Vacation can sometimes get the better of you and cause one to forget about blogging for awhile. Returning back to being a wage slave, however, does remind you of forgotten things...like my blog.

Well, updates a plenty.

First, my basement framing is nearly complete and the next step is wiring. Electrical is expected to take a about a week or 2 (in theory) and then we begin the magical step of drywalling! Its amazing how fast framing goes when you actually get to it and work. I'll update with some pictures later today once I'm home.

Second, we have TV!!! After much consideration (and discussions w/ the Master of the Checkbook), I picked up the LN-T5265 Samsung 52" 1080p LCD panel.



I've had it out of the box all of twice - once for testing to ensure it worked, and once more to show it off to the wife and my parents (who are also, sorta in the market). OH. My. LORD. This set is amazing! I've never had anything this large in my house, so its a nice change of pace and definite motivation to get the media room complete. Even my wife loved it (which is surprising, since she's not really huge on HD or TV besides soap operas...If you're reading this sweetheart, I love you!!! Really. I do.)

We're also installing a bar in the media room. This was not really a last-minute addition, but we've nailed down the plans and we can get it built.

The last major update is a more personal note. My wife and I have been having some difficulty in getting pregnant, and we've been seeing a specialist. Well, our insurance company dropped the doctor and we're switching to an in-network specialist, which is fine. However, we're having problems with previous treatments getting approved. For those who do believe, all I can do is ask for prayer as my wife and I continue to work through these issues, both financial and physiological, as we both are really wanting to become parents in the next year. We did get some encouraging news from the doctor last week regarding some test results, but we really need prayer while we continue onward with our goal of parenthood.

All for now...pictures of the basement (with my dog, of course) to come soon!!

Bilbo out.

I've been working too damn long. Now, after my appointment with a hand specialist, I get to have Carpal Tunnel Release on the 25th of April.

OH JOY!! Well...at least I'll be able to use my hand without it constantly going numb...bad thing is...my gaming will have to go by the wayside for about a week or so post-op. I wonder if I can play WOW one-handed...

First off, I'm not going to turn this into a rant against Smash Bros. Far from it. I think the game is good. But, forgive me, I don't see it as being THAT good. Yet every gaming blog, Joystiq, Kotaku, and, yes, even our beloved Destructoid, seem to faun over the game with a lust not seen since we saw our first Playboy (don't lie...you know you looked!)

Sure, you get to take your favorite Nintendo characters (with a few cameos for good measure) and beat the ever loving crap out of them. Fair enough. We all know Donkey Kong deserves to get his a** beat a few times. For me at least, I don't see the longevity of the whole thing. Unless you've got tons of friends who constantly come over, I just don't see Smash Bros. as having that long of a gaming life. One of my friends comes over and almost masturbates to the wonder that is Smash Bros. Brawl and I'm just not seeing the fascination with the whole thing. On top of that, Joystiq has now created a page DEDICATED to Smash Bros. and its insipid updates. WHY?! Is there such a dearth of fighting games out there that we find one we like and just cream our pants over the whole thing? If so, I think someone needs to remind them that there are other games on the horizon which will destroy Smash Bros. Street Fighter IV comes to mind.

Fighting games have been around forever, from Karate Champ to Street Fighter and all the absolute crap in-between (Primal Rage and Time Killers, I'm looking at you!). Many are great, a few are mediocre, and others are absolute crap. For me, I'm looking for a fighting game that takes more than button mashing. I want finesse, style, and most importantly...skill. Smash Bros. always seemed to devolve into a button mashing match and got old really quick. Games like Guilty Gear, Street Fighter III & IV, and Virtua Fighter 5 all require pretty good skills to really play well. Smash Bros. just doesn't do that.

Please understand, this isn't a rant against the game. Not at all. In fact, I'll likely get it once I beat a few other games collecting dust on my shelves. I won't be at the Midnight Launches or Tournaments, etc. I'll wait and pick up a used copy eventually. Unlike these gaming blogs...I can wait.

Just a small blurb, but after being a huge fan of Stabbing Westward, I figured I'd post this. The lead singer from that band, Chris Hall, started a new band called The Dreaming after SW disbanded in 2002.

Well, after too damn long, they finally released their first full album, Etched in Blood. It hasn't left my CD player or Zune playlist since getting it. Its got a sound thats hard to describe, but I would put it somewhere between Stabbing Westward and a punk band. The lyrics are good, its great workout music, and definitely worth getting.

Supposedly, the CD's available on iTunes, but I've not found it yet. No store I've found carries it, either. If you can snag it, its definitely worth it.

Ok, enough shilling for a band...back to gaming. Speaking of that, I finally picked up Ninja Gaiden Sigma. HOLY FARKING COW that game is hard! I only played a little of the original Gaiden on Xbox and really wish I had played it back then. Now I can't wait for part 2. I've really got a craving to buy a new game, but at this point, I'll have to wait until the end of June to pick up MGS4 and work on the crap I've already got so I can start trading some of this stuff in. Still havn't beaten Twilight Princess, Bioshock, R6 Vegas, Final Fantasy XII, Metroid Prime 3 and then keep leveling in WOW.

Well, it appears that after a long, hard-fought battle, Toshiba stands at the edge of the HD-DVD abyss and about the pull the format off life support. While I have both formats, I'm quite disappointed that Blu-Ray won.

My biggest reason for liking HD-DVD better was the interactivity. Early on, the HD_DVD had better image quality than Blu-Ray. Then Blu-Ray changed the compression method and the video quality was the same as HD-DVD. Strike one. The menus. HD-DVD and the HDI tech from MS made HD-DVD much more attractive and more "Next Gen" than Blu-Ray. Well, now that Blu-Ray has Profile 1.1, thats a moot point too. Strike 2. Now, retail support has claimed the final blow. Wal-Mart, Netflix, and even Target have curb-stomped HD-DVD in favor of Blu-Ray. Strike 3. TKO!

So long, HD-DVD. We hardly knew you. The good news is, though...now that stores will be liquidating their inventory, I can get the hook-up on titles for dirt cheap. Dead format = cheap movies. Where's my shopping cart....

Sorry for the long delay in posts...been insanely busy with school, work, etc.

My electrician has come and moved our electrical panel and given us a larger breaker, so we can handle more electricity in the house...this is a good thing, since we're having a 2nd HVAC installed (there goes my power bill!).

The good news, though, is that the unit is basically installed and he's getting the ductwork installed! He started yesterday, and hopes to be finished by tomorrow.

Why am I telling you this? Primarily, because its the final BIG step before my home theater gets built! With my upcoming bonus, tax refund, and the $1200 checks from Big Brother, my credit card debt will basically be completely eliminated. This will let me purchase my big-ass TV without much problem.

Still deciding on the direction to go with the decor (that's the wife's area of input), but we're going to have a mini-bar complete w/ wine cooler. the perfect man-cave.

Once I can smuggle the camera away from my wife, I'll get more pics up. (yes..more dog photos, too. The retard likes to follow me in the basement).