IMHO...

Here's an update on one of the items I sold off in July. Cutey Girls Collection Selected by PUSH!! Definitely NSFW.

[2008-08-27, 01:59]

Since I had the rest of this week to finish up the installation in Morgantown WV & was almost done I decided to just work eight hours before driving 75 miles north to Pittsburgh. The Pirates were playing the Cubs and though PNC Park is the closest MLB ball park outside of Cleveland for some reason I just haven't made the effort to make the trip. What I thought would be a quick 2.5 hour contest between National League teams turned into a 4 hour slugfest with the Cubbies prevailing.

Overall, I really enjoyed PNC Park. The stadium area was easy to get in/out of with a vehicle, close parking was only $5, ticket prices outside club level were a bargain, the stadium layout/design was appealing & well thought out, and the staff was very courteous. Concessions (variety, taste, & price) were average & the inbetween inning entertainment was mediocre at best. I'd consider returning when the Indians have a series there.

[2008-08-25, 19:38]

Had to head back home this past weekend because it was my mother's & older brother's birthdays. Unfortunately, the Amazon JP order with the Code Geass Blu-ray releases, first volume of Soul Eater, & two mooks arrived while I was making the drive back to Morgantown this morning. I probably won't get around to updating them until next week.

Speaking of Blu-ray, I still don't have anything to play or display the releases but that might change this month. I've been waiting for the second generation LCD backlit televisions from Samsung and just noticed the LNXXA950 series. I'll probably go with the LN46A950 because I cannot justify paying over $4K for the 55".

Next, since my Yammy died again I need some audio equipment. I'm undecided on whether to purchase an AVR or go Pre/Pro. I'm waiting to hear if anything new or news worthy comes during CEDIA Expo 2008 from September 3-7.

As for the Blu-ray player itself it isn't a question of what but which model. I've had my eye on acquiring the Playstation 3 for quite a while but still struggling with deciding on getting the US or Japanese version. Not that it matters for Blu-ray movies or PS3 games but what to do about my dvds? I do own more R1 releases that I list on the DVD page but no where near the R2s.

Finally, with the Olympics over, football (both college & NFL) starting, an upcoming crappy movie release schedule, the presidential race, & new episodes for the Fall network broadcast schedule expect me to be around the television more & probably updating with a little more frequency.

[2008-08-21, 01:34]

Just some quick pictures of Times Square that I took last weekend. As much as I hate Yankee's fans, I really liked from what little I saw of New York City. Stayed at the Sheraton New York in downtown Manhattan which was easy walking distance from Times Square, the south entrance to Central Park, Carnegie Hall & Deli (which I ate at), the CBS studios, FAO Schwarz Toy Store, and numerous other noteworthy places. Had dinner in Brooklyn on Saturday & caught of glimpse of the Statue of Libery when going over the Brooklyn Bridge. On Sunday I took a taxi to Washington square and spent the day walking/shopping around Soho (where NYU is located) & Chinatown before making the long drive back to Morgantown.

Some things I just didn't have time to see include Ground Zero and Shea & Yankee Stadiums. During the numerous taxi rides the drivers pointed out POIs such as the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden. Next, year I plan to take a week off during the summer and visit the city again.

[2008-08-14, 01:28]

Just felt like doing a quick update so here's Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Gorgeous cover art, great animation, & the DTS soundtrack made this a very good release. I just wish they did a better job with the English dub & the ending. BTW, I added Megami Deluxe 11 and Figure Maniacs 28 to this month's pre-orders.

[2008-08-11, 23:32]

Greetings for Morgantown, WV again. Nothing like finding out you need to immediately be two states over for a job right after getting back from vacation. If I knew beforehand I could've just drove here from Baltimore instead of heading back to Cleveland first.

Had a great extended weekend down in Baltimore. Got down there Thursday and spent the evening at ESPN Zone watching football & playing games, went to the Orioles/Rangers game at Camden Yards on Friday which was followed by an impressive fireworks display, & had an wonderful birthday dinner at Capital Grille on Saturday with family & friends. I actually ran into more people than expected at Otakon and spent more time just catching up than hitting this or that event.

Having gone & staffed numerous anime conventions for about ten years I don't take pictures of cosplayers anymore but my older brother snapped some with his digital camera on Saturday. He's not overly familiar with video games or anime in general but it's not needed to appreciate a good costume. I touched up a couple shots and felt like posting them.

[2008-08-07, 01:16]

Just a quick shot of some new purchases. The movie "Leatherheads" was playing on the flight back from the west coast & while I enjoyed the movie it was the soundtrack that blew me away. I've always wanted to pick up the album Ta-Dah by Scissor Sisters so when the Collector's Edition was only $2 more on the shelf next to the regular release I decided to splurge. Finally, I had the latest volumes of Megami Creators & Clannad via Amazon JP waiting to be opened.

I'm heading down to Baltimore, MD this weekend with my older brother & future sister-in-law to attend Otakon, catch an Orioles game, and hit the city. Before this site goes silent until next week here's an update.

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie I
Mobile Suit Gundam Movie II
Mobile Suit Gundam Movie III
Kozaki Yuusuke Works: Shutter Kill - Redone to include more & larger images.

[2008-08-04, 11:10]

Sometimes an apparent setback can lead to a wonderful experience. After working 73 hours in six days to finish up a job before heading back home and starting my vacation I really didn't want to make the drive all the way down to San Francisco again to catch my flight. When I contacted the airline about trying to change the flight they insisted that they couldn't and would have to purchase another one way ticket at a cost of $850. My boss would freak paying that much when the original flights already were billed for $1550. Unfortunately, my car rental had be returned to the same location so I had to turn it in then rent from another company which would let me drop it off at SFO.

Since I've already been to downtown San Francisco I decided to check out Napa Valley for a day. Even though most of the wineries were closed by the time I got down there, I still had a wonderful time just driving through the area. I never knew that it was so big. Just think of driving about 30 miles one way and seeing mostly just grapes. There weren't that many good places to stop and take pictures but a couple can be seen below. I had to include the Franciscan Estates because I've enjoyed their cabernet sauvignon at times while on the road.

Next, the only chain hotel in the area was the Marriott Spa & Resort. The price was quite steep for one night ($279) but that put me on the concierge level, included free breakfast, manager's reception with appetizers & just about all the Salmon Creek Merlot & Pinot Grigio you wanted to consume, and a dessert spread at night. It's located right at the beginning of the wineries and the room was quite comfortable so I felt good eating the extra cost the company didn't cover.

In addition to, I thought something was odd when I saw numerous oversized SUVs and sport cars in the lot. I originally just chalked it up to the type of people who may be living in or visiting the area. Also a lot of people were wearing Raiders clothing but Napa really isn't that far from Oakland. About six in the morning I was waken up by what sounded like a fire alarm which went off for about 20 seconds. At first I thought it was the alarm clock and was freaking because I didn't know how to shut it off and worried it might be waking up others nearby. It then dawned on me that this noise was way too loud and there's no way that I would set an alarm clock that early. After it turned off I fell asleep again.

Then about 8:30 I woke up and heard hip hop music playing from somewhere outside the hotel. I thought it was odd that the fairly nice Marriott would allow such a thing so I went about to find the source. Loe and behold what do I see but the Oakland Raider's training camp is right behind the hotel and they're running drills. The camp is closed off to the public but I can see the field from the hotel windows. On top of that they were scrimmaging the San Francisco 49ers that day. I wish I could have stayed longer to see more of the practice but I had a plane to catch back home.

As a nice finish to this story the airline bumped me up to first class for the flight to Cleveland.