Wednesday's learn and earn...

Sorry I missed the last couple of days, I had one last procedure I had to go through for my breast cancer treatment.  Because the Dr.s found out I am Factor 5 positive (a fancy way to say I get blood clots pretty easy), I am unable to take the medication that would stop estrogen from being produced so in stead I had my ovaries removed and that should do the trick.  It kept me down for a couple of days, but I am doing much better now, so on with the show...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

recalcitrant \rih-KAL-suh-trunt\  ~ adjective

DEFINITION(s): 1: obstinately defiant of authority or restraint

2a : difficult to manage or operate b : not responsive to treatment c : resistant

EXAMPLES: Anna's doctor ordered a week of complete bed rest, but, ever recalcitrant when it comes to doctors' orders, she was up and baking a cake after two days.

"Finally, he laid down the parental law: You will go on a hike and, gosh darn it, you will enjoy yourself. So the recalcitrant 14-year-old shrugged into her sweat shirt, slipped into her flimsy … canvas sneakers (totally hiking-inappropriate) and slumped in the back seat for the drive southwest to Vacaville, Calif., and Lagoon Valley Regional Park." — From an article by Sam McManis in Tri-City Herald (Washington), June 30, 2011

DID YOU KNOW? Long before any human was dubbed "recalcitrant" in English (that first occurred, as best we know, in one of William Thackeray's works in 1843), there were stubborn mules (and horses) kicking back their heels. The ancient Romans noted as much (Pliny the Elder among them), and they had a word for it — "recalcitrare," which literally means "to kick back." (Its root "calc-," meaning "heel," is also the root of "calcaneus," the large bone of the heel in humans.) Certainly Roman citizens in Pliny's time were sometimes willful and hardheaded — as attested by various Latin words meaning "stubborn" — but it wasn’t until later that writers of Late Latin applied "recalcitrare" and its derivative adjective to humans who were stubborn as mules.

Find more great words at Merriam-Webster online.

  
~THE REBATE~

Langers has a lot of  nice promotions going.  The first ones you can get a free movie ticket to see Paranorman or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Both require 3 proofs of purchase using either the UPC from the bottles or an original sales receipt.  ***These are two separate offers be sure to check expiration dates as they vary from item to item.

The next promo from Langers is for DVDs that include Barney, Your a Good Man Charlie Brown, Pocoyo, Raggs, Yogi Bear and Megamind.  Current video games are Megamind, Curious George, Astro Boy and Jumpstart Spanish.  Each one has a different UPC requirement, just click on the image to find out more about the ones that interest you.

I hope you are all having a great week so far!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same.  I remember staying up till all hours of the night playing the classic Nintendo game Zelda, not they have just released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 3D.  Ocarina of Time 3D features the same storyline, locals, and action as the 1998 game, but they have updated the visuals, added a touch-screen interface, and several other things to update the game and make it come alive. The graphics feature higher resolution textures, improved character models making the game play smother and look more real.  This almost makes me want to go get a Nintendo system again, even the music is the same as I remember!  As an added bonus, once you've completed the game, you gain access to the Master Quest, a challenge for even the most dedicated player. The world has been mirror-flipped, and the dungeon puzzles are all different.

The game is available for the Nintendo 3DS and is rated for players age 10 and up.  I was able to find it for the lowest price at Sun Gadgets Discount Electronics Store for $28.50 with free shipping.

I hope everyone is having a very relaxing Sunday.

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Summer is right around the corner and its time to check in on your golf swing.  On store shelves now the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters will let you "play through memorable, historic moments as players try to measure up against some of the sport's greatest legends. #TAB#Tiger at the Masters:- Relive each of Tiger's four wins at the Masters by attempting to equal or beat his scores in each round of the Tournament."  "Experience the historic holes that comprise Amen Corner and make a run at capturing the distinctive Green Jacket. Jim Nantz teams up with David Feherty to lead the all-new broadcast presentation package. Enhanced visuals showcase high fidelity character models and course details that bring to life all the sights and sounds of a round of golf at Augusta National, even down to the 3D grass that appears and responds more life-like than ever."

The game, manufactured by EA Sports, is rated E for everyone and can support up to 4 players

This game is available for the PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii.  Right now Target has all three versions on sale for $37.00 in the stores, a great price since I was finding it on line for almost double the price, even directly from EA Sports where it is $59.99!

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend!!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Most of the folks I know are in the middle of this seasons The Biggest Loser series.  I am not a big fan, honestly, Jillian Michaels scare the C**P out of me!  I think she may actually have been a drill instructor in a prior life.  If you are interested in the show though why not take advantage of the game opportunities to lose some inches with the contestant?  There are two versions of the newest version of the game Biggest Loser Challenge, one for Wii and one for the Xbox Connect.

If you just want the game for Wii the lowest price was with Amazon for $27.99, because you would be over $25.00 you qualify for the free shipping.  If you would like to order the full bundle package with the game, Wii Fit Plus & Balance Board, Stability Ball and air pump and the Biggest Loser Pocket Cookbook that is also the lowest price at Amazon for $139.99

If you would like to work out with Jillian or Bob on your Xbox 360 then you need to look at the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout your can find just the game at Amazon for $45.54, or if you have the 360 Kinect hooked up to your system there is the bundle which includes the Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout Video Game for XBOX 360 KINECT, Stability ball with pump, the Biggest Loser pocket journal/recipe book plus a FREE Biggest Loser Workout Music download.  This was available from Amazon for $49.99.

I hope you are all having a fun weekend!

C.Q.

Sunday's media madness...

Did your New Year resolution involve getting in shape?  February 1 marks the release date for Rock Band Country Track Pack 2.  It is standalone software that lets you play the guitar, bass, drums or vocals on 21Country hits.  It can be played either as a single player or with friends, either working together or competing.  If you own any of the other Rock Band games you can merge your songs all together for a larger song list.  Country Track Pack 2 works with all the Rock Band games and most other Music game controllers.

Buy.com has the lowest price on the PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, and Wii versions, only $28.99 with free shipping and no tax.  Buy.com has also launched a new rewards loyalty program where you can earn Rakuten Super Points, which for someone like me is exciting news in itself.  The program seems to be similar to the Best Buy Reward Zone program with points redeemable for certificates good at the store.  That means that when I shop through Quick Rewards I will get 2.10% cash back from them, use my credit card earns reward points I will get those AND now I get the reward points from Buy.com.  I love triple dipping!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

C.Q.

Old money...

Every fall when I start to get geared up to put out the seasonal decorations I also take a look in the closets to switch up my clothes from summer to winter. Every year I find things I didn't wear for one reason or another that we take into the Goodwill or Salvation Army. We also have some great second hand stores in the area that will either buy things outright to re-sell or put things on consignment. This is a great way to get a little extra cash to use on your holiday planning. Just this week I also got a wonderful e-mail from a place called BBOS that will purchase your gently used designer handbags. Most women usually get tired of looking at these bags long before they ever wear out, so this is a great way to get some cash for them. I have a Coach purse that belonged to my Grandmother that looks like it was just purchased yesterday, despite the fact that both my Grandmother and mother used it before it was passed on to me.

Another thing I had sitting in drawers around here were old cell phones, we finally broke down and sent them off to the Cell Phones for Soldiers program. If you don't want to donate them to the Soldiers you can also check for a local women's shelter, they can always use them as well. If you would like to make a little money off your old phone Pace Buttler will buy back quite a few but some are hardly worth the time it takes to package them up so be sure to check the price list first. Always remember to deactivate your old cell phones before you donate or sell them.

Cleaning out your jewelry box? Many of you have probably seen a million commercials on TV for places to sell your old or broken jewelry and wondered about the pricing. I recently used The Gold Guys in the Twin Cities (JUST before they opened a place closer to where I live), and they were fantastic to deal with. We got the current, up to the minute market price for gold, this is important because gold is like selling stock, it goes up and down and you want to be able to sell when its high, if you mail it in you don't know what the price will be when it arrives at it destination.

Finally, if you have decided to trim down your DVD, Game or CD collection take a look at Second Spin. They will pay a set price for each item which makes it easy to know in advance what you can get. Just click on what you would like to sell at the top of the page and then type in the title or UPC to see what you can get, it may not be a lot but if you have a few things it adds up quick. 

Have a great weekend and happy hunting.

C.Q.

Sunday's Media Madness...

Just when you thought video games couldn't get any better than they are along comes something like Power Gig: Rise of the SixString.  This games combines all the fun of the classic Guitar Hero games along with strategy gaming.  The game is sold as a bundle and the guitar controller, besides being used for the game, can actually be plugged into any standard amplifier and played as a guitar.  The game is rated T for teens and is available now for pre-order, the release date is October 19, 2010.  The following is the description of the game from Seven45 Studios:

From the Manufacturer:

The next evolution of band games is coming your way this fall with Power Gig: Rise of the SixString - the first game to feature a real electric guitar controller! Power Gig: Rise of the SixString will transport players to an entirely new universe, with its own mythology, politics, settings, heroes and villains, where music rules all.
 
Game Overview

On the gameplay front, Power Gig uses new technology that represents the next evolution of music performance games to provide all players - from casual gamers to the hardcore, from those who have never before picked up a guitar to those who play guitar on a regular basis - with a more authentic and fun experience. The game offers two overarching modes of play. In addition to traditional beat-matching that will be familiar to fans of the band game genre, Power Gig also introduces the option to switch on chording, or chord play. Chording presents the added challenge of playing the game using chords that require specific finger placement on the strings. As players progress through the game, becoming more comfortable with a genuine guitar and potentially choosing to play real power chords, they will find that the byproduct of playing the game is coming away from it with an understanding of some real-life guitar fundamentals.

The World of Ohm

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString takes place in Ohm, a world where music is power. Rockers are the guardians of musical clans, serving their leaders with the mysterious powers of music and Mojo. You and two of your friends take on the role of these Rockers as they encounter power struggles and intrigue. In Ohm, alliances are forged and broken, rulers rise and fall, and heroes are made as competition rages among the rocker clans. Music is power…it's time to play.

Revolutionary Instrument Peripherals

The SixString Guitar: The SixString Guitar pulls you into a more authentic rock experience with real strings instead of buttons and lets you take the experience even further through Power Chord mode, which blends real power chords into gameplay. The icing on the cake - the SixString is also a fully functional real electric guitar that can be plugged into any standard guitar amp!

Music

Power Gig ups the ante on the music front with a host of killer tracks, led by three music superstars that are exclusive to our game - Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews Band and Kid Rock. This marks the first time ever that master recordings of songs from each of the three artists will appear as part of a band video game. Power Gig will also feature a host of songs from major label artists and emerging talent from the indie scene, many of which are available for the first time ever in music games.

Compatibility

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString and all of its controllers are compatible with Rock Band® & Guitar Hero® games and peripherals*. Go to powergig.com/compatibility for more information.
 
This game is available for XBox 360 and the Playstation 3.  I found the lowest prices for the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 version at Blow it Outta Here for $170.99 with $2.99 shipping for a total cost of $173.98.

Sunday's media madness...

Well summer is almost over and that means Baseball season is drawing to a close.  If you wish you could have the fun of Baseball all year long then check out Major League Baseball 2K10.  It available for virtually all platforms and is vastly improved over last years version of the game.

"Major League Baseball's only cross-console video game series debuts on Nintendo DS with its 2010 season release. MLB 2K10 features all the teams, players, and venues of Major League Baseball, based on the most recent 2009 rosters. The "Total Hitting Control" system allows players on offence to swing for the fences, aim for a well-placed fair ball, or foul out of play, to work against the pitcher's stamina in a full-count battle. The "Batter's Eye" feature occasionally gives players a momentary preview of a pitch will cross the plate, depending in part on the skill and accuracy of the athlete at bat. On defense, the game's "Total Control Pitching" system is designed to allow pitchers to put the ball right where they want it, working the corners to wear the hitter out and tempt him to take a swing at a tough pitch."

 ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide ~

wii Game

This version of the game is available at both Buy.com and DeepDiscount for $38.00 with free shipping.

Play Station 2 Game

This version of the game is available at DeepDiscount for $18.99 with free shipping.

Play Station 3 Game

This version of the game is available at Glyde for $27.75 which includes a $3.47 shipping fee.

XBox 360 Game

This version of the game is available at both Buy.com and DeepDiscount for $38.99 with free shipping.

PC Game

This version of the game is available at Walmart for $17.96, if you want it shipped there will be a shipping fee of $0.97 as well as tax.

PlayStation portable game

This version of the game is available at DeepDiscount for $18.99 with free shipping.

Nintendo DS

This version of the game is available at DeepDiscount for $18.99 with free shipping. 

If you don't mind a used version you can check your local  Game Stop,  Second Spin or FYE, they may have much lower prices but be sure to check each stores policy on used game returns.  As always there's eBay as well, just remember to check the sellers shipping fees.

I found a few coupons for the above retailers as well:

Buy.com is offering $5.00 off of a $100.00 purchase for new customers, you can find the coupon click through at Retail-me-not.

Glyde has a couple coupons so you will need to see which one is the better deal based on your order, use coupon code DTAKER3 to get $3.00 off of any game purchase or coupon code GLYDE5 for 5% off your entire purchase.

FYE is offering $5.00 off your purchase of $35.00, use coupon code USEDBMSM1 at checkout.

I hope you are all having a great weekend.

C.Q.