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Tuesday - July 31, 2007
Spider Pig, Spider Pig.....
Over the weekend, we checked out the new Simpsons Movie. As a long time Simpsons fan, I give it 2 thumbs up. I think it did a good job of keeping the fanboys entertained while created a self-contained plot for those not familiar with every intricate detail about their 18-year run. Lara and I both enjoyed it alot and was easily one of the funniest movies I've seen all year. The animation is enchanced with some CGI, giving it a slightly better look than the average TV episode. Be sure to hang around through the credits.....
Posted by jcraven at 4:25 PM | Movies & Music
Sunday - July 29, 2007
Circuit City sucks
So about 9 months ago, I was pretty excited since they built a Circuit City within a mile of my house. Well I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I've been to the store 3 times now, and walked away empty handed each time. The 3 strikes were:
1) I needed a part for my DirecTV satellite dish. After I didn't see it on the shelf, I asked a sales guy who had no idea what I was asking about. He just looked at me like a lost puppy dog.
2) I check for inventory of either the 120GB hard drive for the 360, or the 360 elite on launch day. Nada on both accounts. I head to Best Buy and pick up the drive.
3) Today, I wake up and I'm first in the door for this Sunday deal. They have 1 sitting on the shelf. I decide against getting the expensive 4000 pt card, and getting the 1600 card free. I then head to the CC that's 10 minutes away, and of course they don't have any either. Again, I walk away empty handed. (BTW, the sales associate recommended the nearby EB Games or Target if I wanted the cards..... lovely)
No wonder these guys are bleeding money, (their stock is down more than 50% over the past year). I could probably get over number 1 and 2 since they're a relatively small store. But, if you're going to advertise a special in your mailer, and include a nice little picture, you better have more than 1 in stock. Idiots.
Posted by jcraven at 1:21 PM | Video Games
Friday - July 27, 2007
Games I'm playing now
So after I read reviews from Tim and Jake, I decided to pay my $10 for Bomberman Live on XBLA. I'm not great at it, but I'm getting better. I have to say, it's very addictive. I find myself compelled to just 'play one more game'. It features 8-player games on Xbox Live, and I only have a few minor complaints that will hopefully be fixed by the developer. The main one being that if the host quits the game, the whole game ends.
The only retail game I've been playing lately is Overlord. Check out the Gamespot review here. Being a fan of the 2 Pikmin games on the GameCube, this game brings back some of the memories. It's not exactly the same, but has similar elements. It also has some nice visuals and decent humor as you're playing through the campaign.
On a related note, I've also broken the 5,000 barrier on my GamerScore.
Posted by jcraven at 2:52 PM | Comments (1) | Video Games
Aaaaalviiiiiiiin
Oddly, they've decided to make a live-action/CGI Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. You can check out the trailer below, or here in HD. I don't know if Jason Lee is the perfect "Dave", all I can think about is Earl.
I'm sure the movie is geared for kids, but who knows, maybe it will be interesting for those of us that remember them from our youth.
Posted by jcraven at 9:24 AM | Comments (1) | Movies & Music
Wednesday - July 25, 2007
TiVo HD
TiVo announced their new 'lite' TiVo HD today. It's basically a Series 3 without some of the extra bells and whistles. You still get dual OTA/cablecard tuners and HDMI. Assuming there's a way to easily expand the measly hard drive, this could be a good deal at $299.
Review and Product page.
Posted by jcraven at 10:48 AM | Comments (1) | Tech
Tuesday - July 24, 2007
He's no Bob
Interesting.....Drew Carey will be the new Price is Right host. Full Story. Seems like a bit of an odd choice, but at least they didn't go with Rosie O'Donnell. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. I'm also curious if they'll update the set, or leave it the way it's been for 35 years.
Posted by jcraven at 8:39 PM | Television
Monday - July 23, 2007
We're back
We're back from the beach. We didn't do anything terribly exciting, just relaxed. I'll post what few pictures I have soon. Only downside is that it seems I picked up a cold in the process.....
Posted by jcraven at 10:36 AM | Misc
Friday - July 6, 2007
Kitty update
Maggie is doing a bit better. We have her on some anti-parasite medicine to hopefully help her digestion issues. Her fur is also starting to grow back, you can see the stripes coming in already.
Blue is doing fine, and he's just as odd as ever. I took these pictures this morning (last three on the page).
Posted by jcraven at 10:23 AM | Comments (1) | Misc
Thursday - July 5, 2007
MS extends 360 warranty to 3 years
This is pretty cool, and I think it's a sign that Microsoft is actually listening to their customers. In response to the negative press regarding the failure rates of the Xbox 360 console, they have extended the warranty to 3 years from purchase. It includes free shipping, and they're even retroactively reimbursing customers who previously paid for repairs. Maybe the Ring of Fire parody pushed them over the edge.
Check out Peter Moore's open letter to the community here. Say what you want about Microsoft, but I think this is a huge step. It's especially impressive considering that my 360 was purchased with a measly 90 day warranty, which was extended to 1 year not all that long ago.
Posted by jcraven at 9:39 PM | Video Games
More than meets the eye
Yesterday, along with millions of other people, we went to the check out the new Transformers flick. I think I can sum up the movie in two words.... freakin' awesome. Of course I grew up watching the cartoon, and buying the toys, but I think the movie stood on it's own while also paying homage to the original.
In the introduction credits, the theater actually started clapping when the "Hasbro" name was shown on the screen. From that point on, it was just pure fun. The first time Barricade transformed from his Police Cruiser form and back, it just made me smile. The CG work is absolutely amazing, easily the best work I've seen in a movie. ILM deserves a huge pat on the back. Also Lara really enjoyed the film, even though she had no real ties to the original. I think there's a decent mix of comedy and teen drama mixed in to appeal to a large audience.
Now with that being said, there were a couple annoyances, but they're very minor. I found Agent Simmons (John Turturro) to be annoying. I also thought Soundwave was a little too cutesy, but both of those don't prevent this from being a fun movie. Also the overt product placement didn't really bother me. Obviously GM is featured front and center, but there's some nice Apple shots, and 3 different Cisco products that I noticed.
I'm hoping a sequel will show up within the next 5 years.
Posted by jcraven at 11:05 AM | Movies & Music
Wednesday - July 4, 2007
Happy 4th of July
Be safe out there.
Posted by jcraven at 11:25 AM | Misc
Tuesday - July 3, 2007
Is there anything that Bush can't do?
OK, I don't think I've posted a single political entry in the past 3 years, but today that changes. I'm just absolutely dumfounded and a bit disturbed that Bush commuted Scooter Libby's sentence. CNN has the announcement here. On top of that, he hasn't ruled out a full pardon.
Now I don't pretend to understand everything about his case, but he was found guilty of both perjury and obstruction of justice. Where is the public outcry? Everybody was more worried about Paris getting out of her measly 45-day sentence (*cough* *cough* Dave....). Where is Al Sharpton complaining about inequality in the Justice System. I just don't get it...... Oh, and if you think he'll pay that fine out of his own pocket, I can guarantee that won't happen.
Sigh, I guess I'll just let it go: