Never gave up paintball, just recalling the last time the opportunity arose to take part. Getting shot in the back of the head wasn't fun, but I wouldn't say it put me off for life. I've experienced worse!

Everyone has different reasons for running. Different goals etc. It can be quite a personal thing. I just enjoy the exploration and exceeding the limits of what I perceive I'm capable of.

Just picked up a 50" Pioneer Kuro 5010FD plasma at the Goodwill for $50... after my living room Hisense 50H8F took a dive a couple of weeks ago (~3 months out of warranty). No speakers or remote, but I wouldn't have used either anyway. Blacks are deep and colors well saturated, but whites aren't terribly bright and clip at anything above 250 even after basic calibration. It's also a beast at 97lb with stand and puts off a fair amount of heat. Hopefully by Black Friday supply chains will have settled down and I can replace it with something better (and relegate the Pioneer to Garage duty, where I currently have an old 40" Samsung 720p plasma)... but for the time being it will do the trick. Even if the performance (only brightness really) isn't up to modern standards, there is something gratifying about getting a $5,000 MSRP display for $50.

I also just picked up a Crown DSi 1000 DSP amplifier to power my Ultimax 15" DIY subwoofer (~11cuft, ~18hz tune) in the theater... replacing a Behringer AX6220 that, oddly, died within a week of the Hisense TV in the living room. These are the pro-cinema version of the XTi 1000, come with DSP active crossover presets for most modern JBL pro-cinema speakers (which I won't be using, but still neat), and supposedly have yield graded amp sections. I grabbed this one for $180 new on eBay... MSRP is ~$1k, but the equivalent XTi model is ~$600.

I just bought a Hisense dehumidifier. It’s louder than bombs. It has too many stupid functions. The whole cheap case on it resonates and amplifies the normal noise a machine like makes. The outgoing unit came with the house so it wasn’t new when I got it like 12 years ago. I have no hope whatsoever for the new one lasting as long.

I wouldn't buy anything from a Chinese company. I basically only buy either Japanese or Korean or Taiwanese.

That’s totally impossible. Tell me another one.

Funny thing is, the Hisense 50H8F was a warranty replacement for a 50H6C that had a 5-year warranty and developed (admittedly non-critical) uniformity issues at around 4-years 6-months. I thought the best bet was to make the warranty claim and get a replacement that would last longer than it probably would and the H8F was an upgrade in pretty much every way (local dimming, HDR/DV, brightness, contrast, etc). Looks like that bit me in the butt since the 50H6C is still going strong in my buddy's law office waiting room (they didn't have me return it, just deface the serial number and "dispose" of it on my own).

The beautiful influx of 3D continues. I got the final piece of The Hobbit 3D Extended Edition trilogy.

Also got Avatar, which any 3D collection simply must have. I skimmed through this disc already. It's amazing. It's a Region A B C Italian import but is all in English. A great 2 disc limited edition set.

Also got Everest 3D which I already own in 4K but supposedly the 3D version is fantastic.

Tin Tin 3D is another I have been keen on. Supposedly another good 3D disc, as is Pacific Rim Uprising 3D which I also got.

Another day, another bunch of 3D tat and some other stuff.

First up Rogue One, The Grinch, Shazam, BFG and Need For Speed. All 3D editions. Need For Speed reportedly has superb 3D.




Next it's the Lego Movie lenticular and Lego Movie 2 steelbook. Both 3D editions. Also the Agnes Varda Curzon box set. This contains Cléo From 5 To 7, one of the best films I have ever seen in my life.




Now for some interesting tat. Deep Purple 3D is two concerts, one of which was shot in 3D. Limited to 10,000 copies worldwide.

This next one is weird. The Final Countdown...in 3D!!?? This has to be a post conversion. I cannot find any information on this 3D version anywhere. Worth a shot for a curious edition of a great film!

Then there is Amityville 3D uncut. Also Hobbs and Shaw 3D which is only available in 3D in Germany. This is another film with reportedly incredible 3D work.

Finally in this set is Kraftwerk's 3D tour.concert. A lovely set comprising an audio disk,book and 3D blu of the concert. Hooray!



Last up is Ghost In The Shell 3D. Not a patch on the anime but supposedly an excellent 3D presentation so it's in the collection.

Then there is The Somethingsomething T.S. Spivet. Apparently an excellent film with some of the best 3D around.

The tat hooverthon rounds out with Blade Runner 2049, Stalingrad and Batman v Superman. All in juicy 3D.

Literally purchased this lot of Tenchi Muyo DVDs to get my hands on just one title I've been missing from my collection for over ten years.

tasuke: I love those ships you get. Do you do the full paint and weathering on them?

i haven't started the painting on mine yet. those are merely example photos...

The long awaited astro city mini has arrived.

Very cool! I used to have a real one. Great thing to have in the home, especially at parties. Pain in the butt to rotate the monitor all the time though. Egret 2's were the best for that as they had a mechanism in them to aid rotation.

I only had a neo candy cab, almost bought one of those astros.
Were they all metal like the candy was??
Almost looked like fiberglass or something like that.

You're correct. The shell is fibreglass with a metal frame inside, e.g. the structure around the monitor, the control panel, coin mech and bin etc.

Oh my god where am I ever gonna put this thing, it's almost as tall as Fortress Maximus

More tat.

A pack of 50 outer sleeves for my small 7" vinyl collection (more on this on my blog at a later date if anyone is remotely interested). Also another wave of 3D Blu Ray tat has arrived comprising:

Finding Nemo, supposedly a very good post-conversion. John Carter, apparently a very mediocre film but the 3D is supposedly stunning. This one is hard to get hold of now with some copies fetching a substantial price for a used Blu Ray disc. Sin City 2, finally got sent the correct disc this time. This is another title that seems to command a higher than normal price at present on the used market. Rampage 3D, say no more. Goodbye To Language, a total blind buy.

Ready Player One, I enjoyed the 4K HDR version of the film, hopefully the 3D version is good too. The Amazing Spiderman 2, another blind buy. Life of Pi 3D is another blind buy but one I've read great things about with regards it's use of 3D. Edge Of Tomorrow is another blind buy, I think. I can't remember if I've seen it already, I keep mixing it up with another Tom Cruise film that I think was released around the same time. San Andreas 3D rounds out the 3D tat haul. Sadly I don't think it has anything to do with Grand Theft Auto.

Some late evening add-on tat today, and something else you may be interested in.

First up is Sneakers. This is the first Blu Ray from Film Stories magazine under the Plumeria label. Had this pre-ordered since day one. Big Film Stories fan, the weekly podcast is a must listen. Also picked up a 6 month digital magazine subscription (the New Delaware tax evasion loophole special agreement ended recently so the print version isn't worth it after tax).

Also added Gravity and GI Joe Retaliation (supposedly an apology film after the travesty of the first one, and reportedly it's alright too) to the 3D tat pile.



Next I got creative with an IKEA hack for my vinyl turntable. There's a decent bamboo butchers block that is a perfect size for a turntable. It's been talked about on various snake oil peddling circles. Anyway, I took the idea a step further and added some adjustable feet, also from IKEA. Drilled the plates in to the butchers block (a screwdriver won't do it, you need a hammer power screwdriver or impact drill to screw these in properly) and adjusted the feet until my pocket spirit level balanced out.

I'm sure the composition of the bamboo will open up the soundstage to new levels I've never heard before. The texture of the wood alone will significantly increase bass response and invite my eardrums to a relaxed frequency response, make me irresistable to the opposite sex and offer the merest suggestion of distilled high definition treble frequency anal prolapse asphyxiation chariot racing in the Sudan with the Kent cricket association touring XI.