As of 9pm tonight (after playing with the girls, grading papers, and typing up a paper for my homework), I finished "Crysis." Fanboyism aside, this game is all that everybody claimed it to be.

My review:

Grade: 9.5

I don't need to talk about the open gameplay. I don't need to talk about the amazing graphics. Nor do I need to mention the powersuit your character uses to give him superhuman powers.

What I DO need to mention is how solid this game is throughout its entirety. Sean Elliot, in the official 1up review, feels that the ending was a let-down. I suspect this is due to his previewing the game. Once certain features were cut from the game, Sean seemed to lament their absence. Look, the final stretch was a great break from the beginning. A game that repeats itself for hours can get boring, and the zero-gravity levels followed by the linear ice stage with escort mission, culminating in the on-rails shooter was a fantastic break in between the open gameplay of the beginning, and the open play at the end.

Great final boss fight that didn't seem cliche in thatthere was a REASON for this boss fight; it didn't feel shoehorned in to the game for the sake of following convention.

My review of the PC's "Evil Genius:"

Evil Genius has you playing a world-domination, minion-management, artifact-stealing, agent-torturing, trap-laying, machine-researching role to take over the world. Three different archetypes are available: the German with the monocle, the sultry villainess, and the cut-throat asian with the foo-man-chu beard.

This gem borrows enough to have familiar controls, yet is different enough to get you addicted and playing until the wee hours.

The animations in this game stand out as the jewel in this crown; torture scenes utilizing Michael Jackson's dance moves bring hilarity, while traps launch hapless victims around like ragdolls.

The only issues I had have already been mentioned: slow gameplay in-between missions, and SLOOOOOOOOOWWWW training of your minions.

Pick this up if you're a fan of strategy games and want something new.

All objectives complete, my minions are armed with pistols and rifles, my doors have been turned into killing zones with hidden guns,

Body Bags Litter the Entrance to My Evil Lair

The Big Red Button MUST BE PRESSED

With My Missle Launched, and Satellite Deployed, I Utilize the Moon's Gravity to Suck Up Innocent Civillians Into the Sky

Review to follow soon. Man, this game was awesome.

House-hunting has turned a new corner, as we're now looking at houses with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. The 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms are still on the table, but we didn't realize we could afford better.

MY FAVORITE SO FAR

ANOTHER GREAT OPTION

A word of warning: don't go house-hunting with a crabby two year-old.

The house hunting continues, as I freak out. What if we don't find the perfect house? What if we find the perfect house, only to get out-bid? What if we find the perfect house, but don't realize it's the perfect house?

I'm trying to just regulate myself to finding a good house, and not worry about "perfect." I mean, as I've seen so far, no house has been "perfect." The houses are either perfect, but in a sub-par neighborhood, or the other way around. A few are good in both categories. Now I just hope that we can eliminate all of the others on our must-look-at list (or find a better candidate) soon.

Work is good. Like I said in my greeting, only 30 days or so to go, and most weeks are either shortened, or adjacent to a week that is.

I start school in two weeks. This will be the fourth time I've attended college, and you'd think I'd be over the minor jitters by now. I'm sure I'll be fine. Hell, I found out a teacher at my old school will be taking the same program as me.

This weekend is busy, and I hate that. I had fun taking Phebe to her school's spring social day, but there is a girl scout outing today, Maura has a baby shower to attend, and I'm sure that there's something else scheduled that I haven't been informed of (or more likely, I have been informed, and I've forgotten).

I'm still having gaming ADD, as you can see from below my greeting and desktop picture. I think the game I'm enjoying the most is "Evil Genius," yet the gameplay (like "Neverwinter Nights") is SO SLOW. I wish there was a mod to speed it up.

Ok, so the movie wasn't mediocre. But I expected something mind-blowing for all of the hype generated and awards won.

Getting a glimpse into the streets of India was by far the most fascinating aspect of the movie. I found the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" portion odd; not ill-fitting, just odd.

Culturally cool, mildly entertaining, non mind-blowing. That's my verdict.

I'd like to thank the following that I found on Google:

Yes you can.

If you are using dvds you first need to rip it to your computer. There are a number of programs available. I am not sure of the legality of them, but google that and you should be able to find one. Not that I have done it. :)

Next there is a free and legal program called HandBrake that converts the dvd files on your computer to a mpeg4 file that you copy to your memory card. The settings for doing that are in the link below.

to copy to your memory card (if you don't know how) connect the phone to your computer and go to Tools and Settings on your phone. Choose the Tools menu and at the bottom is USB Mass Storage. This will make your memory card show on your computer and a drive.

Then just copy the new mpeg4 file you created with Handbrake to your "my_flix" folder on your phone. The movie will then appear in your videos on your phone.

the average file size I have created is about 600mb using the settings in the link below. You may want to spring for the 8Gig card.

http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?...

There may also be information regarding free DVD ripping software on the above site.

I'm looking forward to watching my Spiderman 3 "DVD" while I grade papers at work.

A few years ago, my family decided that with a newborn, a movies-by-mail service may be in order. We spent a few hours debating the pros and cons of Netflix and Blockbuster Online, and chose the latter based on a feature that allows you to trade in your movies-by-mail at a local store for a free rental. In the following two years, my wife and I have scoured the intratubes to find all of the "must-see" movies, and place them in our que. Several hundred (around 400 is my guess) movies later, I read this:

updated 8:12 p.m. ET,

Mon., April 6, 2009 NEW YORK - Movie rental company Blockbuster Inc. said Monday the risk that it may not complete financing deals raises "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Dallas-based Blockbuster, which has struggled amid the rising popularity of DVD-by-mail services like Netflix, disclosed the warning in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had already cautioned last month that its auditor was likely to raise doubts about its ability to stay in business.

A going-concern qualification refers to an auditor's assessment of a company's ability to continue to operate for the foreseeable future.

Last week, Blockbuster said its revolving and term loan agreement was amended, giving it a $250 million revolving loan refinancing that matures on Sept. 30, 2010. Lenders including JPMorgan also agreed to waive any default that could result if auditors attached a "going concern" ****fication.

But on Monday, the company said its lenders' obligation to fund the $250 million credit facility is subject to meeting certain conditions, and there can be no assurances that these conditions will be met.

Even if the loan is funded, the company said it "may not have sufficient liquidity to finance the ongoing obligations of our business, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern."

Blockbuster said it believes that it will be in a position to close the amended credit facility by around May 11, though "there can be no assurance regarding these matters."

Shares fell 3 cents to 85 cents in after-hours trading, having closed earlier at 88 cents.

from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30076153/

The thought of going through that que list and readding them to a competitor (probably Netflix, as I can stream movies through my PC or Xbox 360) makes me a sad panda.

I've been playing "Neverwinter Nights" for about 4 years now, and I still haven't advanced beyond Act 2. After the end of Act 1, I grow bored of the SLOW gameplay (mostly running and combat speeds.

I'm curious to see how many others have experienced a similar issue with games. So my question is the following: what game(s) have you tried to complete multiple times, but continually get stuck en-route? Do you tend to get stuck at the same place in-game?

I hate it, but this happens every time I fire up "Neverwinter Nights" (yes, the orginal). I get through character creation, I get through Chapter One (out of four) by saving the city of Neverwinter, and then *poof* I grow bored.

The game is just SO SLOW!

The **** thing is, I'm enjoying the game. I enjoy it every time I start.

I don't quite know what to do, but I'm hoping that a little break will do me some good.

On the off-moments, I've been playing Diablo II and Ninja Gaiden Black. Diablo II is good, but I have yet to get to the second land, which is where I left off before a trojan destroyed all of my data. Ninja Gaiden Black is fun as hell, but it's also damn difficult.

I feel like I have gotten myself into an uncomfortable gaming position; I'm replaying old games, I'm behind the points where I last left off, and I'm no longer having fun.

Easy fix, right? Just start a different game. Well, I (currently) hate having a ton of games installed on my computer, and I'm on the precipice of too many and just enough games installed.