Our big screen TV hardly ever gets turned on anymore.

We have a projector that can throw a 120" picture on the wall (we usually watch it with a 100" picture). And we have surround sound with BIG main speakers and subwoofer driven by a Kenwood receiver that can shake the walls.

It's just like being at the theater.

Unfortunately, my house is too small to accommodate such a projection. I'm just getting used to the larger screen myself. The new unit just barely fits in the old space. And I'm going to have to set the legs up on a couple of boxes to get it at the right height (it's too low). But it is way brighter than I've ever seen. And the 4K part of it is so much more crisp that you can definitely tell the difference in a "less than 4K" image. It gets a little blurry when I'm watching cable news channels. I have found that Blu-Ray content recorded at true 4K actually shows that way.


I will save my "1st official content viewing" for this weekend... Top Gun Maverick Blu-Ray! Just got it!. I'll file an AAR afterwards.

Great movie! My wife and I went to the movies to see it.

We watched Maverick last night at my sister's house. We saw it at the theater too!

As promised, the "Top Gun Maverick" AAR. The TV functioned extremely well. I don't think it was all shot in 4K (at least for the Blu-Ray), but the sound quality was fantastic.



Loved the movie. At least they kept the Top Gun 1 flashbacks to a minimum, and updated the other "references" to today's time (i.e. Buzzing the tower, etc.). And a very interesting story regarding Maverick and Goose's son. For those who haven't yet seen it, I won't give things away. But I will make one or two "cast" comments. I totally understand why (much to the disappointment of Kelly McGillis) they did not re-cast her as "Charlie" but opted to go with the character of Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) as Maverick's love interest. I would have wanted to see one other character from Top Gun I make a cameo, along with Val Kilmer as Ice. That would be Tom Skeritt as Viper, but retired, just for them to have a quick chat and for Maverick to get some more "advice."



Anyway a great story... kept me on the edge of my seat. I ended up wanting more, but i"m not sure if they'd be able to do a Top Gun III and complete the trilogy. For one thing, I would want and expect Maverick to have obtained at least 1-2 stars by that time and be put in some "Admin" role, since I doubt he could still fly after all this time. I was kinda half expecting it at the end of this movie (to get at least one star), but that just wouldn't be Maverick. Sort of like James T Kirk during the Star Trek Movie series. He was never meant to be an "Admiral." He functioned best as a Captain and commander of a fleet vessel. Same with Maverick. I can't see him ever behind a desk with stars. he was meant to be a pilot. I think they'd have to suspend quite a bit of dis-belief to get Maverick back into a cockpit from that Admiralty desk. Maybe it's better for the franchise to end with this one.


Still, I want another one. Maybe Top Gun III is about somebody like Goose's son being the leader with Maverick as the Commander that has to go back to show them to do it. A little far fetched, but...




Loved the movie and loved the TV set.

One premise that I really enjoyed and hit home with me is being looked as the "old man." A "has been" that can only teach but not do. He proved them wrong as I had to do many times in my tail end of my career.

And Maverick was absolutely right about being a "teacher" vs. a "do'er." They are two different and distinct skills. A good teacher must not only be able to do whatever is being taught, but also to motivate the student to learn it... to appreciate what is being taught... to communicate it in a way the student will understand as easily as possible. The joy in teaching comes in knowing you were able to motivate the student to learn... and that they did learn.



Maverick enjoyed "doing" it... not "teaching" it.

Update - I've been ordering some addl parts for my ARs, if for nothing else than demonstrating which merchants are using those updated MCC codes. Nothing serialized at this point that would have to go to my FFL. I already have enough of those (3 in waiting). These are just general parts. So far. no CC issues encountered.



But, wouldn't ya know, the one thing I needed is out of stock and that is the rotating opening pins for the upper/lower. One came in yesterday and I scored it. I need two more so I'll have to wait, but I'm hopeful to start build #2 sometime in 1st Qtr, 2023.


"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"


Regards,
Arnold

Happy New Year, all! And thank you for all the information I've received in getting my 1st AR built, among all those other things.



With this post, I'll be closing out this thread. When I get ready to start the builds of my other units, I'll open a new one. I got a lot done this year and not just "inventory" acquisitions. New roof, new HVAC and a portable generator. Fantastic.


Everyone have a safe and prosperous 2023! And I hope to see you all active on here.


:flagwave:

Happy new year all!

can't wait to see where it goes from here!