So I noticed earlier today that I have 100+ friends on GameSpot, yet, I believe I speak to perhaps 40-50 people tops!  Weird. :shock:  Well anywho, thanks for being my friend if you're reading this! :lol:  If you're not reading this, where are you?!

Where I live we have this city-sponsored program that inspects and removes lead from your house to make your home and the city as lead-free as possible.  They inspect, determine what's lead and yada, yada, yada, you're left semi-homeless for 1-2 weeks.  My parents, who live in a single family house down the block just had their house done, $5,200 from a 2-page lead report.  My house was inspected last week and the report is 21 pages!!!  I'm not kidding, we're looking at about $32,000 in work!!!.  My house is a 2 family that's about 250 years old; in fact, the "old" street map that hangs at city hall shows my house as clear as crystal sitting by itself with only a house of two within a 3 block radius. Things have changed, as I look around at building after crappy building.

So my folks lived with me while their house was renovated; the work took only about 5 days for them.  Mine is estimated to be 2weeks+. :(  I'm very sad about this.  I have to basically move everything out of my house into a storage pod (www.pods.com) and move myself and cat to my parents house (dread the thought) and lve with them for a while.  I swear I'm going to commit murder!

As of right now it looks like May 22nd could be the earliest start date.  So needless to say, I won't be on GS after 5pm EST when this occurs.  I can at least bring my mini collection of GBA games to their house and hide away in a corner somewhere...*scared*

Finally Hollywood has made a game-based film that's REALLY good!  Granted I found Doom entertaining, but Silent Hill is awesome!  I went to see it in a packed theatre Friday night.  I think more than half the theatre had no idea what was going on at the end because as the credits started rolling the theatre itself was "silent"! :lol:

Anyone who's played Silent Hill... don't worry!  It's not like the mess they made of Resident Evil, it's excellently played out.  The scenery is PERFECT, the actors are great, and most (the majority) of the effects were fantastic and the music and sound were spot-on wonderful!

For those familiar with the series, PyramidHead was AWESOME, although he was only in the movie a tiny tiny bit, I would have loved to see him more.  The Nurses were great, and those mutant poison-spitting dudes who split in two (hahaha can't think of the name) were done really well!

The best part of the film was the feel... you felt how you do when playing Silent Hill.  The sound and musak were IT!  They really drew you deeper into the movie and you felt how scared the characters were.

I read some reviews on Rottentomatos.com and quite frankly they can shove it... Series fans will absolutely love it and those of you going to see Silent Hill for an "easy-to-get slasher film" need to go rent Freddy Vs. Jason and leave my theatre please!  Thank you! :)

Well I tried to give myself a few full days to complete Tomb Raider: Legend, which in all circumstances would have been too much, considering the game is only ~8 hours long (not counting unlocking everything in Croft Manor) but alas life got in the way.  DAMN YOU!  I've been so busy over the past few days, yes, I've gotten through to the "King Arthur" England mission (about 60% of the way through the game) and spent a lot of time playing around Croft Manor but I'm still not done with it.  Maybe it's just me but my items/secrets found in Croft Manor aren't being saved?  I also have a problem running Xfire and being in Croft Manor at the same time?  Maybe my Croft Manor part of the game is messed up?

How many times can someone say "Croft Manor" in a paragraph? :lol:

Anywho... I'm loving the game, other than the secrets not saving and my known sound issue it's been great so far.  I'll post a review when I finish it... it's looking like a 9.0+ game already.  Although the length and level of difficulty are lacking and may bring my score down a bit.

I'm so annoyed... why does every site, including this one, including EBgames.com and Gamestop.com say Tomb Raider Legend comes out today?!  When I go to the store and it's not out until TOMORROW?!  WHY AREN'T THINGS UPDATED?!?!?!:evil:

Mike's Half-Life 2 design!  Nice work Mike!  Your design will be posted on Serenity Now from April 3rd - April 17th.

The next winner will be chosen on April 17th.  Will it be you?  Enter your banners to find out... See this thread for more information: Board Banners

Yowzah!  I just finished up the Tomb Raider: Legend Demo... SO AWESOME!  I was already looking forward to getting this but now I'm really anxious to have to wait 10 days!  Graphics, targetting, puzzles(the one shown at least) were awesome.  My sound was a little funky but I'm thinking that's my sound card and not the demo.

Mike's PoP Warrior Within design!  Nice work Mike! :) Your design will be posted on Serenity Now from March 30th - April 3rd.

The next winner will be chosen on April 3rd.  Will it be you?  Enter your banners to find out... See this thread for more information: Board Banners

Ah yes... another year has passed... the glory days of youth slip away swiftly with each setting of the burning sun... woe is me...

Actually, not true.  I had a great day, spent it with my fam's, had good food, genuine laughter and sweet gifts!  No woe was to be had this day.

And for my second trick... a plug to my board... Serenity Now Why you ask?  Because I can, I must, I will and I want. :P

P to the mini s: ENTER A BANNER IN MY UCBOARD BANNER CONTEST!  See the Board Banners thread... located in that last link, of course!

Now off with their heads!

And a shoutout to one of my favorite websites EVER!  Jennifer Shiman's AngryAlien.com!

Yes, I'm feeling rather random TODAY!

Come one, come all to the...

UCBOARD BANNER MAKING CONTEST

Anyone who'd like to submit a banner for the Serenity Now Board, please do so.  What I'd like to do is have a bunch of banners that I can switch out every 1-2 weeks.  Here are the submission details:

1. Submit your banner by posting it to this thread
2. The banner must include the board name "Serenity Now"
3. Banners must be no larger than 760x100; it must be shorter (in height) than your profile banners (760x140)
4. Winning banners will be chosen from this thread by myself and placed in the Board Header
5. Banners can include game and movie graphics, however, please try and keep to one theme (Example Banner #1 = X-Men theme, Banner #2 = Lord of the Rings theme etc) Don't mix themes as it'll almost guarantee that banner from being posted
6. Users can submit as many banners as they'd like
7. Non-Serenity Now regulars are welcome to post banners

If you have any questions about this contest, please post them to Serenity Now.

Thanks!

I just bought a GBA, and not SP, but a plain old GBA from Ebay for $10 (came with Matt Hoffman's BMX and Street Fighter II) yes the one without the backlight.  I bought it to play RE Gaiden and that's really it... :lol:  Maybe find some old copies of Tomb Raider Curse of the Sword and The Prophecy.

Anywho, I picked up a few games for this GBA, knowing I was heading into a 2-day Microsoft Exchange 2003 seminar and figured I needed something to do while the instructor yacked about everything I already know... turns out the seminar had all of 9 other people in it, so needless to say my GBA didn't get much use; the button clicking would have given me away.

One of the games I picked up was Star Wars Episode II: The New Droid Army.  I figured, meh, what the hell, I've liked every Star Wars game I've played so far.  Damn if LucasArts doesn't pwn me!!!  This week I added SWEII: NDA (haha) and Empire at War to my collection and realized I've crossed the border into fanboism.  I haven't played a Star Wars game I didn't like; granted I know the day is coming when I pick one up and question my exsistance, but thankfully that day hasn't come.  I've heard horror tales of Obi-Wan and apparently anything having to do with Episode I is pretty much frowned upon in the review world... it's a good thing I play games myself before I believe the hype or lack there of.

The GBA just confirmed my new love... which is all games Star Wars.  These really could surpass my love of survival horror... I see it coming and I find that scarier than Pyramidhead.  The first SW game I played was amazing, Knights of the Old Republic, I want to write a review for this but I can't possibly put into words how incredible this game was and I believe there is a character limit, at some point, for reviews.  Next came Republic Commando, which seems a bit underrated, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Battlefront, Lego Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and the outrageously addictive, beautifully developed Empire at War.  And Jedi Outcast II sits dusty on my shelf, but I swear one day I'll play it!

So I know my eyesight will be shot, playing New Droid Army on my backlightless GBA, and I know I'll likely become a recluse from hours of humming the Imperial March... so yes that's a little scary but I guess I've always enjoyed scary themes.