Disney has announced Pirates of the Caribbean IV: On Stranger Tides. Really. I hope it's not long and tedious. I will certainly wait for reviews before committing. I sense milking of a cash cow.

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head, found my way downstairs….  and then went to La Carreta for breakfast with John, Liz, and Evan. Yummy. Off to skating, which was satisfactory and then home for the Rock Band Beatles Edition Party (for the PS3), hence the opening line of this paragraph. Beforehand we watched some of the Tottenham vs Manchester United match which ended 1-3 (boo) but was over long before that. It was, according to BBC, the Spurs first defeat of the new season despite MU receiving a red card. I had no idea.

Beatles Rock Band has three instruments: drum, guitar, and microphone. All of us took turns in all three positions. I was never good at Guitar Hero and this game is no different. I simply so not have the hand/eye coordination to pull it off and it's even harder because I have big hands and the buttons are too close. I fare much better on the drum kit. I wouldn't classify myself as good but I got as high as 87% and never anything really bad. I got my best score on the hardest song. Go figure. I also sang. Yes, that's right. And I was absolutely horrible beyond belief, but my score wasn't bad after the first try because it rates how you follow along and keep the pitch on the lines. You can even sing the wrong lyrics and manage. We had a lot of fun once we had it up and running. Well worth the money.

John left half of his roast beef sandwich in my fridge. He isn't getting it back because it's going to be eaten tomorrow. I'm a little miffed at BJ's wholesale. A few months ago I got another case of Diet Coke — I don't drink it, it's for my guests. Evan said it tasted funny. The expiration date on the cans was 2005 and 2006. I suspect someone returned some old cans and I got stuck with them. My caffeine free Coke was expired, but that's because I bought it a long, long time ago and rarely drink it. All the cans were poured out today. I went to Publix and replaced the Diet Coke. Nice fresh soda for my friends. Sorry Evan, but I didn't try and poison you on purpose.

Since, as always, I didn't sleep, I spent most of the small hours filing old papers and shredding antiquated insurance documents. I found 1p in my "to do" pile and have no idea how it got there, but I added it to my UK coin pile for my next trip whenever that may be.

The Official Panthers Board has vanished after a week of being down. Curious.   I think I'll go out for dinner. I'm hungry and am alone and bored.

So far, The Xbox 360 has sold the most consoles but is flopping in Asia while doing well in the US and parts of Europe — speculatively because they launched much earlier.

Nintendo can be proud of the Wii having accelerated sales far faster than anyone else, and still having scarcity based on demand in many markets. Analysts expect sales to taper off because the graphics on the Wii are inferior compared to other offerings. I tend to disagree because the Wii (in my personal experience) is way more fun than any video game I've played in ages.

Sony claims PS/3's relatively slow sales are the result of low availability, but we all know they're in stock everywhere unlike the Wii. (The Xbox also has Ample supply). However many people buying the PS/3 are in search of a Blu-Ray player and not a video game console, considering that a nice bonus.

So who's the winner? The answer will absolutely, positively shock you. In the month of December alone the Sony PS/2 (not PS/3) outsold both the PS/3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Yes, the PS/2 is still winning the race.

I liked playing with Erin's Wii. I am still desperately searching for a Wii at this moment. Assistance is still gladly welcome. Again, if you find a Wii before the end of the year (SRP $249) I will gladly pay you back including shipping, tax, and the $30 bounty.

I appreciate how many of you tried to help me on this quest.

Here are the two items:
I am looking for a Nintendo Wii (This might be possible — I know people who've gotten lucky).
I'm also looking for a PS/3 60GB (model PS398000) — it's got to be the 60GB. I don't want the 20gb.

On either one, if it came in a bundle with games and stuff, that would be okay. I know that's how most places are selling them, requiring a purchase of 3 to 5 games and/or an extra controller. That's cool.

I will pay you up to full retail price plus tax. I will pay for shipping to me. I will also pay a finder's fee of $20 for a Wii and $100 for a PS/3. This offer is good for 30 days from today.

I figure someone out there must have a friend who works at a mass-market or mom-and-pop electronics retailer. I almost got lucky at walmart.com yesterday, 'cause they had the Wii in a bundle with 8 games. I clicked add-to-cart, and then clicked proceed. Sadly, I got the "there are no longer any of these items to add to your cart" Damn and damn again. If I'd have started just a little less time and clicked a little bit faster.

If, on the off chance I get lucky, I will let everyone know here so you don't keep looking in vain.

Thanks,