killerik - Why the hell not?

Well, at least according to my countdown. I can't vouch for its accuracy, though. There's a rumor going around that the "Alphabet Network" may bring 'Lost' back early.

I had a good Christmas. Got an 80 gig iPod that I've just gotten back from returning, sans receipt.

This money will be going toward my Nintendo Wii, whenever they might become available(without having to wait in the cold for three days).

I also picked up three movies: Little Miss Sunshine, The Descent (Unrated Widescreen Edition), and Jackass - Number Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition).

Thw first two are supposed to be really good movies. Jackass: Number Two is probably not. I've heard that it's not nearly as good as the first, Oscar-winning, life-changing movie. I'll just have to settle for the fun that is other people hurting themselves. I can live with that.

Posted by Erik at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Hope that everyone has a great holiday. Eat, drink, and make asses out of yourselves.

Tell your family how much you hate them. Hit on your cousin. Kick the family pet. Pawn all of the presents. Whatever it takes.

Posted by Erik at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This article from BBC's website is a look into the future. It's a future where robots have feelings ,dreams, and demand rights from their very unomnipotent creators.

If you've ever watched the Animatrix(animation that tells the backstory of the Matrix movies) you'll know that this will end badly. Well, at least until Neo finally figures out how to save Zion and the human race.

Personally, I don't want to be used as a battery in some robot-run human farm. So, I now officially propose that we(the human race) break out the heavy objects and start bludgeoning all electronic devices. It's the only way to stop the inevitable end of times.

"I'm sorry Erik. I'm afraid that I can't let you do that."

/end transmission

Posted by Erik at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

From SNL this past Saturday comes one of the few funny segments in recent memory and it's the uncensored version. It's a Holiday music video starring Justin Timberlake and some of the cast members. Check it out.

(Warning: NSFW - Naughty Language)

So, what are you getting your significant other?

Posted by Erik at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

My 50th post is a sad one. My precious Xbox 360 is broken. It was one from around the launch and it lasted just shy of a year. Poor thing was born on December 15th, 2005. It died on November 30th, 2006, due to an update from hell.

Microsoft is supposedly sending me a box to ship it back in, but I don't believe them. I had to call twice to get them to send me a return box. The first "support" technician wouldn't let me have one. Don't know why? The second support guy, a nice Indian man, told me that I'd be getting one in four days. I'm a bit skeptical that I'm actually getting one. If that's the case, I'll just have to take my console and shove it into a random box that's lying around my house.

This is completely different than my experience with Apple when I had to return my iPod nano. They sent me a box the next day and I had my new nano within a week. I didn't even have to pay for shipping. Also, I was able to do the whole support thing online. A lot less interpretation goes on over the internets.

I haven't been able to play games for two weeks. I was almost done with "Gears of War".

Quite frustrated.

I think that I may have to go out and grab a Wii, or buy one.

Goodbye my first Xbox 360. I hope that your replacement doesn't get sick and die, too.

What a shitty 50th post.

And I just realized that this is two Microsoft related posts in a row. Bill Gates should pass me some of his billions for the publicity.

Posted by Erik at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Over the past couple of days I've been reinstalling Windows on my computer. My PC had been chugging too slowly for my liking, and startup and shutdown were taking far too long. When that happens, I like to reinstall the operating system. There are two reasons for this. One, it allows me to remove any programs that I may not use any longer, and they're completely gone. Two, I lead a very boring life, and this gives me something to occupy the vast amounts of time between sleeping sessions.

The downsides of reinstalling your operating system are that things can go wrong, and if you're not organized, you'll have a hell of a time getting your computer back to where you feel comfortable using it again.

So, here are some tips that you can use to be up and running again, with a bit less hassle.

1. Go through your computer and save every file that you think that there is any chance that you may need/want to keep. These can include music, video, picture files. Don't forget to save your bookmarks for any browsers that you might use(different browsers have different bookmark formats and may not be compatible with each other. Save them all). Anything that you would be upset to find deleted from your system, save. There is no going back after a clean install. Everything left on your disk will be gone.

Hopefully you have an extra hard drive, or a DVD/CD burner to copy your files to. If you only have a floppy drive, good luck(and how's 1991 treating you?)

2. Make a list of all of the programs that you'll need to function once the reinstall is complete. Get together all of your program CDs that you have strewn about your desk and put them in a neat pile. Toss aside any that you no longer use. There's no need to put them back onto your computer. Act like that dick bouncer at your local discotheque. Kick any useless trash to the curb. If it turns out that you need it later, you'll always be able to dig around for the disc and install it then.

Don't forget to find the installation discs for your drivers. You'll probably have separate ones for your modem, video card, sound card, and random other hardware. Without these drivers, you'll be unable to use these components.

You may want to download the driver for your ethernet card, if you have one. I learned this the hard way yesterday when I had to try really hard to remember the type of card that I had. Then I had to use my laptop to download and transfer the file to my fresh install. It should have been on my list.

3. Make a list for any add-ons that you may have for your browsers(Firefox). You'll want to reinstall these so that your web browsing experience will be just as smooth as it was prior to your install. You don't realize how much you miss those extensions, until they're no longer making your life more productive.

4. Be sure that your DVD/CD drive is functioning properly. Mine wasn't and it made my reinstall more of a bitch than it needed to be. Luckily it wasn't dead, but would just decide to sporadically pass out and stop reading the disc.

5. Find your Windows key. If you bought your PC with Windows preinstalled, it might be on the computer itself. If you bought your OS separate from the machine, it is most likely with your disc. If you pirated the software, then it is probably on your pirate ship. AARRGH!

6. Make sure that you know what you're doing. Read the manual and maybe print out a tutorial on doing a clean install of your operating system. I know that in Windows XP it's as simple as inserting the disc and clicking on a couple of buttons. Other OSes may vary.

7. Double check everything. I can't stress enough that everything that you don't save, will be lost forever. If you enjoy your picture of a bunny with pancakes on its head, you'll have to save it to view it again. If your N*Sync mp3s are your most played and rated five stars, you'll most likely miss them once they're gone. Save them.

8. Enjoy your peppier system. It's all gravy once the whole process is over. Everything tends to load faster, and startup and shutdown happen in a blink of the eye. I can't wait for my machine to get bloated again so that I can start this whole damn thing over.

I hope that this helps someone. I know that these steps helped me. But even with all of these precautions, you might miss something. That's just the way life goes.

Posted by Erik at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

This trailer for Halo 3 just aired on Monday Night Football tonight.

Check it out over at TeamXbox.

Now all we have to do is wait till some undisclosed date next year to play it.

Also, you can sign-up for the multiplayer beta, which takes place this spring, here. You'll need a bit of luck to get picked and an Xbox360 to play it.

Posted by Erik at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've completely fallen for Regina Spektor. Here's the video for her song "Fidelity". It's from her album Begin to Hope. I'm happy that, in this time of cookie-cutter music, there is still a lot of great minds creating new and interesting art.

Wikipedia: Regina Spektor

Posted by Erik at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)