Xbox 360 Repair Tech in Training

Just like my dad!

Hey there. I wanted to post this picture because I think it's awesome. lol  I haven't really had the chance to work on some Xboxes that need some repair.  They all have the 3 Red Rings and considering that I've had some moderate success in repairing them, I told my cuz I'd give it a go.  While I was cleaning the CPU and GPU chips on one of the machines, I got out of the chair to get a drink.  That's when I see my youngest boy on the chair, ready and eager to get to it.  lol  That's when I snapped the pic above.  My wife told me last night that our son grabbed his tools (toys) and placed them on top of the computer as if he was gearing up ready to work on it, just like his pops.  lol  That young one sure is something else. 

As for the Xboxes, I managed to get 1 of the 3 working.  I played some games on it and watched a DVD to make sure that it wouldn't over heat and it worked just fine.  I pieced it back together and it's ready to go back to the owner.  When I was about to work on Xbox #2, I decided to check the error code before digging in.  I find that it has error 0003, from what I've been told, may not be repairable due to a bad GPU or bad solder connections around the GPU.  I don't have the tools or the know how to even comprehend the problem, but I decided to remove the X-clamps and readjust the heat sinks.  Still no dice.  It has the same error code and considering that I'm not 100% what's wrong with it, I won't mess with it any more without the consent of the owner.  Xbox #3 will have to wait til tonight.  I haven't checked the code on it or anything but I'm confident that I'll be able to get it working.

I also picked up the Kinect for the Xbox not too long ago and I must say that it's pretty awesome.  We picked it up with Kinect Adventures and even though the games are simple enough, doing the "Adventure" really makes you move and gets you sweating.  Speaking of moves, we also picked up Zumba Fitness and even though I'm a terrible dancer, it's fun to try and do the dance moves.  lmao  I guess I'll need to do the tutorials on that one because trust me, I have no rhythm.  I'm surprised that the wife has not leaked the footage of me trying on youtube.  lol  Using the Kinect is definitely a work out on it's own and if you guys haven't had a chance to try it, you definitely should.  Until then, later!

March 2011Give-a-way: Marvel Super Hero Squad (Wii) Winner!

Hey there friends. We have 55 friends that all want this game and they registered over 161 entries.  Thank you contest gods!  lol  I created a spread sheet to keep tabs of everyone who entered and how many entries they received.  Here's a small snippet of that:

I then jumbled the names of the entrants to randomize the selection process.  I will use random.org to select a number for me and that number will represent the winner.  So here goes! And our winner is number...

which is...

PAUILINE15!!!! You are our winner!  Congrats!!!  I will be contacting you shortly to get all the necessary info so that I can ship you your new game.  Thank you all for entering and a special thank you to Alison for helping promote the give a way.  Please make sure to check out her site, Being Alison, to take a look at all the good stuff that she is giving away.  Many thanks friends and hope you guys stick around for the April contest which will be revealed on April 15th!  Later!

Not in my Garage

Hey there.  Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers got a little revenge on the much hated LeBron James and the Miami Heat.  For those of you living under a rock, LeBron James left the Cavaliers in the off season and made a spectacle of it.  All the while, stringing along the Cleveland team and their fans.  Because he handled the whole thing in a tasteless way, there isn't much love for LeBron in Cleveland, and the owner is making sure LeBron knows it.

In their first meeting, the Heat put a pounding on the Cavs.  Just killed them.  In last night's game, it was a completely different story, and it all started in the Quicken Loans garage.  That's right, the garage.  lol  While a Cav, LeBron was free to do whatever he pleased in the arena.  He brought in his friends into players only areas and pretty much flaunted the whole "king" label.  He tried to do the same last night and the owner made it clear to his staff that the players only area was strictly for players only.  So when LeBron showed up with a whole crew of friends, guess who got turned away at the garage entrance?  lol  LeBron was allowed in, while everyone else was told to go back.

Now this is standard stuff.  There is no discrimination going on here.  It is a rule that is strictly enforced and LeBron should have taken it in stride and said to his people to go the other way.  But instead of that, he decided to act like a baby and during the Heat introduction, he was missing.  What?!?!  When was the last time that you saw a player that present when being introduced?  It was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen and I can't believe that this guy still doesn't get it.  So what was his excuse?  He had to go to restroom.  HA!  What kind of excuse is that?  He's not above the game, not everyone is going to allow him to do what he pleases and I applaud the Cleveland ownership for making that stand.  He pretty much LeBron, and the world, that he's had enough of LeBron walking all over Cleveland and that they have finally turned a new leaf.  So what happened during the game?  The Cavs beat the Heat by 12 points or so.  The lowly Cavs, having only 14 wins or so this season, beat the "super team" of the Miami Heat.  The win, and the day's prior events, excited the Cleveland owner that he Twittered this message, "Not in our garage."  4 simple words, yet filled with such emotion.

Looking to Start Your Own Store?

Hey there friends.  So have you have a chance to check out the great offers that SMC corp has to offer?  If not, then you definitely need to check it out.  I've expressed how easy it is to get started and how they offer all the tools to help you succeed.  Low prices, business management help, and online help are just a few of the services provided, but I would say that the best part of it all is the way they make you feel secure.  They are willing to address issues such as the specialty merchandise corporation complaints that they receive.  Most companies would hide their complaints and show only all the positive responses and reviews.  So for a company to expose themselves and say, hey we're not perfect this may not be for everybody and we're letting you know about it, is simply awesome.  It makes me feel like you are working with people as opposed to a bureaucracy.

If you have any questions as to how SMC, specialty merchandise corporation, works, you can always check out their website or reviews from their customers.  Many have strong testimonies that state that they had little to no online business experience but with the free help from SMC, they were able to make their dream of being their own boss a reality.   Feel free to check it out.  There have been many SMC money makers out there and after reading their story, you know that an average Joe such as yourself can make it too.  Go online, read up on reviews, check out their products.  You'll see that you'll definitely find positive words to describe SMC and once you've had a chance to review their products, you'll find something that you'll want to have in your store.  Later!

Motivational Monday (on Tuesday) - Depression

Maybe he's losing his religion? lol

Battling Depression

Hey there.  You know, I've been in a funk recently.  It's even been suggested that I may have some sort of depression.  Me?  The clown that likes to make not so funny jokes, sarcastic remakes, while dancing the robot?  Wow.  Didn't know that could happen.  Nevertheless, I took initiative and started to look into some of the treatments for depression.  What I found out about the disease (because it is a disease) is that it can strike anyone, even those that look happy on the outside but are depressed on the inside.  After speaking with a few friends that have dealt with some sort of depression at one point, suggested I look to buy Pristiq.

I'll admit that I never heard of it before but since I value this person's opinion, I had to check it out.  I looked for it online and sought out the pros and cons.  A big pro was that it can be bought online.  Which is great for those of us that want to be discrete about it.  Using an online pharmacy can give you that added privacy, but you need to be careful because I'm sure that the online pharmacy that can offer you drugs without a prescription is not trustworthy.  Even the Pristiq website warns you of those looking to make a buck and will offer you a way to buy cheap Pristiq through a trusted online pharmacy.  I love that their website is open about getting you the help you need, even by helping you find the generic Pristiq for those of us that are strapped for cash.

I didn't think that depression could happen to me.  I'm still not 100% that it's there.  The only way to know for sure is to get a doctor and get checked out.  And when that time comes, make sure to ask about Pristiq.  It's better to get that information from a doctor than an online blogger.  Take care, friends.  Later!