Yesterday, we saw quite a few cool games at Electronic Arts' Studio Showcase. You've seen the new announcements, so they have some good stuff coming this holiday season and next year. We'll have some coverage coming up later, whenever the embargoes lift on some of the new titles.

One of the most exciting titles is 38 Studios' Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The enthusiasm with which Curt Shilling presented the game was infectious, but it also sounds very promising, and let's face it — with R. A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane and Ken Rolston on the team, it's a win!

Sorry for the late start. Had to get in a nap before we head over to Capcom and Electronic Arts to check out some new titles. Looks like it's going to be a long day.

Last night, we got around to watching the newest Entourage — can't shake the feeling that something is afoot there — and the first episode of the newest IT Crowd season. If you are unfamiliar with the IT Crowd, it's a British comedy, and if you've been around computers and nerdy people as long as we have, then you'll certainly appreciate it. Check it out! It's hilarious.

It's not really a surprise, but installing my HD PVR and/or rebuild my gaming computer with the new case did not quite happen as planned. Instead, we ran some errands, went for a walk and saw the remake of The Karate Kid, which was better than we anticipated. If you have seen the original, you can safely go watch this new version as they have changed a few minor things throughout that makes it worthwhile without changing its essence. (It should have been called "The Kung Fu Kid," but I digress ....)

Later this week, we'll be heading to Capcom and EA to check out some new titles, so keep an eye out for some goodies.

That was another epic snooze session ... *drool*

Last night, we watched From Paris With Love, not too bad once you get past the first 20-30 minutes, but you can tell that the part was originally written with Bruce Willis in mind,  not John Travolta. We also caught up on some Rescue Me and Flashpoint.

Now that we got this day started, I'll try to make good on installing my HD PVR and/or rebuild my gaming computer with the new case. So ambitious ....

Our weekend started off on a low point. We were supposed to hang out with some friends, but they had apparently forgotten that we had made plans to hang out at all, so that didn't work out. Makes you feel special, doesn't it?

If nothing else happens, maybe I'll finally get around to installing my HD PVR or rebuild my gaming computer with the new case I purchased a few months ago so my GeForce 290 will stop overheating and resetting itself. So many projects, so little time ....

Happy Friday!

We have some plans this weekend, but to be honest, I have no idea what they are. Next weekend is concert time again, with Queensrÿche!  Yesterday we were supposed to meet up with Adam to check out 2K's Mafia II, but an unforeseen trip to the hospital ruined that plan.

Last night, we watched some Caprica, and just as we're about to give up on the series, we see a faint glimmer of a plot. Guess we'll watch the next episode and decide ....

By now, you all are aware we love TV series and movies, so we hope you guys enjoyed yesterday's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" movie review (as well as the interview with Nicolas Cage), which opens this weekend. We have been doing a few of these lately (be sure to also check Toy Story 3 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), and you can expect more of this type of content in the near future.

This weekend, Inception opens, and while we are not very big DiCaprio fans, the movie looks quite intriguing, so we might see it.

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because we have homemade tacos for dinner. It's not some roach coach stuff or Taco Bell junk (OK, those aren't too bad, either).

Last night, we watched When In Rome, which was nothing special but all right; the latest episode of Entourage; and we started catching up on Caprica, but so far it's not really drawing us in. It seems a bit weird in a sense that there is no clear direction for the series yet.

Spain deserved to win the World Cup this weekend, but I had my money on the Dutch beforehand. It seems like Germany's clairvoyant octopus has correctly picked all the winners, so he's obviously a real connoisseur. The game was fun to watch, and while chances were created on both sides, the Dutch lost because of their aggressive style of playing, and the dam finally broke when one of their players was send off the field for getting two yellow cards, which equals a red card. Said player had to leave to game and could not be replaced. Congrats, Spain!

Yesterday was quite a relaxing day, some gaming (CrimeCraft, weekly tournament won by the WP gang), some errands and then a movie. We watched Daybreakers which looked quite interesting from the trailers and was entertaining until 10 minutes from the end. The director was probably aiming for a great finish, but the exploding arms, legs and heads flying all over the place didn't fit with the rest of the movie's pace. Nevertheless, not too shabby.

This week, we have a few press events to attend, so keep an eye out for some of that coverage, as well the continuation of the regular schedule.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and the Arts & Wine festival was great, albeit weak on the wine. We saw some awesome ideas on how we could frame pictures, something we may try as a next project.

We watched some Smallville, Justified, more Hell's Kitchen and The Blind Side, which turned out much better than expected.

Our houseguest will be leaving again tomorrow, so this will be my 6th trip to the airport in the past week or so. At least I know that only a few errands stand between me and more movies, Daybreakers and When in Rome.

It barely started, but our weekend plans have already changed. In the afternoon, we are going to a wine & art festival. I have no idea what that is all about, but there will be wine, so that's all that matters. Afterward, we were going to attend a party with some friends, but it turns out another friend is flying in from Hawaii, so we'll have to be good hosts instead. I'll be passed out by then anyhow  ...

We just watched a few episodes of Hell's Kitchen, while we have DayBreakers and The Blind Side lying around, so we may watch those later.

I've been trying to get into APB this week, and there seems to be nothing wrong with the game at first sight, but I'm still having a hard time getting into it. Graphically, it is better than CrimeCraft for sure. It's also more stable and better populated, but yet I find myself playing more CC than APB. Several of our gang members have already migrated over, so grouping up with them to run through the missions adds to the fun, but once a few have to tend to social matters, I instantly get bored and leave.

This weekend, we have no major plans apart from going to an art & wine festival, so we can catch up on some Netflix movies and TV shows on the DVR.

We finished off LEGO Harry Potter earlier today, and while the LEGO franchise may not be on par with some of our other mature/action titles, it is always great fun to play. The Harry Potter game is a bit different from previous installments in the series, but it had us glued to the screen for hours on end, night & day, until we reached 100% completion. Good stuff ...

We have just received Hauppage's latest HD PVR (Personal HDTV Recorder), allowing us to record direct footage from any platform, so we'll be tinkering with that over the next few days.

For the past few days, I've been playing APB with a few buddies of mine, mainly from our CrimeCraft gang, and I'm not totally sold on it just yet. While it is fun to group up with a few friends, the missions themselves are quite repetitive, and the balancing is not quite up to par. For instance, they'll pit your level 40 character against someone who's ranked 190  with much better upgrades and abilities.

At the same time, we have also been playing LEGO Harry Potter, which is a little bit more involved than previous installments in the franchise but unique in its own way.

Too bad the long weekend is over again. It was filled with good food, beers, and sun all around. After we became mobile again from our food coma, we washed our car, which we hadn't done in over six months.

In the early evening, we went to see "The A-Team," and while I was skeptical at first, it turned out to be quite good, and there were lots of laughs. Too bad Mr. T is no longer playing B.A., and while the new guy does a great effort, nobody makes an angry face like he does.

Whew, that was some hike! Yesterday, we embarked on a five-mile hike and snapped some gorgeous views. The weather was great, and we slathered on the sunscreen, so no one got burned. Good news all around ... except for my legs, which are really starting to feel those miles.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday! We'll be chowing down on some BBQ ribs tonight. Ahh, I love summer ....

I seem to be having an issue with my gaming rig. When I'm playing games, my screen sometimes freezes, goes black for a few seconds and then comes back like nothing happened. It sounds like a video card issue, and I think it the GeForce 250 may be randomly overheating, so I bought a roomier case. Hopefully that will fix the problem. If not, then I guess I'll try the Radeon 5870 that's lying around.

Not much else going on. We watched Burn Notice last night and finished up "2012." Later today, we may go for a hike.

The weekend is around the corner and Sunday is 4th of July around these parts, so we might get together with some friends and put some meat on the BBQ. Normally there is also a big fireworks show, but the event has been canceled this year. Our dear mayor has been squandering the city's funds, so things had to be cut all over the place.

No other major plans, apart from going to watch a movie (maybe "The A-Team") and the good intention of catching up on some press kits.

APB came out today, and a bunch of my CrimeCraft gang members have expressed interest in moving over there. I guess as soon as EA or Realtime Worlds gets me an activation code, I'll check it out as well. Tony is currently finalizing the review and seems to be having a really good time with it, so that's quite promising.

I've also installed Global Agenda, and we started playing LEGO Harry Potter. In between games, we watched some How I Met Your Mother and the first part of 2012.