Viva La Grinch

So, this year, I thought i would treat myself to a new television with some of my tax refund. I already have a 60 inch plasma for my main viewing, but thinking of the other rooms in the house. My options are a 58 inch 3D for the bedroom(no jokes about what I would watch in 3D in the bedroom) or a regular 58 plasma and then another 50 inch plasma for the office. The price is around the same, just wondering what peoples thoughts are on the future of 3D television. I think its kinda a fad but don't want to limit myself since I hope this is the final television purchase for a long time. I am not a person who buys DVD's, just burn and flip, but I am a hardcore gamer when I have time. Is there $500-600 worth of value in the long run with 3D?

Read that statement real quick and saw that last line as "girly battlers" Made me remember when my my girlfriend went with her girlfriend to a Twins game and she was quite excited when she came home after the game. Puzzled that she would show any interest in the game as she is not a sport fan by any means, I questioned her what was so great? She then showed me about 20+ pictures of Nick Punto's butt while he was stretching out pregame. My traitor girlfriend even got a Punto shirt. Not sure if I would feel comfortable watching Punto in a Brewers jersey bending over for grounders.....

Made the plunge today...in case anybody else is debating this...got this at Best Buy after they price matched Radio Shack for $99 a piece, one black and one white. Now, what apps and games should I be looking at? Also any setup tips with the EVO?

One point I keep thinking about is when they hired Roenike it was said his greatest asset was communicating with players. Well, I would love to hear the conversations with Grienke..... Part of me feels guilty about getting money from Kansas City..... its like when your little nephew gives you a gift at Christmas that they used all their allowance on but the gift is kinda lame. It means a lot to them but you think that they should have just kept the money, as a few dollars is more important to them then some socks to yourself.

For those of you that need something to pass the time before Greinke becomes a brewer, here is a great article from SI just a couple of days ago from a KC reporter. Interesting nugget from the article was that KC almost took Fielder at six in that draft instead of Greinke because they were worried about his makeup back then too. http://joeposnanski.si.co...eing-there-with-greinke/

Well, now I am leaning towards keeping the 23% discount for both lines and doing the EVO. Got the quote back from Sprint and for the two lines with the add on $10 for the EVO and it will be $120 after discount. I guess I can live with that, but now a couple more EVO questions. First, how hard is it to find the white version? Also Radio Shack has them for $150 for upgrades. Can I price match that at Best Buy, and is there anyway I can get out of the activation fees?

Just got done watching the Bob Costas interview with Feller on the Baseball Network. The interesting stat I discovered was at the age of 17 he struck out the first eight batters he faced in his debut.

I am leaning towards the IPhone since it seems with a bare bones family plan for two that I can save $30 a month with an IPhone compared to the EVO's plan. I think I like the EVO better, but $30x12 a year pays for a nice treat for me. Couple of final questions.....first if I just download some games and misc apps do I need the 32gb or is the 16gb just fine? Also, great tip on the google voice app to save on texting fees.....any other must have apps to save money or pure fun?

For those with the IPhone, if I am just browsing the internet for some scores and email checks, do I need to bump myself up to the bigger data plan or is the cheaper one going to be ok?

I am out of contract and am looking for an upgrade. I have been loyal to Sprint, and currently on a 2 person family plan with a 23% work discount. Looking to upgrade to the EVO but hate to pay the additional $10 a month for each line for 4G. As for the IPhone, I have a 15% discount on those lines. So my question is....what model should I buy? I text a few times a day and use my phone on the web occasionally. Between the two people on the account, we probably use the web services a few times a week. Love to game, so the IPhone seems to have the advantage there. Really on the fence here, but need to make a decision by Christmas, so looking for some input on what will be the better deal for me.........

I wouldn't assume at all that at worst the Brewers could get extra picks for Marcum and use those picks to get someone as good as Lawrie. Odds are much higher that even if we got a pick or two for Marcum , any first round pick would turn out to either be a bust or fringe prospect. Dont let the ghosts of Tyrone Hill,Kenny Felder, Gabby Martinez, Kelly Wunsch, Todd Dunn, Joe Wagner, Antoine Williamson, Kyle Peterson, J.M. Gold, Dave Kyrnzel, and Mike Jones haunt you. That is just the Brewer fan in you screaming a warning. They gotta have better luck drafting now, especially pitchers....right??

However, will a rotation with Marcum in it be just good enough to stay in contention in the division up until the trade deadline? Would Melvin then have the PR nightmare of not being able to trade Fielder and admitting that they are not trying to win the division? Also, I would assume that Marcum would be a class "A" free agent in a couple of years, so at worst, they could let him walk and get back somebody in the draft at the level of a Lawrie.

The NHL Arcade 3vs3 game would be a great choice for playing with kids.

An interesting guy, but explain to me the pitch right after the 1:00 min mark in the video?

It is after six in the morning. I just stayed up to watch Dirty Dancing. I am a sucker for musicals, and no soundtrack of the 80's left a bigger impression then this album. Yes, there is terrible acting, but why still do I still root for the ending like I have never seen it before? I saw this on the dish and turned out the lights, like I would get busted by friends for viewing this. Even worse, after the movie, I flipped to VH1classics and turned on Huey Lewis and soon was playing along with the drums. That was one of my first cassettes that I bought, and played that as loud as I could in my boom box. Does anybody else have some guilty pleasures from the 80's to admit to?

In regards to the Civ deals, I have had no problems getting Best Buy to match that Kmart deal, as they will just give you a $20 gift card on the spot. There is always something you can buy there rather then Kmart. I downloaded the Civ demo today between classes and got a couple of turns in before I had to stop. At least give the free demo a try before you lose your enthusiasm.

I can't wait for Civ V too. I have never played the computer version, just the console, so am going to download the demo tomorrow and see if i can get used to the computer controls. I just got the option to work at home and only have to take some service calls every now and then. Perfect job that allows me to do my homework with my laptop nearby, but might also let me get in these monster gaming sessions in while being paid.

Well, since it is almost fall, and I think its time to look at the 2010 Fall/Winter lineups. Lots of good stuff here or on its way in the next few months. Games like Halo Reach, Civ 5, Little Big Planet 2, Call of Duty Black Ops, NBA 2K11, Rock Band 3, Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2, Fallout New Vegas, Fable 3, and Medal of Honor look great, not to mention Move and Kinect. What is everybody looking forward most to this holiday season? As for Halo Reach, if you have it, what are your thoughts? I admit, I stink in Halo, always have. I don't know why, as I do well in other FPS like COD, and Battlefield. I just don't get the shoot em and melee quick to kill aspect. Too much running and jumping around for me too sometimes. However the jetpack option has me intrigued, since I loved that in Red Faction. I don't want to fall into the Halo trap and drink the juice again and regret my decision after a couple of days playing. Really on the fence with the Best Buy special ending today with the $20 gift card, so any mini reviews would be nice.

You can get a cable for a direct hookup from Monoprice for $10-20, much better then $150.

Kinda off topic....but there are things that you read when you come home from the bar that in the back of your mind you think.....I must be messed up, did I just read that. For instance..... Knicks News Just another reason that we should be glad that Hammond is with the Bucks.

Assassins Creed 2 is a great game as well....a slick improvement on the first one. I didn't feel like I was repeating the same areas over and over like I did in the first game. Wait to you get to the ending, its a strange one that came out of nowhere for me...still not sure if I understood it. Been playing Just Cause 2 for the last few days. First of all, its some of the cheesiest voice acting I have heard in a game lately, but you can still laugh at it. For anybody that likes sandbox games, this has to be your dream game. The story seems unimportant. From what my friends tell me, you can finish the story and only have unlocked less the 30% of the game. There used to be an old trick on Oblivion where to max out your running skills, you would stand against a wall and put a rubber band on your thumb stick to the up position and come back in an hour. I have thought of this trick trying to get to place to place. It takes forever, but there is nothing wrong with that. Planes offer great views of the totally unique environments of the mountains, jungle, snow and desert areas. The grapple hook you get can lead to some crazy fun. Just imagine taking it and shooting a jet taking off, and the other end tied to a semi truck and you can imagine the scene that unfolds. If you can 100% this game then my hat is off to you...but there is no way you can accomplish this and still have a wife/girlfriend...impossible!!

By the way, I guess I should update a few reviews that I have been playing recently. Goozex had a free trades for PS3 titles this month, and caught up on a few games that have been tempting me lately. 1. 3D Dot Game Heroes. I know everybody compares this to old Nintendo Zelda, but you simply can't compare it to anything else. For an older guy that grew up on the series, this is exactly what you would want to play. Very simple controls, old school puzzles and dungeons and some humor from the developers if you know your video game history. Don't pay full price, but if you can get this used for $20 jump on this. 2. Uncharted 2. Simply the best single player game experience on any current gen system. Again, simple controls are the key(except for grenade tossing) which lets you still have input, but also allows the full cinematic showing to unfold. Yes, its like a summer blockbuster movie in viewing, with a ton of cut scenes that are not too long that you are looking to skip them. The game has the perfect mix of action on one level, to puzzle solving on another level and tons of humor that make every level totally unique from each other. Didn't try the online modes as I had to flip it quick, but the single player mode is worth it alone. 3. Heavy Rain. I really wanted to like this game. However after coming off playing Uncharted 2, this was a big letdown. I get what they are trying to do. Make a game where the story is the key and the player is along for the ride to make decisions with simple button choices to confirm them. Everything feels so stiff though, and although I am only a few hours in on the game, I am already tempted to flip this right away. Also, just wanted to pass along a deal that I got. Went to Best Buy to preorder Madden 11. Now I know places like Amazon are having $20 off a future game purchase with a purchase of Madden, but I kinda like the deal at Best Buy. Basically, for a $5 preorder, you get a $10 certificate if you are a reward member, but also in the box is a free code for the Madden Arcade game they came out with this past year. Its a fun Blitz style game, and you can always change your mind on where you want to buy Madden and you still get the free Madden Arcade game for just $5.

Quick question for those that have played the Civ series on the computer........I see that Civ 5 is coming out soon, and I am on the fence on buying it. My first Civ experience was the Civ series on the Xbox, and its still one of my go to games late at night. However, I know it was dumbed down for the consoles, and am fearful that jumping to the computer version might be a huge step. I have heard of these epic eight hour game lengths and not sure if I have that kind of spare time to devote to my gaming life with school and work. Should I stick with what I like or make the jump to full nerd status?

http://www.toymania.com/334archives/tron/cycle_neca_blue.jpg

Valkyria Chronicles looks really interesting. One of my favorite games on the 360 is Civilization Revolution, so might that indicate I would like Valkyria? By the way, there is a good deal out there to get rid of your old Madden. If you trade in your copy of Madden, you can preorder Madden 11 for $20. Seems like a good time to do it, with baseball games out this week to replace football playing time.