My New Livingroom

Last month, I got my very first flat panel flat screen tv.

It is a Phillips 42" w/ Ambilight 2. I decided to go with a 42" because of the layout of my livingroom (its positioned about 8ft away from the couch). A few things I have figured out since buying it:

1.) It does not have VGA or DVI inputs (so connecting a Home theater PC: htpc: is a
bit more difficult.
2.) Three HDMI ports are easy to fill once you get them.
3.) Some older technologies don't look good on a big screen. (i.e Laserdisc)
4.) Ambilight is cool but sometimes you want it off. (video games, horror)
5.) A flatscreen tv can make a room appear larger than what it is, so even if you have a
small room, it could still work well.

Now I know someone is going to say LaserDisc, WTF? Well, I got it from my grandpa, and it looked good on an old analog tv, so I figured why not. My mistake.

After I got the tv I found I needed to get a few more things to make it feel a bit more comfortable in its new surroundings. WalMart had just what I needed.
Summit mountain TV stand and Summit mountain audio pier

After a few hours of putting it all together, my 42" Philllips had a new home. Then I decided it needed neighbors. Out came the Xbox 360 and modded Xbox, the Ps2, the sony home theater system, and I bought a Ps3. After another few hours and wiring everything up. It was time to watch something wonderful it was a toss up between The Boondock Saints, Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King, and Spiderman 3 (blu-ray it came prepackaged in the Ps3 and it was the only blu-ray movie owned at the time.) Right before I started the movie I realized I was still missing a few things one was a place to store DVDs and the other was a way to hook up a computer. I said screw it I'll do that after the movie. In the end, I watched Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The king, It was amazing. Movie theater experience!! At home, it was awesome.
After the movie I looked around and found

media tower: cherry
I still haven't gotten it, due to backorder, but hopefully soon.

I also bought a s-video cable and 3.5mm to rca adapter and an Adesso wireless keyboard w/ built in track ball to hook up my girlfriends laptop and it works well not extremely crisp but it works for general intertube surfing.

This has been one of the most satisfying experiences in a long time and it will be something me and my girfriend will enjoy for a long time to come.

*All pictures were used from the respective places where the items were purchased

My view on politics

While following the political race for president of the United States, I have come to a conclusion. This conclusion stems from a few things I have noticed. First is that this race seems to be between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton. Granted Sen. McCain has all but sealed his fate his party’s nominee. Obama and Clinton seem to be the two the world is watching or at least America. Personally, I don’t really care which garners the nomination; this is kind of like the Olympics for me. I watch but don’t participate.

Why do I choose not to participate? I don’t feel that any candidate has touched on issues that affect me in a substantial way. Don’t get me wrong, health care for the elderly and the nation’s children, are important factors. I agree that education breaks and tax breaks for the middle class are also equally important. However, as a single person who barely classifies as middle class with friends and neighbors who also fall into the same category, I feel that we are an over looked demographic. As a member of this demographic I should note that we have a lot of interest in issues that are being debated and voted on that is marketed to married couples or those with children. As a whole we help drive the market in areas that others shy away from or have to skip due to budget constraints; areas that deal in entertainment, fashion, and consumer goods. This is not to say that as a group, single persons do not have money concerns, the opposite is true in fact. A single person will use more or the same gas, time, and money then their married counterparts. The reason for this is they are responsible for all aspects of their life. However, a single person will also spend money that will help drive our economy where as a married couple will try to save more for the future. They also don’t have someone who can take part of the responsibility. Most married couples, on the other hand, delegate responsibility, i.e. you take out the trash and I will wash the dishes.

With one swath of the generalization sword I can say most candidates have to reach the broadest category of voters, and married and elderly fit that bill to a tee, the single under thirty votes could be a source of untapped potential. Granted we are not consistent voters and there is no real way to gauge which way we will vote, it could very well go badly for any person who decides to bring in this demographic. I still say we are Americans and we are just as important as the middle class, the elderly, the poor, and the affluent.