2006 March 28

This is worse than the time you put your chocolate with my peanut butter. Things aren't peachy with this mistake; life is not a bag of cherries.

This weekend, a friend emailed me with questions on purchasing a PS2 for a relative. I did my best with the answers, short and sweet (with his numbered questions in italics):
1. I assume there are different models. Which one should I get?
A “new” PS2 – one that is slimmer than the “old” one. And then there's the separate memory card.
2. I assume the Playstation comes loaded with at least a few games. In addition, would you suggest some games that I should get also.
Nope. Few game systems actually come with games anymore (to save on cost). It's difficult to say what kind of gamer the kid is, but they do have relatively boy-generic starter packs available.
3. While it will be used here in the US, it will also be used in Portugal. Portugal is PAL. Will the Playstation play both in NTSC & Pal?
You might need this signal converter. It won't play DVDs unless you buy the separate DVD controller (don't ask me, I'm not Sony). Even then, the worst that you might have to contend with is region coding.
4. Portugal power is 220V. Do you know if it will work on both 110V & 220V?
I looked at the PS2 manuals (online), and did a few Google searches for more information on this – to no avail. The only results I found were unofficial “hacks” that weren't guaranteed to work. It might (MIGHT) have an auto-voltage detection feature.

Read more on Purchasing a PS2…

We traveled to Plano, Texas this weekend for the wedding of my brother (Ben) to his fiancee (Amber) on Saturday. It was a simple ceremony in a quaint Methodist church somewhere on the edge of town. Had it been a Catholic ceremony, we'd still be there genuflecting our collective asses off (and still be going to hell for it). The couple wrote their own vows on top of the classic verbiage, which added a nice touch to the proceedings. I was Groomsman #1, with Adam (the other Pirillo) taking on the role of #2, and Amber's brother assuming the #3 position in line. Methinks the Pirillo clan frightened her family a bit – and I probably should've undyed my hair before heading over there (but the red waves aren't very obnoxious at this point). Still, everything seemed to go off without a hitch.
They decided to hold the wedding reception at the local “Swinging D” ranch – with free blended margaritas for everyone. We danced, we played, we talked, we mixed. Amber's father informed me that this was the first time many of his family was meeting his wife's (Amber's mother's) side of the family, too. Can you guess which family was the loudest? Ponzi appreciated seeing my family again, if only to gain further insight into my idiosyncrasies. Yes, she still thinks I'm crazy – but she understands a little more “why” when we meet up with my blood relatives. Adam and Eugenia (his wife of Ecuadorian / Venezuelan heritage) were looking just as sharp as they were at their wedding, too. So, that's… two brothers married, one more to go… this November.

Read more on The Third Pirillo Wedding…