugh.
• By way of Slashdot: U.S. Army Testing Personal Cooling Suits
  

  [21:54] : (link to story)
  [21:54] : So… would that have been helpful?
  [21:54] : Very much so
  (She served in the Army – in Somalia – during the time that led up to the events seen in Black Hawk Down)

• Morning Edition – IMDb Turns 15 Years Old
• MusicBrainz
•   One part Jewish children’s toy + one part astromech droid = Droidel
• Thanks to for pointing this and this
• Puck. Hockey or Shakespeare, take your pick.
• This is an interesting idea: One Free Minute : Anonymous Public Speech
• Morning Edition – Barbie: The Doll Girls Love to Torture
• : Shimmel Pianos
• ColorLines – The national newsmagazine on race and politics.
• Review of the comic adaptation of Forgotten Realms – The Legend of Drizzt Vol. II: Exile #1
• : You may want to check out the Ghost Rider website
• All Things Considered – The Tale of a Father, a Son and a Shipwreck
• Joe Casey talks Fantastic Four: First Family
• “Oh, crap. I just remembered something.” –

Quote of the Day
From today’s conversation with :

(14:30:30) : Do we have [item]
(14:30:36) : who is we?
(14:33:56) : The company, I guess.
(14:34:05) : [Coworkers P & D] were asking.
(14:34:28) : that’s what i was after. 🙂
(14:34:34) : we have some.
(14:34:40) : but probably need more.
(14:34:43) : That is very spendy.
(14:36:30) : I’m just the messenger.
(14:37:00) : messenger of death.
(14:37:13) : DUH.

Namaste.

<groove>
     Boyz II Men – Motownphilly
     Harry Connick, Jr. – Trouble
     Alexander O’Neal – Criticize
     112 – Dance With Me
</groove>

<boogie>
     Rush – Tom Sawyer (remix)
     Loggins & Messina – Your Mama Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock and Roll
     The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight
          (I keep thinking of Kenya when I hear this.)
     Aladdin Soundtrack – One Jump Ahead
     Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
     Billy Idol – Rebel Yell
     MC Hammer – Too Legit To Quit
</boogie>

Call your shot.

Monday : 19 December 05
Today was cloudy, grey, and a generally good day for being inside. All of the makings of a near-Winter Monday in Utah.

All-in-all, it’s been a good day. Work wasn’t bad. I was pleased that there were no “Monday morning fires” to put out. The day moved along quickly. After work, I went to ‘s to watch the Packers take on the Ravens.

Football Update

Green Bay at Baltimore
3 – 48
The Green Bay Packers were in Baltimore to face the Ravens tonight. The Ravens, decked out in their all-black uniforms, played with cohesion and intensity on both sides of the ball. That’s right: Both sides. The offense scored points. The defense not only kept the Packers out of the end zone, but they caused turnovers, hurry-ups and sacks. Kyle Boller looked like a seasoned veteran tonight. He didn’t get rattled when white jerseys made their way through the offensive line. He chose plays appropriate to the situations that they faced. He didn’t make wild and errant passes. And, at the end of the game, “Prime Time,” himself, Deion Sanders, heaped a lot of praise on Kyle for the job that he did. And it was well-deserved. Speaking of Mr. Sanders, he had a few impressive plays of his own, including an interception of a pass from one-time teammate Brett Favre. Next week, the Ravens take on the Vikings; the following week, it’s off to Cleveland to face the Browns.

Stray Toasters

• Mom called to remind me to call my uncle for his birthday. When I called him, I opened with: “Happy Birthday… on the right day, this time!” It made him laugh. I’m looking forward to seeing them – and everyone else – this weekend.
• “Timid dinosaur! Rrrrr!”
• From BlueTights.net: Bryan’s Journals – Bryan Singer’s video journals from Superman Returns
• Brian Setzer Orchestra, Diggin’ a Crazy Christmas
• By way of TechNudge: Scramjet hits Mach 5.5
• “Okay, Mr. Sunshine” –
• The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business
• T’was the Night before X-Mas: a comic-themed retelling of the classic
• “Okay, I know what this looks like.”
  “It looks like you’re waist deep in disgusting filth.”
  

• ::: THIS SPACE FOR RENT :::
• Warner Bros. Picks Up Watchmen
• This I Believe: Natural Links in a Long Chain of Being
• I’m craving a rack of ribs from Oh! Brian’s… which is quite odd for this time of night. I might have to gather some people together and have dinner there on Monday.
• : Will Pfeifer on Catwoman: One Year Later
• Turn Your Video iPod into a DVR
• Talk of the Nation: Book Explores History of the Mormon Church

Quote of the Day
From this morning’s conversation with :

(10:21:29) : Oi.
(10:22:02) : cry havoc and let loose the snowmen of war!
(10:22:31) : I knew that you were part Klingon!
(10:24:10) : more a shakespeare fan really. you can’t truly appreciate shakespeare until you’ve heard it in its original Klingon form.
(10:25:11) : Sounds like you just watched Star Trek VI
(10:25:20) : not in a long time, actually. 🙂

I had another quote that I wanted to put here, too, but I can’t remember what it was. That’s irritating.

And with that…

Namaste.

Today, I’m wearing a sweater with… some sort of print on it. I’ve had the sweater for years – something on the order of 10 – 15 years – it’s one of my favorites.

I also brought a cup of Jell-O® Pudding in my lunch this afternoon.

I’m sitting here eating the pudding when out-of-the-blue… an image of a sweater-wearing Bill Cosby, talking about Jell-O® Pudding and Jell-O® Pudding Pops – and making the silly faces that he did in the commercials – appears in my head.

It made me chuckle.

<groove>
     Rush – La Villa Strangiato
     Atomic Kitten vs. Madonna – Don’t Tell Me The Tide Is High
     Stevie Wonder – I Wish
     Geri Halliwell – Look at Me
     Catatonia – Road Rage
</groove>

What are your Monday music highlights?

Sunday : 18 December 05
The day started with brunch. and I met and at Ruth’s Diner. We were joined later by Mrs. .

and I then headed off to round out our Christmas shopping. There were lots of people milling to and fro in the snow. And there were even more of them in the shopping centers and malls. But… we finished up with the shopping. And life was good.

I headed to ‘s to watch the Atlanta Falcons take on Da’ Bears. The first have was a sleeper. In the Third Quarter, the Bears broke off a little somethin’ on the Falcons and held on for a 16-3 lead. I know that people talk about the “Madden Curse,” but it’s been (at least) two years since Michael Vick was on the cover of the game – he should have been a little more effective than he was tonight.

Sometime during the night, Mother Nature looked down on the valley and decided that we needed snow. Welcome to the eight months of Utah Winter… Driving home was slow. The fact that I needed to stop at the grocery store didn’t help speed me along, either. But, I made it without incident. Hopefully, by the time that we leave in the morning, the streets will be nicely scraped and salted.

Stray Toasters

• I spoke with both parental units today. All is well in their respective parts of the East Coast.
• “Live Wire”, by way of
• I have remembered another thing that was on the “Never” list: “I’ll never use Windows XP.” Work shot that to Hell back in March. But, I am not using it at home. Yet.
• 
• “Okay, I think we’re ready.”
  

• Until a week or so ago, I did not know that Blinded By the Light, most often attributed to Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, was written – and first performed – by Bruce Springsteen.
  

  The chorus of the song features the commonly misunderstood lyric,“Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night.” (“Deuce” refers to a ’32 Ford Deuce Coupe.) Manfred Mann changed this line slightly (as “revved up like a deuce”) and repeated it much more frequently in their version than Springsteen did in the original; they also omitted parts of the verses and rearranged the order of the remaining lyrics.
  -Wikipedia entry

• From Slashdot: The History of Videogame Lawsuits
• It’s no secret that I’m eagerly awaiting Superman Returns.
  It’s also no secret that I think that “the powers-that-be” in Hollywood have… morals (?)… that change direction more than Pac-Man being chased into a corner by four ghosts.
  Then I read this.
  You have to be kidding me…

• Disabled Fans Shut Out of Star Wars Galaxies
• I came close to ordering some plastic crack today. Very close, indeed.
• “Words fail me.” –
• The upcoming issue of Wizard has a 28-page preview of the aforementioned Superman Returns. It hits the stands on Wednesday. (Mental Note: I must remember to pick up my comics before heading out of town.)
• “Dammit! You can’t crash now! I didn’t save!” (Dedicated to and .)
  

To sleep, perchance to… something or other.

Namaste.

Saturday : 17 December 05
It’s been a good – and productive – day.

I had lunch with and . Good food and good company. After that, it was off to Dr. Volt’s to pick up my four-color print goodness. I also picked up three Heroclix:

• Magma (one of the second wave of the New Mutants)
• Quicksilver and
• War Machine

Then, it was time to get some Christmas shopping taken care of. And, I got a good portion of it wrapped up in fairly short order. There are still a couple of loose ends to tie up, but I’m pretty much set at this point.

For the big finale: My reservations for flying home are set. I leave Saturday morning, bright and early. I was able to get a flight into Greensboro for a decent fare; I was floored by that. And, I’ll be there in plenty of time to go to Midnight Mass with my uncle.

Stray Toasters

• Since it moved to Sunday nights, I’ve been missing The West Wing. I was shocked to find out that John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry, died of a heart attack. I have been a fan of his since he was on L.A. Law.
• Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years!
• I need a new calendar. I don’t know what I want to get, though: Planes, trains or something comic book-related.
• From Real Tech News: Ultimate Rant: Why Macs Suck

Quote of the Day
Tonight’s gem comes from Melody, manager of the Village Inn that we frequent; she was talking to Patrick:

“I’m going to have to move your sack of goodness!

She was referring to a bag of Christmas goodies that he had sitting next to him. But, it’s more amusing to add it to the Overheard Unintentional Porn list.

Namaste.

Friday : 16 December 05
Work wasn’t bad and the day moved along rather nicely. I followed up with one of the Team Leads about yesterday’s meeting. He hadn’t talked with his group at that point, but a short while later, an email appeared in my inbox: It informed that team’s members of the procedure changes that I discussed. It made me quite happy.

Clitorati was small and relatively quiet. I think that I broke – or at least severely bent – . It was pretty funny. The look on her face was priceless, if only someone would have had a camera at the ready.

Stray Toasters
I’ll hold off on these until tomorrow.

Quote of the Day

(08:06:00) : Mornin’
(08:06:03) : How goes?
(08:06:17) : i would like to stab people 🙂

Namaste.