Fezmid

I wasn't complaining about the background checks - just found it odd that the process seems more thorough than anything else I've seen. I guess I'm concerned with any potential allegations that the kid might make. All it takes is one crazy person to make an insane allegation to ruin your life -- in this country we like to judge first and worry about the facts afterwards (if at all). Maybe I'm just being overly paranoid.

You HAVE to do the Midway tour. It's a real aircraft carrier that they've preserved and turned into a museum. Lots of military guys still on board to talk about what life was like, how things worked, etc. My wife wasn't looking forward to it at all, but after we did it she REALLY enjoyed it and was glad we went. http://www.midway.org/ There's nothing like standing on the flight deck and seeing dozens of airplanes sitting there. You realize how massive these ships are. Plus, here's a $2 coupon: http://www.retailmenot.com/view/midway.org

Thanks for the info - I'm hoping if she does it, that she gets a good story like this one. I'm worried about the negatives though... Time will tell I guess.

Next thing we know, you'll be bitching that people don't use conduit...

I agree that the graphics are a bit (sometimes a lot) better on a PC -- but I'd counter that my home theater is much more comfortable to sit in than an office chair in front of a tiny 24" monitor... I'm not sure how I feel about targeting on a console. Some games (like Bioshock) "dumb it down" so that you don't have to be as accurate (since it's impossible without a mouse). That requires less skill, in a sense, but in a way it doesn't -- different controls is all. Plus, the integrated online play on a console is pretty handy. It works ok on PCs (like Team Fortress 2), but it's not quite as good. Maybe I'll feel differently again once I build my new machine...

Pats fans might've said the same thing about Belicheat.

The Metrodome isn't falling apart, but it's a dump to watch sports in. Local lawmakers have been haggling about a new stadium for years -- and the past couple of weeks the talk here is that if something isn't done in the next few months, the team will move. We'll see...

Yeah, he grew up in the Philly area. Buffalo's his 2nd favorite team though.

My wife is thinking about becoming a Big Sister. The application requires a background check as well as 5 references -- which is more than most of the jobs I've ever had have done... I was wondering if anyone has ever volunteered for this organization? Any stories, good or bad?

So Fewell didn't say Wood's out for the season...???

It's actually David Boreanaz...

I gave up on PC gaming -- too expensive to keep the hardware up to date and then having to worry about drivers and such - I deal with that at work, when I'm home I don't want to deal with it anymore. The 360 (and PS3) are close enough to the PC experience now, IMHO. I do play Civ4 on the PC still since that wouldn't work so well on a console. But sports and action games are much easier with the controller, IMHO. First person shooters would be the exception, but they're "good enough."

If you can find it free elsewhere, maybe you should post - others are probably interested.

The deal's now dead.

I never could figure out how to get Insider for free from the magazine. I read there's supposed to be some code or something on the magazine itself, but I could never find it...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00007AX0N/ "Save $5 instantly--order this magazine by November 30th and an extra $5 off will apply automatically at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply)""

Hey, don't look at me - I made my pick.

Wouldn't it be 2 opinions from 20 people.... I can only choose between Coke and Pepsi....

It's PR spin for him giving us the bird.

But I still have the rights to Johnny Depp, right...?

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/index.php?showtopic=94960 I'd say Xbox for a few reasons -- see the thread The main thing the PS3 has going for it is the Blu-ray player -- but since you can buy a nice standalone player for a little over $100 today, I don't think it's worth the extra expense over the 360 for that functionality anymore. In addition, lots of people on TBD have the 360 - so you can play online against them. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/index.php?showtopic=52601

Warehouse Amazin is perfectly fine to order from -- that's actually where I got my HD-XA2 from; it's Amazon's returns and overstock section.

No, I just screwed up and saw "Not paradise!" and my brain instantly said, "Let's look for Burnout Paradise!"

It's only $20 new from Amazon... Free shipping, no tax.

This may sound like an insult, but it's not -- you should check out "Pac Man Championship Edition." It's on Xbox Live Arcade, and you can download it for 800 MS points ($10). It's like the original Pac Man, so you only have to use the right thumb stick, but it's SOOO smooth and gets CRAZY fast. It's a blast, even though most people I tell that to don't believe me. When they eventually get around to playing it though, they're hooked. It's nice if you have a spare few minutes to play. Also on Xbox Live Arcade are some awesome board games, including "Settlers of Catan," and "Carcasonne." Catan can take awhile to play, but Carcasonne only takes 5-10 minutes, so is great for a quick game - and you really have to use your brain for both of them. Speaking of your brain, if you want to get frustrated doing puzzles (in a fun way), check out Braid. It's like Super Mario Brothers on the surface, but after awhile you'll realize it's nothing like that. Hard to explain, but it's definitely an awesome game - $10-$15 on XBLA. Another great XBLA game is "Shadow Complex." This one has a few more buttons you need to use, so you might have coordination issues, but it's also a lot of fun. You can download demos for free -- although you might need a harddrive since I don't know how large your internal memory is - probably only 512M.