Now THAT'S dedication!

Regular readers (if there are any) of this space know that I'm a huge gamer with the Xbox 360 and in particular, I like FPS (first person shooter) games (altho lately I'm obsessed with Tiger Woods PGA 2010).

Anyway, one of my all-time fave games is Bioshock. When it came out a couple of years ago, I could barely put it down ... it's creepy, violent and gorgeously rendered with a great story line ... in other words, perfect.

Well, there are fans like me and then there are FANS. Check out this guy's blog about how he built a costume of one of the characters in the game, Big Daddy. Just amazing.

The Beatles on Rock Band

For all you gamers out there ... the Rock Band franchise is about to come out with its The Beatles video game and an absolutely brilliant trailer has been released.

Now, I don't have the Rock Band peripherals (not enough space at my house), but I'd get this game to play the guitar parts ... wow!

Mii and my Wii

We just picked up a Nintendo Wii and after being an Xbox 360 fanatic for so long, I have to admit Nintendo's machine is pretty impressive.

For those not in the know, at the heart of the Wii is the motion detection technology in the console's game controller, which really gets you into the games you play because instead of sitting and using a controller, you have to physically move the controller to affect actions on the screen. For instance, if you're bowling, you have to go through the physical motions of bowling in order for the game to do so on screen.

Also, the Wii is overall a bit more family-oriented. Yes, lots of the FPS (first-person shooter) and other (more violent) games available on other consoles are made for Wii, but Nintendo produces a slew of games rated for everyone. Xbox does, too, but most of the stuff they have is more for the teen and older crowd.

You also create your Wii on-screen self in the form of a "Mii", which is a caricature of yourself that you can use in many of the games. When Joey saw mine, he said, "Hey Daddy, that's you!" I also created one for him, which he thought was pretty cool.

We also bought the Wii Fit, which is a fitness-based add-on for the Wii system that features a motion-sensitive board which you use for a ton of games that help improve strength and balance.

Joey loves a running game in Wii Fit because you have to keep pace with a character on the screen by holding the controller in your hand and jogging in place ... he laughs like crazy while pistoning his feet trying to overtake the Mii character in the game. And he breaks a sweat doing it ... very cool.

The Will's main screen also features a bunch of channels you can peruse, and the other night I found myself looking over the news channel and reading up on world, national and sports news ... again, very cool.

Of course, leave it to someone to have their own take on the Wii and its unique game controller, to which Saturday Night Live's is presented here:

Yup, Tiger really CAN make that shot!

For those of you not in the know about video games ...

Every once in a while when a game is released, there can be glitches in the game that make graphics render incorrectly, code is wrong and will allow people to walk through walls, do weird things, whatever.

When this happens, the game maker will release a patch to fix these things so that when you fire up the game and play on a console that has internet access (like the Xbox 360 or the Sony Playstation), the patch is automatically downloaded and the problem fixed.

EA Games, which produces the excellent Tiger Woods golf games, recently became aware of a glitch that allowed the Tigers Woods character to stand on water to make a shot in the 2008 version of the game. Instead of tucking their tail between their legs, tho, EA made a fantastic commercial about it, to which ...

Red Lights of Death and why Best Buy rules

Noooooooooooooooooo!

This is the thing every Xbox 360 owner fears ... the 360 "red lights of death" which means your beloved machine is dead.

This was a wide-spread problem when the 360 debuted in late 2005. The first gen 360s, of which mine was, had problems with overheating, screen freezing during game play, hard drives crashing, etc. But the biggest problem was overheating. Two of my friends who bought 360s when they first came out had the RLOD on their machines, so I should have known it was only a matter of time for mine.

I bought my first 360 in June, 2007 and didn't realize (until yesterday) that is was a first gen machine, manufactured in Jan., 2006. So I went to play my favorite game du jour, Call of Duty 4, on Saturday and after about 10 minutes ... screen freeze. Uh oh ... never did that before. Re-booted, seemed OK. Played Sunday night ... screen freeze. Re-booted ... red lights of death. Crap crap crap crap crap crap.

Putting it into perspective, I shrugged it off because, as much of a bummer as a dead 360 is, it was still under warranty so I knew it'd be fixed by M$ for free. Granted, I'd be offline for a couple of weeks, but then that meant I'd have to pick up a book, go for a walk or spend more time with my family. (I keed, of course, I really play mostly at night after the family goes to bed.)

Then I remembered that when I bought the 360, I also bought Best Buy's 2-year Replacement Plan for $50, which says they replace the defective equipment with a brand new machine for free for two years from the purchase date (unlike M$, which sends you a refurbished machine, something that gave me the heebies and the geebies). When I bought my first 360, it seemed like cheap insurance so I ponied up the extra coin.

Now, the Replacement Plan contract says not to go to the store to get a new machine. You have to call a number, get an authorization code, send the machine, yadda yadda yadda. But, there's a BB near my house, so I went there anyway yesterday thinking the worse that can happen is that they don't let me do the exchange and I have to do it the way the RP states. Here's what happened when I walked up to the Customer Service counter with my dead comrade:

Me: Hi. My 360 is dead. Here's my Replacement Plan paperwork.
BB person: < looks over the paperwork > No problem. Go get another 360 and we'll take care of it.

Now, I had heard horror stories about BB and their Replacement Plan and it being a real hassle to get this done, so I still didn't think it was going to be this easy.

So I bring the new 360 up to the desk. The CS Rep scans everything, hands me the new machine (they don't give you all of the peripherals when doing this type of replacement, just the console itself) and I was done. Four points here:

1. I now have a brand new 360 (manufactured less than 3 months ago) that I didn't have to send out to get repaired.
   
2. The Replacement Plan contract from my original 360 transfered to the new 360.
   
3. The Customer Service Rep didn't take the HD off of the new machine as he should have, so now I have a spare (which I've since sold).
   
4. Because of the price drop since I bought my old 360, I have $54 in credit at Best Buy.

Yup, sometimes it really is that simple and all works out.

I heart Best Buy.

The most random list you'll ever read

I'm not ashamed to say I got the idea for this post from a fellow blogger. To me, that's a compliment when fellow bloggers borrow each other's ideas. Disagree? Well, it's my blog, so there.

The following is a completely random list about ... me.

1. I was born July 22, 1969 … the story goes that my mom went into labor as Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon. She wanted to go to the hospital but my dad couldn’t take his eyes off of the TV. She won.
   
2. My son, Joey, is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Seeing the world through his eyes is indescribable.
   
3. When I worked in Boston, I used to commute 20 hours a week. Fun.
   
4. I’ve never been sued.
   
5. If there's one person in my life that I trust more than anyone else, it's my mom. She absolutely would never BS me.
   
6. I am a huge golf nut and love playing. Well, if you call having a handicap over 20 "playing".
   
7. My favorite color is navy blue.
   
8. One of my most favorite things in the world is the way Joey prefaces almost every sentence he says to me with, "Dah-dee".
   
9. Nothing beats walking in the door and Joey comes running up to me saying, "Dah-dee, Dah-dee, you're home! I missed you!" I fall in love with him every day.
   
10. I’m not a fan of sodas like Coke or Pepsi … I can’t stand the way it feels like your teeth are covered in sugar after you drink them.
    
11. If I drink soda, it’s soda water (lemon and orange are the favorite flavors).
12. That being said, Jack + Coke = always good.
    
13. I’m proud to be a Jack Daniel’s Squire.
    
14. My favorite beer is Cape Ann Brewery's "Boston Tea Part Ale", followed closely by Boddington's and just about anything Sam Adams makes, especially Sammy Light.
    
15. I have one sibling, a younger sister, Beckie.
    
16. My all-time favorite book is “To Kill A Mockingbird” … I’ve read it over a dozen times.
    
17. I try not to use the word "hate", but I have to say that I really hate being late for anything. As far as I'm concerned, if you're ten mintues early for something, that's being on time.
    
18. I’ve only owned five cars in my life (in order): metallic blue 1980 Pontiac Sunbird, black 1991 Nissan NX 1600, 2001 green Dodge Stratus coupe (man, I loved that car), a 2004 Subaru Impreza RS sedan, and my current car, a 2010 Subaru Impreza.
    
19. I graduated from Fitchburg State College in 1993 with a degree in Journalism and a double minor of Political Science and U.S. History. I had a GPA of 3.1.
    
20. My first job out of college was as a newspaper reporter for the Concord (MA) Journal.
    
21. I worked in the Public Affairs office of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and then at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
    
22. My two favorite expressions (and I use them all of the time) are: "Not for nothing, but ..." and "It'll look good from my house!"
    
23. To put myself through college, I was a chef at a restaurant.
    
24. All told, between high school, college and post-college (when I had to work two jobs to support myself), I was a chef for almost 16 years.
    
25. My favorite type of food is steak, followed closely by Italian cuisine.
    
26. I am a great cook and can make almost anything, but I’ve never tried making soup.
    
27. I used to own and wear a black leather motorcycle jacket. I thought I was cool. I was wrong.
    
28. I'm so not a fan of gore in movies. I like being scared as much as the next person, but I don't like being grossed out. And no, the sight of blood doesn't bother me. There's just no need to see people's entrails in movies.
    
29. I hate seafood. Lobsters look like giant cockroaches and I just can't see how anyone can eat them. Nasty .... just, nasty.
    
30. When it comes to creamy vs. super chunk, I'd have to go with super chunk.
    
31. I think the greatest condiment ever created is Frank's Red Hot sauce.
    
32. I like white wine and red wine (although red doesn’t like me as much … it’s the nitrates).
    
33. I’m a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation and a hard-core fan of the New England Patriots.
    
34. I love watching baseball and football in HD.
    
35. I’ve known my best friend for 26 years and I’ve known he’s gay for 20 of those years.
    
36. I'm very good at figuring out who the actor is doing voice overs for commercials and movies. If I can't figure it out, it drives me nuts.
    
37. When I was a pre-teen, Star Wars was my life. I’m still a tremendous fan and have loads of collectibles in the attic to prove it.
    
38. I used to collect and read comic books, but can't really afford the 12+ titles I used to regularly read a month now that I'm an adult (sort of). If I could afford it, I'd still read them.
    
39. I don’t believe in god.
    
40. I absolutely bombed my SATs but was accepted to all five colleges to which I applied.
    
41. I’m an editor by profession but am one of the worst spellers you’ll ever meet.
    
42. I used to smoke cigarettes but quit after a few years. Nasty.
    
43. I love smoking a good cigar now and then, especially in the summer.
    
44. I used to speed, but since my son was born, not so much.
    
45. I could give up cigars and Jack Daniel’s in a heart beat … but never coffee … especially Starbucks.
    
46. I finally have all speeding tickets off of my record and am paying the lowest insurance rates available.
    
47. It doesn't bother me to chew on tin foil.
    
48. My favorite place to take a summer vacation is Martha's Vineyard, MA.
    
49. To me, driving in Boston is fun, not scary.
    
50. I absolutely abhor roller coasters.
    
51. Almost as much as roller coasters, I hate being in the water, like a pool, lake or ocean.
    
52. I can drive a manual transmission car (my Subaru is 5 on the floor).
    
53. I’m a registered Democrat.
    
54. I’m pro-choice.
    
55. I can’t cross my eyes.
    
56. For me, the "Big Three" was Larry, Kevin and The Chief.
    
57. I have little to no patience for people who cannot drive. The idiotic things people do on the road never ceases to amaze me.
    
58. I’m obsessed with getting achievements on Xbox 360 games.
    
59. I believe gay people have as much right to marry as straight couples do.
    
60. I’m not a fan of country music.
    
61. I love hard rock/heavy metal music … the harder, the better (if I can air guitar to it, I’m in!)
    
62. Sometimes I get the heebies and the geebies.
    
63. I played Little League baseball as a kid (short stop).
    
64. I'm a very sarcastic person.
    
65. I’m an amateur photographer … digital photography is great.
    
66. I once had a photo published in USA Today.
    
67. I had a hernia operation when I was 11 years old.
    
68. I’ve only ever broken one bone in my body … a bone in my left foot in karate class.
    
69. Speaking of which, I studied Kempo karate for a few years and was three belts away from black when I stopped (I had to get a job to make money and it left me with no time for anything else). I was even an instructor for a while.
    
70. My favorite number is 7.
    
71. I have a pair of "hospital green" scrub pants that are one of, if not the, most comfortable pieces of clothing I own. If I could, I'd wear them every day, all day.
    
72. My driver’s license says I’m 6 feet tall, but I’m more in the 5’ 11” and ½ to ¾ range.
    
73. I've never flown in a helicopter but would really like to some day.
    
74. I can see why women think Tom Brady is good looking ... not that there's anything wrong with that.
    
75. I can’t swim and have absolutely no desire to learn.
    
76. I can whistle … not well, but I can.
    
77. I've never skydived before and have absolutely no plans of ever doing so.
    
78. I’ve never traveled outside of the US.
    
79. I love gmail and wish I could have bought Google stock when it was first offered.
    
80. If I could vote again for Bill Clinton, I would.
    
81. The farthest west I’ve ever been was Anaheim, CA for my ex-brother-in-law’s wedding in 2005. Awesome time.
    
82. My blood type is O+ and I try to donate whenever I'm eligible (every eight weeks).
    
83. I've never been arrested and I've never been in the back of a police car. (Front of the car, yes, but not in the back).
    
84. Aside from Fenway Park, the only other MLB ballparks I’ve ever been to are Wrigley Field in Chicago and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
    
85. I think George Dubbya did more harm to this country than any other president in our nation's history.
    
86. I don’t gamble, but I’ve been to Mohegan Sun just to see it … bizarre, but fun.
    
87. I have used a laser radar gun to clock people speeding on a highway.
    
88. In 1986, I was the only person I knew that had a CD player.
    
89. Mean people suck. I agree.
    
90. I don't care who beats the NY Yankees, the Indianapolis Colts or the NY Jets ... as long as they lose.
    
91. If I could, I would live in the Back Bay area of Boston.
    
92. My favorite Harry Potter book is the last one, “The Deathly Hallows”.
    
93. I listen to a tremendous amount of music, but if I had to pick one all-time favorite band, it would have to be Van Halen (David Lee Roth era).
    
94. I like Jazz and Classical music.
    
95. I have met John Glenn and actually declined to have my picture taken with him. I really regret that decision.
    
96. I listen to Howard Stern every morning on Sirius Satellite Radio.
    
97. Since I installed Sirius in my car in November, 2005, I haven’t listened to broadcast radio.
    
98. My all-time favorite TV show is The Sopranos.
    
99. I’m lactose intolerant.
    
100. My favorite ice cream flavor is Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
     
101. I’ve never stolen something from a store.
     
102. My current favorite show is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...brilliant!.
     
103. Best Buy is my favorite store.
     
104. I used to be on MySpace and Facebook but deleted my accounts because the whole thing just got too obnoxious.
     
105. For as much as I love playing first-person-shooter games on Xbox like Call of Duty, I really suck at them.
     
106. I’m anal retentive about a lot of things.
     
107. I love Eddie Bauer clothes.
     
108. My favorite sneakers are Under Armour.
     
109. I used to be painfully shy.
     
110. I have acid reflux disease and can’t eat roughage (iceberg lettuce and popcorn are the worst for me).
     
111. I love Gulden’s spicy brown mustard.
     
112. I think OJ is guilty.
     
113. Aside from medical procedures, I’ve only been unconscious once … when I was 12, I tripped at the top of a flight of stairs and landed on my chin on the concrete platform at the bottom of the stairs. I still have the scar underneath my chin.
     
114. I have a birthmark on my left bicep.
     
115. The most I’ve even bench pressed is 190 pounds.
     
116. If I could do it all over again, I’d get a degree in something that has to do with fixing/building things, like an electrician or construction.
     
117. My favorite adult cereal is Wheaties … kid’s cereal is Capt’n Crunch.
     
118. I never missed an episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse on Saturday mornings.
     
119. I think Dane Cook is way overrated.
     
120. When I vote, I try not to vote party lines, but I just can’t bring myself to vote for a Republican given the GOP’s intolerant, ultra-Christian conservative platform.
     
121. I’ve never listened to an entire “book-on-tape”.
     
122. I’m not much of an amusement park person … they just don’t amuse me.
     
123. I’ve been to Disney World twice and Disney Land once.
     
124. Edward Hopper is my favorite American artist.
     
125. I think full-figured women are more attractive than thinner women.
     
126. I once cut off the tip of my left index finger. It grew back.
     
127. I can recite word-for-word many skits from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

My guilty pleasure

My Xbox 360 ... I loooove this thing.

Right now, I'm playing through Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

There's nothing like hearing that Achievement "bloop" as you're playing thru a game (you fellow 360 owners know what I'm talking about).

My Xbox is really my only toy and my wife is very understanding ... LOL.

Other favorite games are Guitar Hero, the Half Life series and the Tom Clancy-based games.

Nintendo Wii

So my sister-in-law is trying to get a Nintendo Wii for her 8-year-old son for Christmas ... it's the only gift she really wants to get him.

I'm truly astounded at how short in supply these things are ... just amazing. I was actually in line at a Toys R Us on Black Friday at 4:30 a.m. and didn't even get into the store before people were walking out saying the store didn't even have them, let alone being sold out.

The Wii has been on the market for over a year and stores still don't have them?!? And I read recently that Nintendo says it won't be able to meet the Christmas season demand. Seriously?!?

UPDATE: After a couple of weeks of looking online and monitoring the brick retailers, I scored a Wii today (Nov. 30) at amazon.com for the MSRP of $250 with the help of wiialerts.com ... very psyched and needless to say, my sister-in-law is excited as well. Now I can move on with my life ... mission accomplished. LOL