I will be starting another online class through the GoArmyEd program (formerly eArmyU) in just over a week: Introduction to the Internet. Basic HTML, things like that... the ex said it was pretty easy. It should fulfill two requirements for me, both for my Computer Science Associate Degree from CTC and for my Liberal Arts Bachelor Degree from Excelsior. I hope, anyway (not sure about Excelsior, but there was a 1-credit-hour course I could have taken if I was still at Hood; I figure a 4-cre...

Scrounging through boxes containing remnants of my past life, I ran across some paperbacks. Most of them were mine, and I had read them long ago, but it seems that at some point my father's books overflowed into my old room before my mother packed up my things. I found Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men in amongst the bad Piers Anthony novels (the Xanth series) and grabbed it along with Dune by Herbert, slipping them into my carry-on bag while I was packing. OMAM made for quick reading on the...

I have three cassettes in good condition that are just lying around my apartment taking up (a very minimal) space. Going to list them on eBay, but... I most likely won't have any luck with them. I suppose it's not so strange that they are inexpensive; the technology is virtually dead. (I will say that I keep receiving recorded cassettes from various language instructors, although one of my last did start putting .mp3 files on discs for us.) There also (probably) isn't a rabid fan-base ...

Going home was... nice? But awkward. And if there's any doubt that I'm thinking of myself more than my kids: I returned them to their mother three days early so they could spend a day visiting their uncle (her brother) and his family. At SeaWorld. I would've been within my legal rights to say, "No." I would've also been a selfish prick.

Like you guys don't even really consider non-electronic games as games... Anyway, the newest set for Marvel HeroClix is titled Sinister as in "... Six" or "... Syndicate" but not "Mr. ..." Chock full of villains, probably my favorite part is that there are multiple members of the Thunderbolts included in the set, both from the original team (thank you Mr. Busiek) and the current run as well (under FabNic). The Thunderbolts themselves are full of villains-turned-good (and in some cases ...

1. I got up late. 2. I was jolted awake by some sort of computer-related stress nightmare. 3. I forgot akulaboy's swimgear. 4. pseudo jr's tummy was upset. 5. I forgot to get chocolate chips at the grocery store. 6. pseudo jr got sick. 7. Clothing sales opened late, so I didn't get my uniform parts this morning. 8. My car wouldn't start. In fact, I couldn't get it jumped, either. 9. I spent the rest of the morning at the mechanic's before I got a cab home. (re)BUT(tal) - ...

Baby 'Slock' - What? 'I Baby Slock!' Do you mean sloth? 'Yes!' You don't even know what that means. 'Slock is in the trees!' I guess you do... Baby Skunk - He even arches his back, sticks out his butt and says, "Pfff!" Baby Tiger - He tried to bite my face. Baby Snake - He slithered off and back on the couch, going "sss! sss!" This kid is nuts.

During the American Civil War, the Union made use of both tranposition and substitution ciphers for military messaging. The Confederacy had problems stringing anything together; the feds would have their attempts cracked within a day. Johnny Reb was terrible at cryptanalysis as well. They were so desperate, they took to publishing some enciphered Union messages in the local newspapers, hoping that anyone could help them figure out the codes. (Pointed out by an online friend,) the Conf...

During the American Civil War, the Union made use of both tranposition and substitution ciphers for military messaging. The Confederacy had problems stringing anything together; the feds would have their attempts cracked within a day. Johnny Reb was terrible at cryptanalysis as well. They were so desperate, they took to publishing some enciphered Union messages in the local newspapers, hoping that anyone could help them figure out the codes. (Pointed out by an online friend,) the Conf...

I have been tasked to give a set number of presentations to prepare to become an instructor. My first was a 10 minute presentation on Divorce (Uncontested Divorce in Texas). Then, a 20 minute presentation on Superman. Recently, I did a 30 minute presentation on Radio Wave Propagation. Unfortunately, my next presentation, 50 minutes, looks like it will be on Cryptography. I don't know this subject as intimately as the last two, but I believe I can get 50 minutes out of it, especially co...

I got sharpshot (sharpshooted?) on my presentation today. Although kryptonite wasn't in the lesson plan, I fielded a question from an overzealous classmate asking about Superman's weaknesses. This was followed up by a question from the class smart-ass of "What does Blue Kryptonite do?" Upon reflection, I hazarded the guess that it kills vegetation. His retort was that it provided a benefit. Some fact-checking shows that we were both wrong. Blue Kryptonite is the result of using the ...

The boys have settled into a Superman/Batman preference. pseudo jr has decided he likes Superman, so that leaves akulaboy with Batman. He's alright with it. This is how we split up the pillow cases and the beach towels... and it's also how we split the super-puppies. pseudo jr got Krypto and akulaboy got Ace, the Bat-Hound. Ace is carried around sometimes, but he's shunned in bed in favor of Curious George (since akulaboy is sometimes a "baby monkey animal" anyway). Krypto gets a lot ...

I had a "courtesy" weigh in today at my unit, so early that my boys had to go in with me. Oddly, they were more awake then than they normally are when I take them to daycare about two hours later. I've gained 6 pounds since I got here, and I know it's not all muscle. My body fat composition has gone to seed, too. I'm over the standard. It's my own fault. I need more cardio and less food. It may seem like a strange decision, but I had actually increased my caloric intake when I got ...

Sometimes, I like to say things to my son that aren't serious. Like telling him that we need to pick up more spankings at the store because we're almost out. Or that we're going to Spanking Land when he asks where we're going. I had to have a talk with him yesterday when he got a little bent out of shape over it ("Tell me and don't do the spanking part!"), but he couldn't remember that I ever actually spanked him, so it's okay. I don't now, and it has been a long while. Friday night as...

I understand some of the gripes. It certainly is not the film that Singer would have done. No, it does not mirror the comics storyline or character development, although there are certainly enough nods to those that any enthusiast's zeal should be sated. But still, purists gripe. Is it the final episode? I've heard complaints about this. The vacuous Halle Berry has stated in interviews that if fan support was strong enough she has no doubt there would be a fourth installment. For tho...