So sick...

I am so sick. Bacterial sinus infection and my ears are infected. Stuff is running out of them. It's very gross.
At least I've been able to stay at home and play Perfect Dark Zero, which I rented. It's alright. It's not Halo, that's for sure. It does have a cool game you can play on Live called Infection. Seems kind of appropriate today, so I tried it.
Anyway, Buffy is obviously bored with me. I need to play Animal Crossing.

Wild World

I got Animal Crossing for my Nintendo DS for christmas. It's sweet! I also got two more controllers for my 360 and a coffee press from my sister. I'm drinking the coffee right now. Delish.

Bungie.net : Game Stats

First place, beyotch!

360 Achievements

Check out http://xbox360achievements.com/. It's a good site to find out what all the achievements are on most Xbox 360 games.

2 Months

Ethan would have been two months old today. We miss him.

I played one of my best games ever last night in Halo 2.

March of Dimes

You can donate to my son's band and to the March of Dimes by going here. This money doesn't go to me, but to help the cause of premature babies.

My wife wrote this and posted it on the March of Dimes website and I wanted to share it here because it is a good account of what happened and because she was very brave to be able to write it.

In Memory of Ethan

We found out about Ethan about a week before my husband and I were married. (I was about 5 weeks along.) We were so excited! We had got engaged in February, getting married in June and had a baby due in late January! I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy. I threw up maybe three times the entire time. We went to an ultrasound in August and found out he was a boy. Then September 26th, I went to the perinatal doctor (I had chronic hypertension.) Perfect ultrasound. 15 ounces. He had the hiccups and was quite the little showoff. Then September 30th (22 weeks), I was getting ready for work and at 7:30am, while I was using the rest room, my water broke. We rushed to the maternal obs at the hospital. Ethan was fine, surprising to the doctors. I was put on bed rest at home until I reached 24 weeks, then I was checked into the hospital. I was there until Ethan was born on October 22nd. That was the happiest day of my life and the scariest! The doctors had said that if he was born before 28 weeks, the outcome would not be good. Little Ethan, weighing only 1 pound 11.5 ounces, was a beautiful baby boy. He had chest tubes because his little lungs had collapsed during resuscitation, an IV in his arm and in his belly button, a central line, and he was on an oscillator vent. He was being kept alive artificially, but he was here. Then at 4 days old, he had to have surgery for NEC. They only had to take out a half inch of the intestine and he had to have a colostomy bag. Then on Halloween, we found out he had a yeast infection in his blood from the intestinal surgery. He finally started feeds and was doing well with his weight gain. He still couldn't breathe on his own but the doctor wasn't too concerned yet. He kept saying that he expected things to be worse and just wait for him to gain weight. On November 14th I got to hold him. It was a very special thing. He was still so tiny. Then December 2nd, Ethan joined the 3 pound club! He got moved to a different room in the unit and wearing clothes! Its funny to be so excited about your baby wearing clothes. Then, on Sunday the 4th, I called to check on Ethan. The doctor said he had 20 ml of residual in his tummy but that they would wait and see what happened. About an hour later the doctor called back and said that he had done an x-ray and that there was an obstruction near the stoma. He said this happened sometimes and that they had called the surgeon at the children's hospital next door. My husband and I got to the hospital around 2pm and waited around to talk the doctors. Ethan did not look good. His belly was very distended, he was pale and lethargic, and his little hands were cold. Around six the doctor came by and tried to dislodge the obstruction with a catheter. That didn't work. Then around 8pm, things started going crazy. Ethan's blood sugar shot up to 341 and had to be given insulin 3 times in about an hour. His oxygen saturation wasn't being read correctly because his blood profusion wasn't good. The nurses finally got him settled. The surgeon finally showed up at 10pm. He said the same thing, that they would do a contrast dye and that they might do surgery this week or they would just let the bowels rest. He called for an x-ray. We went to the family lounge to get a cup of coffee while they did the x-ray. A nurse came and got us saying that they needed us. The surgeon said we were going to surgery. He had read the x-ray and there was air in his abdomen. He had a perforation like before. It took another 2 hours to get him stable enough to transfer to the children's hospital. We figured the surgery was like before. Actually, we were hopeful that they would just go ahead and put the intestines back together. We called our families and they met us at the other hospital. About 12:30, Ethan's doctor came out and told us to sit down. He said that they opened him up and all the intestines were dead. That it had actually killed part of the stomach and that it was just a matter of time. All they could do was sew him up. It felt like someone had hit me in the stomach. I couldn't breathe. The walk back over was a blur. We went to his bedside and everyone got to hold him. Most for the first time and the last. Then we had everyone leave. His breathing was getting more labored and some green liquid had started coming out of his mouth. He had opened his eyes but you could tell it wasn't him. Ethan just had a blank, fixed stare. It wasn't him. I held him as they pulled out the breathing tube. I couldn't let my little man suffer anymore. He passed away Monday, December 5, 2005 at 4:10 am. My little angel has gone to be our Guardian Angel now. This is the hardest thing I have ever done. But there are no needles, no nurses, no blood gas sticks in Heaven. I know he is better there, I just wish he were here.

Our Precious Baby Boy

God saw you getting tired,

and a cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around you

and whispered, “Come with Me.”

With tearful eyes

we watched you slowly fade away.

Although we loved you dearly,

we would not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

your hard-working hands put to rest,

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

The Long Road

And I wished for so long...cannot stay.
All the precious moments...cannot stay.
It's not like wings have fallen...cannot stay.
But still something's missing...cannot say.

Holding hands of daughters and sons,
And their faiths are falling down.
I have wished for so long...
How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road? Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye...

All the friends and family.
All the memories going round.
I have wished for so long.
How I wish for you today.

And the wind keeps rollin',
And the sky keeps turning gray.
And the sun is set...
The sun will rise another day.

I have wished for so long...
How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long...
How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road?
We all walk the long road...

- Pearl Jam

Good Boy!

I gave Ethan a bath yesterday. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanksgiving

The top 10 things I'm thankful for...

1. Ethan
2. Rhea
3. Alana
4. Buffy
5. Mom and Dad
6. Amanda
7. Chloe
8. Xbox 360
9. iPods
10. It's a Boy Cigars
    

Link Dump...360 News

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200511/N05.1122.1853.32156.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4462744.stm

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=63641

http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2005/mft05112228.htm

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/

Best Day Ever!

Nov. 22nd will live in infamy as one of the best days ever! I got to hold my son for the first time. It was awesome!

Xbox 360, baby!

No thanks to Gamestop, I got my 360 last night. Thank you Wal-Mart!

Gamer Tag Etymology

Gamer Tag Etymology

Gamestop Sucks

Gamestop Sucks

100 Things You Need to Know About Women MAXIM ONLINE

http://www.maximonline.com/articles/index.aspx?a_id=6781

DS Redesign

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000513068190/

Mmmmm...

Xbox 360 Hands-On

Gameinformer.com

Bundle of Joy

She got to hold him and I changed his diaper! So exciting!!

No 360 @ Launch

Only a fraction of the people who reserved Xbox 360's will be getting them on launch day, Nov. 22nd. Per the ass at Gamestop, there are only 28 360's per store. With over 100 reserves at the store I was at, that means that at least 75% of the people that reserved their systems will not have them on launch day. That is unacceptable.

Please join me in boycotting Gamestop. I do not plan on buying anything else there again. They have a monopoly on this industry. You get nothing for your game trades. They can't handle any type of reserve. Their employees are incompetent. They just plain suck.

G4 - Feature - Metroid Prime Pinball Review

Metroid Prime Pinball

Revisiting the Chief from 1UP.com

Halo 2, one year later.

Loveline

Adam Carolla has left Loveline. He's going to be hosting a morning show that replaces Howard Stern. It sucks that he's gone. Go listen to some old shows.

Only

I'm becoming less defined, as days go by
Fading away, well you might say I'm losing focus
Kind of drifting into the abstract in terms of how I see myself
Sometimes, I think I can see right through myself
Sometimes, I think I can see right through myself
Sometimes, I can see right through myself

Less concerned, about fitting into the world
Your world that is, cause it doesn't really matter anymore
(No, it doesn't really matter anymore)
No, it doesn't really matter anymore
None of this sh... really matters anymore

Yes, I am alone, but then again I always was
As far back as I can tell, I think maybe it's because
Because you were never really real to begin with
I just made you up to hurt myself

I just made you up to hurt myself
Yeah, and I just made you up to hurt myself
I just made you up to hurt myself
Yeah, and I just made you up to hurt myself
And it worked

Yes it did!

There is no you, there is only me
There is no you, there is only me
There is no fucking you, there is only me
There is no fucking you, there is only me

Only

Well, the tiniest little dot caught my eye
And it turned out to be a scab
And I had this funny feeling
Like I just knew it's something bad

I just couldn't leave it alone
Picking at that scab
It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut
But I climbed through

Now I'm somewhere I am not supposed to be
And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see
And now I know why now, now I know why
Things aren't as pretty on the inside

There is no you, there is only me
There is no you, there is only me
There is no fucking you, there is only me
There is no fucking you, there is only me

Only

- Nine Inch Nails

Game Informer Online

Mario Kart DS!

Busted

Busted!

Busted

Busted!

Burnout Revenge!

I rented Burnout Revenge last night. It's so good. I can't wait until it's a platinum hit so I can get it!

By the way, I'm selling my GameCube on eBay. Go bid on it, dammit!

eBay

Here's a few things my wife is selling on eBay. There's a Nintendo DS in there that includes Nintendogs!

By the way, I played some of Ultimate Spider-Man on the Xbox. Have to say I wasn't that impressed. Guess I'm tired of swinging around the city for no apparent reason.

Buffy

My daughter Buffy is home with my wife. Now I just need to get my son home and everything will be perfect.

Open Up Your Eyes!

He's starting to open his eyes. They had better be blue.

G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg

Go look at and bid on my aircraft carrier! It looks great and is a collectors item.

Stephen King @ Marvel

Stephen King will be writing a Dark Tower comic book. Marvel.com.

Gamertag

Gamertags are up on Xbox.com. Now you can create your profile and post your Gamer Card on your site like I did. Cool, huh?

By the way, I found the funniest site on the internet. Go here.

Comics, Desktop PC Components items on eBay.com

eBay Seller: rayzor454: Comics, Desktop PC Components items on eBay.com

The Clicker: Television Physics and the $1.99 price point

The Clicker: Television Physics and the $1.99 price point - Engadget - www.engadget.com

Loveline

Awesome site!
http://lovelinecast.blogspot.com/

Hanging In There...

He's hanging in there. The doctors are happy with his progress. We've had a great outpouring of help both in the form of donations and prayers. If you see this and want to donate, please do. We still need a lot of help making ends meet while we wait to bring this little guy home.

My Son

This is my son, Ethan. He was born on October 22, 2005. He came into this world at 6:33 a.m. and weighed 1 pound, 11 and a half ounces. He's perfect.

My Wife

This is my wife. We're looking at the heart monitor paper. The nurses say that his monitor looks as good as some full term babies. He kicks at the monitor thing when it's on her. You can hear a thump. I think he's going to be ornery.

eBay Items

Go bid on my items on eBay. I have some comic book lots on there that are very cool. Also, I found a cool picture of Master Chief vs. Stranger today. That's what I do at work in my spare time.

iTunes Video

It looks like Apple may not have an easy time with the video rollout on iTunes. Check out the full story on engadget.com.

Red Nintendo DS & Mario Kart!

They're going to bundle Mario Kart DS with a red DS. Cool.

What's Going On & Podcasts

Things are going well right now. My wife is in the hospital under constant observation. The latests ultrasound shows more fluid has built up around the baby. He's also now a pound and a half. It is all very encouraging.

In other news, Podtacular is breaking up their shows into three parts. It's nice to have it spread out. Also, Nobody Likes Onions is still the funniest podcast ever, even though I've been banned for liking Coldplay. And don't forget to listen to Engadget. That's where I heard about the new iPod.

iPod @ www.engadget.com

When you wish upon iPod

Nintendo Wi-Fi

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200510/N05.1006.1124.32562.htm

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo

Vulcanize the whoopee stick
In the ham wallet

Cattle prod the oyster ditch
With the lap rocket

Batter dip the cranny ax
In the gut locker

Retrofit the pudding hatch
Ooh la la
With the boink swatter

If i get you in the loop when I make a point to be straight with you then
In lieu of the innuendo in the end know my intent though
I brazillian wax poetic so pathetically
I don't wanna beat around the bush

Foxtrot Unifrom Charlie Kilo
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo

Marinate the nether rod
In the squish mitten

Power drill the yippee bog
With the dude piston

Pressure wash the quiver bone
In the bitch wrinkle

Cannonball the fiddle cove
Ooh la la
With the pork steeple

If i get you in the loop when I make a point to be straight with you then
In lieu of the innuendo in the end know my intent though
I brazillian wax poetic so pathetically
I don't wanna beat around the bush

Foxtrot Unifrom Charlie Kilo
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo

Put the you know what in the you know where
Put the you know what in the you know where
Put the you know what in the you know where
Put the you know what in the you know where pronto

- The Bloodhound Gang

Dead Or Alive 4

While last week we dropped the story that there would be a secret character in Tecmo's upcoming Dead Or Alive 4 that was from a non-Tecmo franchise, we can now officially confirm which franchise this character will be from.

A Tecmo source at X05 in Amsterdam today confirmed to Game Informer Online that the game that this secret character is from is none other than Halo. This is the first time Team Ninja has gone away from their own stable of characters for the Dead Or Alive series and is using a character from another title. While our Tecmo representative would not say exactly who this character would be, we found out it is not Master Chief. We unfortunately can't 100% confirm which character will be in Dead Or Alive 4, but we can guarantee it will not be a warthog.

We'll have further updates on this story when we get them.

Gameinformer.com

Halo 3 Info!

Go here...

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000640061748/

Our Baby

If anyone is actually reading this, I need your help. My wife's water broke yesterday morning and she's only 22 weeks along. The baby is ok, but she is going to be put in the hospital this Monday until the baby comes. That will probably be 2 months. So, I will be supporting us for at least that amount of time and probably more. Anyway, if you have a few extra bucks in your paypal account, please think about donating it to us. We could really use it.

Serenity

We're going to see Serenity tonight! I'm so freakin' excited!! Go check out the podcast The Signal.

Hotness

www.maximonline.com

Baby Boy & iPod Mini

I guess I like combining subject matter for my posts. And the broader the range of topics the better!

Here's a new shot of our baby due at the end of January.

By the way, I listened to part of some Soccergirl, Inc. podcasts. Needless to say, I'm unsubscribing. I just don't hear anything that compelling coming from her. She claims to be "bi-sexual". All I heard when I listened was a girl whose dad either left when she was little or just abused her.

And finally, I think I'm going to order this iPod mini.

Podtacular! Halo 2 Podcast: Podcast the Ventcore.

Got my tip mentioned again! Go Podtacular!

X-Men & The Jacket

That sounds like a comic book, doesn't it? It's not.

I watched The Jacket last night. I thought it was pretty good. I like Kris Kristofferson. I didn't realize Kiera Knightly was in it. What a hot surprise. She's why I saw King Arthur. Small boobs, though...

Anyway, I also rented X-Men Legends 2. It's a fun game. A lot like the first game. I'm also disapointed about the online multiplayer. I've been disconnected with my sister twice while playing online.

Finally, House MD comes on tonight. My wife and I have really gotten into that show. I like it better than ER.

I miss Scrubs. Nothing beats Scrubs.

Soccergirl, incorporated

Soccergirl, Inc.

I'm subscribing to this podcast to check it out. See if you can see why. If you figure it out, you get...well...nothing.

danicamckellar.com

This is the chick that licked the PSP. Danica

New Music

Download these CD's now!

• Bloodhound Gang - Hefty Fine
• Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists
• Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound
  

Nanostray

I'm going to rent this game for my DS and check it out. I've read a lot of good things about it. Nintendo.com

Game Informer Online

Game Informer Online - Nintendo Revolution Controller Video

DS and Nintendogs!

Starting on Oct. 24, Nintendo will offer a limited-edition bundle featuring a specially colored Nintendo DS system and a "Best Friends" edition of the best-selling Nintendogs. The special bundle-only version of Nintendogs will let owners start with the six most popular breeds chosen from the threeNintendogs editions.

Shoppers will get to choose between a Pearl Pink color DS or a Teal color DS, available only in the special bundle, which will sell at an MSRP of $149.99. The special fourth edition of Nintendogs packed in this bundle includes the following starter breeds: Labrador retriever, golden retriever, German shepherd, beagle, Yorkshire terrier and miniature dachshund. As with
the other editions, all 18 breeds are unlockable as owners progress. Thebundle also includes a Nintendogs-branded Nintendo DS skin and a bone-shaped screen cleaner.

As taken from GameInformer.com

Rock Star:INXS

J.D. won! I don't get why Marty was even in the top three, because he sucks ass. Mig was good, but J.D. was the best one. New INXS album on Nov. 29th.

By the way, I've been listening to the Nobody Likes Onions podcast, and it's pretty funny. I heard it on a podcast!!

Oh, and I hope I win these shoes on eBay.

I call shotty!

My master chief.

Hat Trick!

My tip got mentioned on the Podcatcular podcast again. That's three in a row!

Revolution Controller Finally Revealed News Story From 1UP.com

Read this!

Best Console Ever

Go vote for your favorite console ever! Filter.

The Revolution Controller!

Read more about the Nintendo Revolution here.

Xbox 360 Launch Date

The launch date for the 360 is November 22! Read more here.

Red Vs Blue

Episode 60 is out now!

RedvsBlue.com

Game Informer Online

Game Boy Micro is Here!

Serenity

I am so excited about this movie coming out. They cancelled the damn show way too early. Go here to check out the podcast about the show and movie.

Serenitymovie.com

Also, if you aren't watching Rockstar:INXS, you don't know what you're missing.

Advance Wars DS

If you have a Nintendo DS, you must buy Advance Wars DS. It's the best DS game besides Nintendogs. By the way, my Nintendog is famished and parched.

By the way, I love downloading podcasts. Actually, I download Loveline from the lovelinearchive.com and listen to it at work. I listen to Loveline, Podtacular, and Major Nelson podcasts. Oh, and Engadget's podcast, too.

Ivory Tower of Power

I kick ass!

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=300630124&player=Gemini%20Ace

More Halo 2 Action!

I'm playing the best games of my life! Kicking 10 kinds of ass. Check my stats and be amazed!

• Elongation
• Midship
• Warlock

Halo 2 Action

I just played the best game I've ever played. I won! Then I did pretty well in a sniper game.

Terminal

T.G.I.F.

I'm so glad it's finally Friday. For a four day work week, this one took forever.

I don't have much to say today. I saw the new iPod nano on TV last night. Looks pretty cool. Really tiny, too. Engadget had a nice write up about the demise of the iPod mini. I'll add links later. Don't want to right now.

Engadget

Anyway, my sister is getting married tomorrow. That's exciting. I'm the official photographer. Maybe I'll post some of the pics on here. Maybe not.

I get to leave work early today! Noon baby! Gotta love that.

What else is going on?

Nothing.

Peace out!

Wi-Fi Hotspot

I've been reading a lot online about the new wi-fi connection service that Nintendo will be offering for the DS this fall. I'm excited about it, although it appears that only Mario Kart and Animal Crossing will be online. (Also Tony Hawk American Wasteland will be online, but I don't count that just yet.) This is great for us DS owners who want to be online. I would like to hear about Nintendogs being online or Advance Wars DS being online. Online functionality was actually pulled from Metroid Prime:Hunters. Watch the "trailer" for the WCS here.

I would actually just like to hear if the DS will be able to connect to the Xbox 360. After listening to some Major Nelson "blogcasts" today, I've learned that the iPod, PSP and practially any other device will connect seamlessly to the 360. Of course, there was no mention of the DS. I've e-mailed Major Nelson with this question, so maybe he will respond.

I honestly think that the full potential of the DS has not been tapped. I love Nintendogs, Advance Wars, and even my Tiger Woods game. I had heard that some PDA type software would be available for it, which would be awesome. Also, there was DS Speak, which basically turned the DS into a Skype phone. How cool is that?

And then there's the Play-Yan, which is only available in Japan. It plugs into your GBA port (or your GBA SP) and turns your handheld into a MP3 player. All you need is a SD card filled with MP3's or even movie files. Yes, it will play movie files when properly encoded. My wife imported me a Play-Yan, and I love it. I haven't played movies on it yet, but that's not why I wanted it.

Basically, I would just like the DS to get some more love from the rest of the gaming community. At least the respect it deserves.

GamesAreFun.com

DS Wi-Fi Bounty

Podtacular!

The only bad thing about this podcast is that it only comes out once a week. Podtacular!

Good Music! Download Now!!

Bands Everyone Should Check Out Right Now!

• Taproot
• My Chemical Romance
• Rise Against
• Audioslave
• The Killers
• Sugarcult
• The All-American Rejects

Gemini Security Package 1.0

After doing some research and with my unlimited knowledge of all things, I have compiled this list of software you must have if you are connected to the internet. It helps my computer stay healthy, so maybe it can help you.

1. Firewall - ZoneAlarm
2. Anti-Virus - AVG Free Edition
3. Spyware/Adware - Ad-Aware
4. Registry Cleanup - Advanced Windows Care
5. Disk Cleanup - Advanced Disk Cleaner

Mind Blowing Insights

I just realized something the other day. My son will be playing video games on the next generation of systems. The Xbox 360 or Nintendo Revolution will be the equivalent to my Atari 2600 and NES! Does that not blow your mind? I can't even imagine that he would want to play anything from when I was young just because he'll be so spoiled with what we have now. Pong? He'll be owning in Halo 3 or 4!