The Sound You Are About to Hear...

...is brilliant 5.1 digital surround sound! Yes, I finally brought my sound system into the late 20th century. At midnight tonight I was listening to a paltry Left/Right sound system. As I was lying awake in bed, I was struck with a brilliant mathematical formula

2 Sony tower speakers
+ 2 Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers
+ 2 Radio Shack special
+ 3 different brands and gauges of speaker cable
+ 1 hour for cabling
+ 1 hour for futzing around with the settings on the receiver,
+ 1 coax digital cable, 'cause the optical digital cable didn't work!!!
--------
= Rock on!

To test the system, just to make sure everything worked, I felt compelled by all that is nerdly to watch Star Wars. It works. Oh yes, it works. Two scenes that had to be seen: The opening scene (Princess Leia's Corellian Corvette fleeing the screen-encompassing Imperial Star Destroyer) and, of course, the Death Star trench run. Sadly, I don't have a subwoofer yet, so the actual destruction of the Death Star was less than impressive. That's going to have to be my next major purchase -- a sub that causes nothing less than intestinal peristalsis. After the initial discomfort, I know that my movie watching experience will be better, if not a little messier. I've seen the Death Star explode countless times. Now I need to feel it.