Blogs about psa from Pew Pew Laser Blog

PAX Prime 2011.

I had a blast at PAX again this year. Compared with previous years, I spent more time watching rounds of the Omegathon (the Portal 2 round was a little disappointing), concerts, and hanging out and playing games with friends.

Of the video game demos I played, there were several standouts: Mario Kart 7 (for the 3DS), Super Mario 3DS, and Word Fighter for mobile devices (this was excellent, but it's not out yet). We also played quite a few table top demos: Monkeys with Knives and Guns, Nanuk, Sentinels of the Multiverse. We also checked out a copy of Ticket to Ride from the PAX Tabletop library; it was fun and pretty simple.

A final thought about PAX: as a Seattle local, I generally carpool with some friends and park downtown. But it can be challenging to find cheap parking, which is also open late, downtown. My new favorite option is at Pacific Place around 7th and Pine - they're open until 2pm because of their theater. Parking at Pacific Place is $10 all day on weekends, and $13 all day on weekdays if you're in by 9:30 am.

PAX Fuds.

During PAX, we eat a lot of meals downtown. But it's important to avoid close (and hence crowded) options like The Cheesecake Factory or (the delicious) La Creperie Voila. Here are some good alternatives:

• Jimmy Johns: Fast, cheap and tasty sandwiches. 6th and Union, inside City Center.
• The Pike Pub: It's all the way down on 1st and Pike, but it's nice to get out of the crowds and has great happy hour deals.
• Blue Water Taco Grill: Coastal Mexican Food at 6th and Union.
• Specialties: Fabulous sandwiches and salads, and the best cookies you can buy in Seattle. 5th and Union.
• Dragonfish: Nice cocktails and tasty sushi, but a tad spendy. 8th and Pine.
• Von's RoastHouse: Tasty roasted meats, and reasonably priced. 7th and Pine.

Pro tip: It looks like this year's "Main Theater" will be the Paramount (Scroll down to "Sunday, August 28th") on 9th and Pine. The Paramount Theater's seating capacity is 2,807, which is a little bigger than the 2,500 available at 2010's Benaroya Hall.

An Ode to the USA Space Shuttles.

In honor of the last launch of a U.S.A. Space Shuttle, I present to you Space Shuttles in 3 forms:

This LEGO Space Shuttle is the only one of these that I've made. The set has over 1200 pieces, and took me about a week to build.

This crochet Space Shuttle is brilliant and cute. But if I had one, the cats would steal it for a cat toy.

This last Shuttle is made of glass, by Brandon Cupp at Seattle Glass Studio. Though my picture doesn't do it justice, this is easily the most impressive version of the Shuttle. (Except the Shuttle in orbit right now, of course.)

Cutting the Cable.

In February, the husband and I ditched our Comcast cable. I am happy to report that there has been no insanity, and no loss of happiness, and no one has died. And we get to keep an extra $60 a month.

Sure, it was tough saying good-bye to Mythbusters, The Soup, BBC America and everyone over at The Food Network. But it's been very peaceful simply turning the TV off, rather than leaving our guilty pleasures (such as House Hunters, Storage Wars and Attack of the Show) on all the time.

Our transition was helped by a friend and new neighbor moving in just 2 blocks away from us. She's got a satellite dish, and gracefully allowed us to come over and watch Chopped All-Stars. We even turned the series finale into a Chopped-style competition, where my dish was roasted blue potatoes crusted with Goldfish crackers, and a chocolate dipping sauce.

The best thing about having cable (since Battlestar Galactica ended) was having a Digital Video Recorder. After much research, the husband found a suitable replacement DVR: the Sezmi. It's a pretty reasonable deal at $150 to buy the unit and $5 a month for the TV listings service. It records over the air broadcasts so that we can watch when we're ready, and even learns your preferences and records more of what you want (like a Tivo). So far, the Sezmi discovered that the husband likes Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that I like Let's Make a Deal.

A small confession: we technically still have cable. It was $1 cheaper per month to keep the most minimal cable package and bundle it with our internet service than to get rid of all cable completely. The only extra channel this gives us is Discovery, and it's currently only connected to the bedroom's TV. So it's just like we don't have cable, except sometimes when I'm folding laundry.

Next on the agenda, we will buy our own cable modem instead of renting one from Comcast for $7 a month.

Tax Tips.

Tax season is upon us! Having finished my taxes for this year, here are some things I'd like to remember for next year:

• "Hobby expenses" can only be deducted if you made money from said hobby. (And, I imagine, you reported said income.)
• The purchase of your tax software can be deducted.
• The time (or "professional services") volunteered to a non-profit is not deductible.
• There is no need to file Schedule H if the household employee is self-employed.

I know that this is all very exciting information, but please remember that I'm a web developer, and you should consult an actual tax professional of some kind if you have any questions.