Wow, this is too bad: Netflix, Citing a Clear Signal From the Industry, Will Carry High-Def DVDs Only in Blu-ray Format - Feb 11, 2008. While I own a few HD-DVDs, I mainly have been watching them via NetFlix.

(Another sick-day for me, so time to catch up on some mindless blogging; hopefully what comes out from my fingertips is reasonable English.)

I didn't go feet first with HD-DVD: I just bought the HD-DVD extender for the Xbox 360. And I've watched more than a few movies on it, but I can tell you that I've had more problems playing back HD-DVDs than I'd like (most recently, the climax for The Bourne Ultimatum - I thought that if I wanted HD-DVD to fail, I'd certainly rent HD-DVD disks and corrupt the climax to a movie...).

So now... Blu-Ray? Maybe. I'd much rather just download the movies and burn them to a data disk or play them off the network. The nice thing about the HD-DVD plugged into the Xbox is that I didn't have to go and find another way to wire HD video and surround sound into my stuffed system. Here's hoping that one day I can download my NetFlix rentals directly onto my Xbox hard disk, maybe unlocking the next video in the queue after I delete what I just watched (and initiate the next download).

Oh, no, what's up with the Redmond Brown Bag Cafe?

My Sweetie and I wanted to get out of the house today (we're both sick with a cold + cough and under the weather) and decided at the Brown Bag Cafe in Redmond would be good (good soup for my Sweetie, bad country-fried steak for Eric). We got there and my first impression was: "Wow, look at all this parking! Yeah! Score!"

Next: "For sale sign?"

Next: "'Open' sign not lit."

Next: uh-oh.

Looks like The Brown Bag Cafe is shut down. I had just called a little earlier to check on how long the wait might be but got their standard answering machine greeting. There were too many confused cars making their way in and out of the parking lot to get out and see if there was a note about what was going on. I might have to park nearby and see if I can find out the story.

In the meantime: bummers.

(Oh, I did a quick blog search: one fellow mentioned he read the note and went to the Kirkland Brown Bag to ask what was up, not getting much of an answer other than the owner had decided to close the Redmond location. Hmmph.)