I've been running MVix boxes for a couple years now, and they've handled my basic media needs. About a year ago a friend of mine built a pretty sweet home theater setup and was using XBMC for his UI. Ever since then I slowly became more and more unsatisfied with the UI for the MVix box. So one day I downloaded XBMC (Camelot build), installed it, and started playing around. After getting all me media loaded into the database, customizing the skin, and changing my pants after my nerd-gasm I decided that it was time to figure out how I could utilize this awesome tool.

After some research I found that there was no way to add XBMC to my current MVix box. With that knowledge I began the undertaking of building a HTPC. A couple days later of research and I had decided on the parts that I wanted. I knew I wanted to buy components that'd be somewhat future proof, but I didn't want to spend a lot [...Read More]

Ok, so I've been packing, trashing, and storage-ing(?) my shit for about a week now. I had everything fairly well planned out until today. The night before I finally got my whole kitchen packed. And I mean packed, it was like Tetris but with canned goods and kitchen wares.

So my plan for food during the move was real basic. Tuna fish sandwiches. You got meat and bread, what else do you need. Well apparently, a can opener you fuck tard.

I'd been packing and taking shit to storage today, and I was f'n starving. So I plop that can on my counter and turn to get my can opener out like I've been doing for years. Then that realization hit me, "awwww shiiiiit, you packed it dumbass". I stood there for a second thinking "maybe I'll just go get some fast food".. "fuck that, I can get this can open". The search began for something that I could use to cut that little cylinder of food open.

At thi [...Read More]

So I finally got around to seeing Avatar. I was waiting for the crowds to die down a bit, but surprisingly, even on a Wednesday evening the theater was packed. At least the top half anyway, who really sits in the bottom rows unless they really have to right?

This was my first time watching a movie in 3-D, and I'm glad I waited until this movie to do so. It took a little while for my brain to adjust to the fact that when I looked at something in the foreground that no matter how hard my eyes tried they weren't going to focus. I'm glad that it wasn't filled with gimmicky effects either. You know, blatantly throwing things out towards the audience. There was none of that "it's in 3-D, so we'd better be using it constantly". Everything was fairly passive so as to let the audience really sink into this beautiful environment.

I remember there were a few instances where I was like "whoah, ha, [...Read More]

I've always loved pizza, who doesn't really? You got bread, sauce, cheese, and meat. It's basically a sandwich in triangular form. Sadly though, my diet has fallen under the 'open up the box, and throw it in the oven' routine. Hey, tis the way of the bachelor. But after visiting my mom over the holidays and eating a weeksworth of mostly homemade foods my body & mind were like "shit dude, this stuff's pretty good", and subsequently "shit dude, we could do this.. erm, me thinks so".

Pizza wasn't one of the things me mum cooked up, but I'm not gonna be cooking a turkey dinner with all the fixen's anytime soon. So I decided to go with something simple (at least I thought it would be when I started).

I wanted to do the whole thing from scratch, dough and all. The first recipe I tried was one that my mom used to make when I was a kid. It turned out like under-cooked crap (thanks to the dough [...Read More]

So after all the photography and such that I've done at MB shows I was asked to video tape their wedding. I said yes.. then asked to borrow a camera from a friend cuz I didn't have one. The wedding was held up at the Rose Gardens (plural, not the arena), and it went pretty well minus a flub or two from the pastor.

The reception was really fun though. There was some really good food, dancing, and karaoke. I'd never done karaoke before so I thought I'd go for it this time. Ended up singing AC/DC's - TNT. Now I wouldn't say I did well, but I held my own. Especially considering that almost everyone there had some kind of musical background. It wasn't like sitting through some drunken karaoke night, there were some caliber performances. I was especially impressed with Ian's sisters rendition of Janis Joplin's - Piece of my Heart, she was amazing.

[...Read More]