Say It Ain't So

I know I've been slacking on the blog, I hope to sort of "relaunch"it in the new year, we'll have to come up with something. We're getting as bad as TV, a season ends and you don't get new content or episodes for months, sometimes for a year. I know, I know, that's the definition of a season, still though, sometimes you don't ever get new episodes.

Case in point, they canceled Terriers, it was a great show with a good cast. But the ratings sucked and the advertising campaign was just kind of confusing. It sucks, you spend so much time following a show, getting to know the characters and then it's gone. FlashForward, Heroes, Deadwood, Firefly, and many more left us way too soon. There have been some stories of shows coming back from the dead, Futurama and Family Guy for example, but those are rare exceptions.

It makes it kind of tough for people to give new shows a chance. Comedies are different, they're either funny or they're not. There aren't any cliffhangers and you can miss an episode or two and jump right back in. However, when you're investing time into a thriller or a drama and they leave you hanging, it feels like you've wasted a lot of time watching something with no conclusion.

As bad as most reality shows are, at least you get a winner at the end of every season. I don't know, maybe I'll stick to watching movies, heh.

Speaking of disappointing decisions in regards to television, why G4, why? Nothing against Candice Bailey but I'm on team Haislip.

Gotta run, I can hear my little monster starting to wake...


- Gil

Trailer, Trailers, Trailers!!

Three new trailers were released this week that I think many of us were waiting for: Green Lantern, Your Highness and Cowboys & Aliens.  Now I am personally excited for the latter two, although I never read Green Lantern, I am familiar with the story and am interested in seeing the movie.  Your Highness I heard about a year ago and thought it was a funny concept and after seeing the trailer I don't think it will disappoint.  Lastly, Cowboys & Aliens looks incredible and I think I need to go out and pick up this graphic novel to add to my collection.  Well enough with the talking check out the trailers for yourselves after the jump.

I'm a Horrible Person or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Baby Einstein

I know, I know, I haven't been keeping up with the blog at all. It sure isn't for lack of material, I feel like I've aged three years in the last three months. God help me, I don't know how I'm going to do it for the next 30 years or so.

There's probably a lot I can talk about, but I'll try to slowly ease my way back into the writing routine, one topic at a time. Besides I'm feeling a little shell shocked, out of sorts, whatever you want to call it. Why? You might ask. (please do or else I'll feel like a moron) It's because my wife purchased my daughter her first Baby Einstein DVD yesterday.

WTF?

Seriously, now I won't knock it too much because Serafina seemed genuinely into it, albeit on and off for chunks of time. I, on the other hand, was creeped out. Shiny objects, Beethoven playing, random sock puppets. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear Jigsaw start asking to play some screwed up game. Jack Bauer could have used this DVD. I mean, I get it, these DVDs aren't mean for adults, they're still somewhat unsettling.

I know there are alternatives, we considered buying the Your Baby Can Read series, but I was always a little suspicious of the series. If you know anything about child development you know that kids really can't read until they're older. They just aren't developed yet. Besides, that's another thing, it's just creepy to see a nine month old read the Declaration of Independence or whatever the hell they read in the commercials. (PS-they're not reading, they're memorizing) I'm sure there are some fre...err...genius babies that can read and what not, but it doesn't seem right. It's like some of those child actors. You see them in interviews or on talk shows and they just speak and act like little adults, it's not right, that's how kids end up being Michael Jackson. Don't get me started about those Toddlers in Tiaras.

Okay I'm rambling now, I'm a bit rusty, let me know if there's anything I'm forgetting or if there's some super awesome system or video I should be buying for my kid. It's bad enough I'm a bad blogger, don't let me be a bad dad as well.

-Gil

I was a Kinect Beta Tester.

Finally I'm able to talk about it!

In August I received an e-mail from Microsoft stating that they were going to start accepting applications in a few weeks to beta test their new hardware Kinect and if I was interested I should apply. Of course I was interested and I clicked on the link, filled out the application then sat patiently to see what would happen. 

Guillermo del Toro Gets it!

In a recent signing in promoting his Strain Trilogy of books Guillermo del Toro had a few choice words to say about video games and those who protest the artistic value of them.  What do you think about his views?

Get Up and Play Video Games!!

With the Nintendo Wii selling over 30 million units in the United States since their release in 2006, you would figure that they have the motion control thing locked down.  Well in the next few months Sony and Microsoft are going to try to change that with the release of the Move and Kinect (formally Project Natal.)

This says it all

Today's Penny Arcade says it all...

it's funny because it's true.

Video Game Time Halo: Reach Edition

I know that we have been absent for a while, but what better way to come back with one of the most anticipated games of the year: Halo: Reach.  Halo: Reach tells the tale of Noble Team. Noble Team consist of a squad of Spartans and Noble 6, who is the new member on the team.  You play as Noble 6 and can customize the character in any way you want with the new customization system in the game.

Here We Go!

Time just flies by.

The baby shower came and went, everyone was very generous, and a good time was had by all. As far as I know anyway. We've also been busy at the house getting our baby's room ready, Melissa's hospital bag, and other essentials. Shockingly we were planning ahead and pretty much ready for her to arrive. Melissa and I have been very anxious and excited to meet our baby girl. Well...we're going to meet her even sooner than we expected.

We came in on Thursday for a routine check up. The doctor found that her blood pressure was high so she decided on running some tests. As a precaution, she was going to keep her overnight for observation. The tests went well, but during the 24 hour period her pressure was still up and down. Her doctor decided to keep her one more day before deciding on what to do. It didn't take that long. Later on in the afternoon, Melissa had a bad headache and the doctor made the decision to induce the next day.

Well, it's now Saturday morning and the process has begun. Parents and family are on the way and my little girl should be here sometime today. I feel strange even writing this, there's got to be something more productive I can be doing isn't there? Well, Melissa's sleeping, and there honestly isn't a whole lot else going on. I figure I can kill two birds with one stone, tell everyone what's going on, and keep myself busy. I'm honestly not that nervous. The most stressful part of the process so far has been dealing with the damn dogs.

Everyone looks like they know what they're doing. The procedures have been thoroughly explained and both the baby and Melissa are fine. It's just a waiting game for now.

I'm going to be a daddy.

God help Serafina and Melissa, heh.

Talkin' Baseball

First off I'd like to apologize to everyone for slacking on our blog. I guess having a baby kind of make it hard to blog about having one. Anyway, I know it isn't very nerdy or what not, but the Fandads aren't just fans of geek/tech/gaming, we're also sports fans. However, this topic is still kind of on the tech side, I've been meaning to write about it since Armando Galarraga got robbed of a perfect game last month, but all of the blown calls in the World Cup have also made it once again relevant. I think that it's time Major League Baseball got on the instant replay bandwagon.

Major League Baseball has to stop living in the past. I’m going to focus on our national pastime, but I would like to briefly mention the World Cup before moving on. The 2010 World Cup experienced its fair share of controversy. Blown calls, negated goals, most of these situations could have been prevented or corrected through the use of instant reply.

The perfect game is one of the most rare occurrences in baseball. There have only been 18 of them since 1900. Galarraga threw a perfect game earlier this year, but the record books won’t show it, and the reason they won’t is due to human error. By now you’ve all read the details, so I won’t go into it, and I’m not writing this to rag on Jim Joyce. Some might even consider the situation to be a great teaching/coaching moment since Galarraga and Joyce handled it as well as could be expected. However, this post is about MLB and their stubbornness, their lack of will in embracing technology, and their stance against the use of instant replay.

MLB was the last of the four major league professional sports organizations to implement instant replay and even then it did so only on a limited basis. As of now, the only things that can be reviewed by instant replay are home runs, whether the ball left the playing field, and whether the ball was subject to fan interference. While these are steps in the right direction, I feel that MLB should expand its use into other areas of the game. Some areas should obviously never come under review, such as balls and strikes, but plays at the plate, base running, and fair and foul balls should be subject to review. I believe that the best solution, so that the game isn’t unnecessarily delayed is to set up a system similar to the NFL. Each team should given a limited amount of challenges per game, that way only plays which could truly change the game are the ones being reviewed.

People will argue that the “human element” is a part of the game. Just visit any baseball message board and you will find plenty of arguments for and against instant replay. I don’t want the essence of the game to change. The phantom tags on double plays and the hit by pitch calls given to players who were missed will still be around, but instant replay would help prevent situations like the perfect game. We have the technology, so why not use it? It isn’t fair to the fans that spent their money, energy, and time on a team only to have the outcome of some games determined by an ump. It isn’t fair to the athletes that sacrifice and struggle to compete at the highest level, isn’t it only fair that they play under the best circumstances? Situations like the perfect game only hurt everyone involved, the pitcher is robbed of his accomplishment, the umpire feels guilty, and the fans feel cheated.

Winning isn’t everything, but if it isn’t an integral part of competition, then why keep score? Hard work should be rewarded, and right is right. In the end it should be the “best man” who wins, and I feel that it is only fair, and for the greater good of the game, if we allow the “best man” to win as much as possible. If some plays have to be reviewed and a few minutes have to be lost in the process, isn’t it worth it?

-Gil

Is Technology Hurting our Children?

With the advent of technology getting in touch with someone is as simple as sending a text message to that person.  Facebook has become so common that it has pretty much become a part of our vocabulary with people asking, "Are you on Facebook" or "I'll Facebook you."  Twitter has made it easy for people to share their thoughts or small details of their lives, within 140 characters of course.  People are so dependent on their mobile devices that when they lose or do not have them, they feel lost or out of touch with the world.  While I myself check my phone occasionally for my e-mails, I begin to wonder how this dependence on technology will harm our children in the long run. 

Updates, Thank you and Contests.

First of all, thank you to everyone that has visited the site and has become a fan of our Facebook page. We are constantly working hard trying to come up with more content to entertain you with and we hope you have liked what you've read so far.

Vote Gil for Mayor!

Most of my friends hated checking in. It sucked. It's summer, you're out with your friends, maybe biking in the park, or playing baseball and all of a sudden it's noon. Maybe it's four or six, it didn't matter, but you had to check in. If you were lucky there was a phone nearby or a friend's house. If not you had to jump back on your BMX bike and race home. Totally necessary, I'm not going to argue that, but it was an inconvenience at times.

Who would have thought that twenty years later we'd all be checking in for fun. I believe there are quite a few social networks or apps out there that you can use to check in, but the two that I'm most familiar with are Yelp and Foursquare.

Some people have argued that they can be dangerous, people can use them to figure out when you're out and where you are. You can be stalked by someone or your house could get broken into. Like anything, you have to use them with moderation and common sense. I've seen people use their homes as Foursquare locations, I'm not sure that's too bright. It's also cheating! Sort of.

There's a "competitive" aspect to Foursquare, you can become the Mayor of a location and you can collect badges for visiting locations or for accomplishments. Of course you can friend people, and you can also discover new places to visit. People can leave tips and businesses can have offers posted. Yelp is very similar, you can be a "regular" at locations, and you can also friend people there as well.

Both sites have apps which can be used to check in, my problem is that half the time I forget to check in! I'm going to have to write myself a reminder and stick it in my wallet or something. It's not that big of a deal, but the "competitive" aspect can be fun. I was the Mayor of my favorite bar for a while and I want my title back. The downside is that sometimes it can feel like a job of sorts. Like I said I forget at times, and when I do remember, checking in can feel like punching in. Especially on trips with multiple stops.

Overall, they're cool sites/apps to play with, and worth checking out. There's no cost, you can always delete them, and you might end up liking them.

-Gil 

PS - Lots of new music out. New Roots, Eminem, Wu-Tang, Chemical Brothers, and more.
PPS - I need money!

Video Game Time 6/22 Edition

So I know I've been behind with the E3 coverage, but today I'll cover what is coming out for the PS3 and the Wii. I'll do like I did with the last post and just make bullet points of what is being released for these systems.  Also, we have a few codes for Kratos and the Kart of Chaos for ModNation Racers.  Find out how to win these codes at the end of this blog.

Happy Father's Day.

In honor of Father's Day I just wanted to highlight a few post that we did here on Fandads.com.  Still looking for the perfect card for the dad that likes sci-fi, try this one out.   If this is your first Father's Day, enjoy the new perk of being a dad.  Also we were asked to write a few sentences for Paparocks6 about what Father's Day means to us.  Check it out when you can.  He rounded up a lot of great daddy bloggers for this post and you should check out these other blogs when you have the time. 

To all the fathers out there that read this blog thank you and we'll continue to try to write more stuff for you every week.
Thanks,
Victor & Gil

Ten Weeks

A couple of days ago.

Ten weeks.

Ten weeks until what? (I may have been watching the World Cup, or hunting down a member of the bandito gang at the time, I don't remember)

Umm...until BBC is born. (B.B.C. stands for baby babycakes, long story but it's a cutesy nickname we came up with for our baby, I mean what do you call your baby before you know whether it's a he or she? It? Sounds mean, doctors kept saying "baby", that sounded generic)

 

(Beat) Oh $#!%

  
This morning.

I couldn't sleep last night.

What's wrong?

I had a little panic attack I guess. 

(At this point I go on about how much we have to do, visit the hospital, take classes, etc. I freak out just a little bit)

What about when we have to walk the dogs and I'm all by myself and the stupid dogs have to go out and no one is around whatamIgoingtodo??

You can leave her sleeping and just swaddle her...

What the f@$% is a swaddle?

(now she's just laughing at me, I'm half sobbing at this point, and I'm half-kidding about it)

You're worried about swaddling? That's the last thing you should be worried about.

(She says something like that, or it's the least I should be worried about, which doesn't make me feel any better. She's laughing at me at this point)

-----

So, I'm going to be a father in about ten weeks or so. To my daughter I'd like to say...

Good luck kid.

----- 

Video Game Week on Late Night

I know I've been horrible about updating, but this will be quick and cool news. Next week Jimmy Fallon is going to have a "Video Game Week". They're going to show Microsoft's (360) Kinect, Killzone 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops, along with some other games. For more details click here.

-Gil

Video Game Time E3 Edition

Where to begin, there was so much announced today that today's Video Game Edition will pretty much be just bullet points of what was announced.

You Time: Why It's Important for Fathers, Husbands & Employees

You Time: Why It's Important for Fathers, Husbands & Employees

Read this article the other day and it really stuck a chord with me, especially after this weekend when my plans fell through twice.  I think as Fandads we really need to take the time to enjoy some quality time for ourselves and hang out with friends to rejoice our roles as fathers and also to exchange ideas and solutions.  Enjoy.

Video Game Time 6/8 Edition Fitness Time

I'm going to do something a little different with this weeks Video Game Time, I'm going to focus on fitness.  Now I am not a fitness expert, but being a parent you do need to be in decent shape to be chasing your toddler around.  Sitting around all day playing video games kind of takes a toll on your health, so you need to be a little more active to be prepared for parenthood. So today's edition is going to focus on exercise games and real life achievements/trophies.

Video Game Time 6/2 Edition

Today's Video Game Time is going to be short because there really isn't much released today.  The few games that were released today were Alpha Protocol (360, PS3), Pure Football (360, PS3) & The Sims 3:Ambitions Expansion Pack. (PC)  There is also a chance to win a DLC code for Modnation Racers at the end of today's column. 

Ultimate Geek Dad Giveaway!

It's doesn't have anything to do with us, but we thought that if you're reading this blog, you'd probably be interested in Think Geek's Ultimate Geek Dad Giveaway. Follow the link for more info and good luck!

PS-Think Geek is an awesome store and is a great place to buy dads and soon-to-be-dads *cough* *cough* cool gifts.

A Well Read Child.

Being an English Major I can safely say that I enjoy reading almost about anything and I am pretty well read in the classics.  For most of my courses I had to read a lot of stories: short, long, prose and many books that I probably would have never known about.  One semester I took a Young Adult Literature course and I had to read about 30 books for the semester, which seems like a lot, but those books were pretty short and quick reads.  Nowadays, I still try to find time to sit down and read something, but I'm mostly reading a lot of children books to my little girl.

Video Game Time 5/25 Edition

So last week I talked about Red Dead Redemption and all I could say is that this game is amazing.  I have only played a few hours of it already and it has sucked me in.  Riding around on the plains and skinning the animals I kill make this game so much fun.  I mean it's Grand Theft Auto in the wild west, so what can you not like about it.  I have yet to play online, due to the glitches that are out there, but I will soon and when I do I will start a posse or join one and have some fun adventures in New Austin.  Let's get to this weeks games.

Has It Been 30 Years? Wow!

So there we were, my parents, sisters and myself, waiting in a line that felt like it was ten miles long to a theater that looked tiny from where we were standing.  This was the first time we went to the Golf Mill Theater, but we came here because they just installed a new Dolby surround sound system and my dad wanted to experience it with the movie we were here to see.  So we drove for what felt like millions of miles and waited in an extremely long line to see a movie that had me anxious with excitement.  That movie was Empire Strikes Back.

LOST

 SPOILERS!!! Do not read if you're planning on watching the LOST finale.

Video Game Time 5/18 Edition

This weeks Video Game Time has a few games that will make me veg out in front of my television for hours or at least until the baby wakes up.  Rockstar games is taking us back to the ole' west with Red Dead Redemption. The game centers on John Marston as he tries to take down his old gang after federal agents threaten his family.  From the videos I've seen online, this game looks amazing and I can't wait to play this.  There are mexican stand-offs, train robberies, gun battles and side missions that will give you hours of gameplay.  One feature that has me excited is creating my own posse and taking them on missions and hunting down other gangs.  So, if you have a PS3, look out for me and let's do this! Red Dead Redemption will also be released on the 360.

Get Your Game On.

I guess the Fan Dads took the weekend off, but rest assured, we are back and better than ever. Or at the very least we're back.

If you're reading this blog I think it's pretty safe to assume that you like the Internet. Odds are, you like games as well, so I thought I'd write up a quick post about some of my favorite online games. All of these are free to play, but some ask for support or have ads. Support the ones you like if you can. Without further adieu, let's play!

A great site to start with is Neave.com. Not only do they have awesome versions of Frogger and Space Invaders, but they also have Snake. Do you remember snake, or games like it? It used to be on older cell phones, it is simple, but it is addictive. Canabalt is another game that has will have you hooked. It's like PK or Parkour meets prison break, 8-bit style. If you feel like slowing things up a bit, try your hand at Uncle's Old Times. It's a strange game, but something different to check out if you've got a bit of patience, and possibly a strange sense of humor.

Looking for something a bit more...existentialist or Kafkaesque? Try Before the Law, it'll only take you a couple of minutes. Small Worlds is another fun game. I played a while ago and recently stumbled across it again, and I'm glad I did. Oh and how could I forget Bloons? My wife and I were hooked on that a long time ago. For those of you on Facebook, there are tons of games, but the one that I spend my time one is a Risk clone called Attack. Check it out if you're a fan of Risk.

One more site I'd like to mention, although it isn't game related per se, is Stumbleupon.com. It is a great site/service that's completely free and gets better the more you use it. I've come across a lot of great sites by using it. Look for me on there if you decide to give Stumbleupon a look.

Well, I think I'm done for now, I see some 'bloons that need to be popped!

Sex! Drugs! Rock n' Roll!

Sorry, but the title has absolutely nothing to do with my post. I've been staring at the screen for a while now, I guess that's what happens when you don't write anything for over a week. It was a cheap tactic to get people to read my post, did it work?

Anyway, I've got a question for you? Are you one of those people who rents a movie and no matter how bad it is, you have to sit through it. I didn't think I was until this year, but I'll come back to that. I used to work at Blockbuster so I'd get my movies for free, if I didn't like it I didn't bother watching it. After I stopped working there, I usually just bought movies, and I only bought the ones I had already seen or knew I'd like. Okay, where am I going with this? Well, I'd hate to say it but Final Fantasy XII is a bad movie, and I can't stop watching it.

Did You Pee? Updated.

The story I wrote about last month "Did You Pee?" has been updated.  Click on the link to go to the updated story.

What is the Answer to the School Crisis?

Even though my little girl is only eight months old I am already thinking about her schooling.  Am I going to put her in a private school, in the public school system or home-school her?  Living in Chicago and seeing the constant news reports about the crumbling public school system it makes me wonder how schools will be when my daughter finally does attend.  Will her teachers be qualified?  What will the classrooms be like? There are a million questions that go through my head and I wonder why isn't anything being done about it now.

Video Game Time 5/11 Edition

Okay, so this weeks Video Game Time is a day late, but I'll make up for the tardiness with another contest, more on that later.  The one game that I'm really excited about this week is 3D Dot Game Heroes  for the PS3.  This game looks amazing and it's pretty much Zelda if you removed the over the top view. 

Fandads Favorite Mothers

With Mother's Day here, we at Fandads.com wanted to give a special salute to the mothers that we love. Now whenever list are made people tend to disagree or feel that their favorites are left out, but remember, this is just a few mothers that stick out to us. If you feel like your favorite mother was left out leave us a comment and we'll make sure she gets her due diligence.

So here is our list and enjoy.

Super 8 is confirmed!

Just last month Aint' It Cool News wrote about a team up between Steven Speilberg and J.J. Abrams in which the duo is working on a secret movie that will pay homage to Speilberg's early work.  No specific details have been released and with the way Abrams kept the Cloverfield trailer secret, we would have to wait until an official word is released.  Well, that wait is no more.  If you see Iron Man 2 this weekend you will see the first official teaser to this top secret movie called "Super 8."

Now the trailer has already been leaked online (search and you may still find it) and it captures your interest the same way the Cloverfield trailer did.  Not much is told, except that it's 1979 and items from Area 51 are being transported to a secure location in Ohio.  There's an accident and something is trying to escape one of the train cars.  Just seeing this made me wish next summer was here already.  That's right, we have to wait a whole year before this comes out.  Being that two of Hollywood's heavyweights are working on this movie together, I can only hope that it will be worth the wait. I think it will.

- Victor

Iron Man 2 - Movie Review

The summer movie season has begun and what better way to kick off the season than with Iron Man 2. As with most sequels there are either two ways that they can go: completely fail or succeed their predecessor. Iron man 2 doesn't surpass Iron Man, but it doesn't fail either. The movie continues with character development, introduces new characters and reminds us why Robert Downey Jr. is perfect for this role.

The movie starts off continuing from the end of Iron Man with Tony Stark revealing that he is Iron Man. As this scene plays off on a television in Russia we see Anton Vanko calling for his son Ivan, Mickey Rourke, and tells him that he should have been the one on the television. We are then shown Ivan with a blueprint for the Arc Reactor with both the names of Anton Vanko and Tony's father, Howard Stark. As he starts planning his revenge and making his own reactor the movie flashes forward to six months later.

Video Game Time 5/4 Edition

Last week I talked to you about how I was still playing God of War III and was having trouble beating Zeus. This week, same story. I've had only a few times to play because I am just caught up with Super Street Fighter IV on the PS3. Now I haven't played online yet, because I'm getting my moves right, but this game really brings me back to playing it at the arcades back in the day. Read on about some new games announced recently and our first ever contest for Modnation Racers beta codes.

Now on to this weeks game news. If you have finished God of War III, unlike me, you will know that you are taken to the website SpartansStandTall.com which showed a mysterious figure standing in the rain with what looked like a countdown in the upper right-hand corner. Many people believed this to be a teaser for the next game and it turns out they were correct. Coming later this year God of War: Ghost of Sparta will be released for the PSP. I think it's time I invested in getting one of those.

Read this before you buy your children's medicine.

This was released last Friday, but I think that more people need to know about this.

Consumer Reports on Safety: Recall: All lots of children's liquid Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Zyrtec

Although it seems like there is no immediate danger, parents need to be careful when buying medication for their children. According to the article "some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified; others contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles." Please pass this around and spread the word to any parents who might be looking for these brands to take care of their sick children.

-Victor

Marvel's Always Trying to Keep a Brother Down

The Punisher is and pretty much has always been my favorite comic book character. I've never been a fan of the "leaders" or the really super powered heroes. I mean what's the point? Is it really bravery or heroic if you're bulletproof, can fly, blow stuff up, throw cars into the air, and shoot lasers out of your eyes? I don't know, I've always been more into the more "realistic" heroes. Batman, Punisher, Spider-man, I know, I know he's got powers but he also has a lot of real world problems and shit just never seems to go his way.

I also know the Punisher's more of an anti-hero, and in some stories and according to some heroes, he's a straight up villain. I just think his reasons, his motivation, is second to none. His methods can't be argued against, well the results can't be argued against, I mean why lock up the Rhino for the 100th time, you know he's just going to get out again. But I digress...I'm here to tell you all about the greatest, and by greatest I mean worst, issue of The Punisher ever. Maybe.

I know Marvel and DC, hell comics in general love messing with characters. Retcon-ing storylines, killing characters and bringing them back to life, but has anyone been f'ed with as much as poor Francis Castiglione. First off, they throw him into Vietnam, then after going through that, he comes home only to see his family murdered in front of his eyes. Okay, so we needed that for him to become the Punisher, fine. He kicks ass for a while and then they kill him off. Or he kills himself off if I remember correctly. He comes back as a weirdo angel and that doesn't last long. He's back to being himself for a while again. Now in the last year he gets sliced and diced by Wolverine's son only to be brought back to life as a friggin' Frankenstein...err...Frankencastle monster. (That storyline is actually pretty good)

Anyway, in the middle of all that, this might be the worst thing that they've done to the Punisher.

 No, it's not that they made him black you jerks, it's that they put him in this story. I mean, the whole pigment thing is pretty stupid but whatever. If I remember correctly a few issues later it kind of just wears off or something. Oh before this he was cut up by his buddy Jigsaw and somehow a junkie in a first aid station fixed him up, but let's just move on...

Before this particular issue Frank had been blackmailed by the Kingpin, thrown in jail, and cut up by Jigsaw. He escaped, but went on the run, Microchip hooked him with some ex-junkie/hooker/plastic surgeon who fixes Frank up. However, the Kingpin is still after Frank so he decides to head to...as he puts it...to "Chi-town."

Ugh.

Really Marvel? Okay maybe he would have called it Chi-town even if he was still white or an angel or whatever. Moving on...

So Frank drives about nineteen hours straight to get to Chicago. The hooker/junkie/doctor gave him some speed if he needed it, but do you think that the Punisher is going to use trucker's speed, hell no, he's too hardcore for that. However, he's not hardcore enough to keep from dozing off and getting pulled over by...Alabama's finest?

Now remember, this is supposed to be Chicago. Granted this takes place about twenty years ago, but it's still Chicago. In 1991.

 
Although 1991 was the year Rodney King got beat down, hmm...maybe the writers were trying to make some kind of point?

I think my scanner is also trying to make a point, the most racist parts got edited out, but basically the cop pulls Frank over for swerving and asks him for his ID. Frank doesn't have any so he just keeps quiet, at this point the cops says, and I am not joking:

What's the matter, boy? Cat got your tongue?

Maybe the coon's got his tongue!

Answer me when I'm talkin' at you son!

You know the Punisher isn't going to take that crap from anyone. He gets into a melee that he's not going to win, but as luck would have it Power Man, Luke Cage...er...I mean Cage shows up and saves the day.

They get the hell out and head to the South Side. Frank passes out for a while, I guess major plastic surgery, driving for nineteen hours, and getting beat down by cops can do that to you. He wakes up, tells Cage that he recognizes him, and then makes him an offer he can't refuse.

Cash money? Umm...is it me? Maybe it's me, I don't know, maybe I'm reading these lines with some sort of bias or prejudice, but I don't know. There are a few more in this issue, Frank starts out every other sentence with man. Man, I just want to keep them away from the gangs. Man, this used to be a fine hotel. Or maybe Frank is just trying to act or talk the way he thinks he needs to or perceives...hmm...I don't know. Anyway, moving on...

The deal is, Frank knows about a stash at some hotel. Full of guns and money. Cage gets the "cash money" and Frank gets the hardware. Cage reluctantly agrees, they battle some El Rukens or El Rubens, depending on who you ask or what page you're on, and they make it to Frank's stash. Problem is that the money is long gone, but the guns are still there. Cage got played and he's not too happy about it. However, he needs some backup cleaning up the 'hood and I guess the A-Team is too busy or whatever so he makes another deal with Castle.

Let's rock. I don't know what else to say, oh notice how there's like duct tape all over where his skull usually is. I'm speechless. I know that I bought this comic when it originally came out so I must have the next issue somewhere. The only reason I read it this week is because it was one of the free comics my dealer gave out on Saturday. Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time but I'll leave you with another doozy from this issue.

-Gil

Black Wii Confirmed!

After a purported leak last week and Nintendo not commenting on rumors, it has been confirmed today that a black Wii is set to release in North America on May 9.The new Wii console comes with, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and the Wii MotionPlus accessory. The bundle will be available in black or white for $199.
Being that I own a PS3 and an Xbox Elite, I think the black Wii will look great with my current set up and finally remove the eye sore that is the white Wii. Now the only other question that Nintendo has to answer is: Are they ever going to make a HD Wii? Maybe this is something that they are waiting to announce for E3 or maybe this will never happen.

C2E2 with my Little Girl.

With yesterday being Free Comic Book Day, it got me thinking about my experience this year at C2E2 with my little girl. Every year I usually go to Wizard World all weekend and geek out with my fellow comic book enthusiast. I plan my days, make list of what I want to buy and just enjoy walking around and seeing the many sights that the con has to offer. Most of the times I go alone because plans with my friends fall through, but for the past few years I have taken my nephews and wife on Sunday, which is normally kids day.

With this year being the first year of C2E2, it was also the first year that I had a group of friends going and I also had someone else coming with me, my daughter. Now my daughter is only eight months old, but I though it would be fun to enjoy this day with her. After dropping my wife off at work, I got home made sure everything was packed and waited for my friend Gabriel to pick us up. I was kind of nervous and excited to attend the con, but I guess I was nervous about how my little girl was going to act to all the people in costume.

When we got there, we met up with fellow Fandad Gil and walked around for a bit on the show floor. The great thing about being there was that I saw so many other strollers being pushed around and as we passed each other by we would just smile and nod. Being at the con was now a completely new experience, because I was sharing my love for comics with my daughter and seeing other dads doing the same thing with their children. I saw many parents and their kids dressed up in costumes. I saw fathers explaining to their kids who the costumed characters were. At one point I saw a father and son going through back issues and getting excited about their findings. This was definitely a brand new world for me.

Some of the cool things about having my daughter with me was: her stroller was like Moses sometimes and people would part like the Red Sea when we walked by. The cart gave us extra storage, so it made it easier for us to carry our findings. (I strongly recommend getting the Mommy Hook for your stroller, because it really comes in handy) Lastly, having my daughter in the stroller really saved my back from carrying her around all day. Don't get me wrong, I love holding my daughter, but after a while the weight starts putting a strain on you and you have to put her down.

For most of the time we were there my girl was just chilling in the stroller looking around, smiling at the people, waving at others or just napping. We were having a pretty great time, but then it happened. The one thing I worried about was: How was my daughter going to react coming face to face with a costumed character? Walking around a corner we saw a character standing there that made my little girl lose it. Who was this character? Why it was none other than Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba her favorite show. As soon as she saw Brobee she started shaking with excitement. She was petting him, smiling and just giggling to see him in person. This whole meeting could have gone one of two ways: her freaking out and crying or the way it did go down, with smiles and laughs. It was the best thing I saw all day and I'm glad I had someone there to take pictures of the entire meeting. Her smile was contagious, even I got excited to see Brobee standing there. After our time with him and the pictures we took, my little girl was still looking in his direction as we walked away. I called my wife and told her about the meeting, the baby's reaction and she wished she could have been there to see it.

This year being the first of C2E2 and taking my daughter with me made it a really memorable experience. I feel that she enjoyed seeing the different people, meeting Brobee in person and I enjoyed sharing this world with her. I did return on Sunday with my wife, unfortunately Brobee was not around that day, so we just enjoyed the day walking around and seeing the showroom floor. With Wizard World a few months away I'm interested in seeing how that goes, but I know for a fact that next year when C2E2 comes around it will definitely be on our calendar of things to do.

-Victor

Holy Mjölnir!! It's Thor!!

Either it's perfect timing, coincidence or brilliant marketing, but the first picture of Marvel's newest movie, Thor, has been released a week before Iron Man 2 comes out in theaters. This is great for Marvel because it already starts planting the seeds to the uninitiated fans that do not know anything about the Asgard warrior. By releasing the picture now, fans can start brushing up on their knowledge and become acquainted with the story of Thor.

The photo release might also have something to do with the rumored secret scene at the end credits of Iron Man 2. Is this picture from that scene? All I have to say is that judging from the picture Chris Hemsworth looks ready to do battle with Loki and all who oppose him.Thor is set to release in theatres on May 6, 2011.

Need Something to Do?

Are you one of those people who's always complaining that there's nothing to do? I can get like that at times, I mean it really is true sometimes, there just isn't much to do at times. The kind of luck that I have, however, always assures me that when there actually is something to do, it tends to overlap with something else. That being said, tomorrow is one of those days.

Let's see, being that this is Fandads.com, I'll start out with the most relevant. Free Comic Book Day. Visit your local comic book pusher retailer and pick one or two up. A lot of stores are also having sales and/or special guests. On the Magic front there are usually plenty of events on any given Saturday, but tomorrow Pastimes is having a Magic Triathlon which seems like a unique and fun event.

If sports are more your speed, I think there's a fight on tomorrow night, heh. Mayweather v. Mosley is tomorrow night and if you think that's going to be a tough fight, the Hawks are also playing the hated Canucks. There's also a little event called the Kentucky Derby taking place tomorrow.

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, be safe and have fun, maybe I'll see you around.

-Gil

Did you Pee? Updated

Recently, while shopping for diapers, my wife and I noticed that the regular brand we buy changed the style of their diapers. Now when you walk down the diaper aisle there really isn't that many brands to choose from. You either buy Pampers, Huggies, Luvs or the store brand. Well, since our little girl was born we have been using Pampers, Swaddlers Sensitive, to be exact.

Secret Ending in Iron Man 2?

If you remember at the end of Iron Man there was a short scene after the credits where the audience is introduced to Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury. This scene almost came out of nowhere and it helped show that Marvel had big plans for their brand and their heroes already in the works. With Iron Man 2 being released in about a week and a half rumors are already starting about what to expect after the credits this time.

Rumors have stemmed from Tony Stark meeting or talking about Captain America and Thor, while other reports say that there is nothing after the credits. With the advance previews and screenings being shown throughout the country there have been confirmations that there is something at the end of the credits this time. Now, I want it to be a surprise to myself and anyone that reads this, so if you want to know there are ways to find out, but in the meantime, this bit of news has made the anticipation for Iron Man 2 even greater for me.

I think that with or without something extra after the credits Iron Man 2 is going to be on par with Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight and even Empire Strikes Back. These were sequels that got it right and made the audience more involved in the lives of the characters on the screen. Hopefully I am right about this, but either way I'm going to be there opening weekend.

See you at the theaters on May 7 or May 6 if I attend a midnight screening.

-Victor

Update - Have you seen this Mike Relm commercial for Iron Man 2. This thing is amazing.

The Perfect Father's Day Card

Just in time for Father's Day, Hallmark is releasing Star Wars Themed Video Greeting Cards. Being that this is going to be my first Father's Day can I say that I want one of these! What would be cooler than opening one of these in the morning and seeing a small video of fatherly advice from a galaxy far, far away.

Although the article doesn't say how many different cards are coming out it will be interesting to see how Hallmark uses this new format. These new cards have completely gotten me excited about Father's day

-Victor

Video Game Time 4/27 Edition

Being a father and a gamer it's hard to get some good quality game time. Whether, I'm changing diapers, cooking dinner or walking the dog, I usually have to find time to sit down and play my games. Fortunately, I do get to play and although I am behind in some of the newest titles, I do get to enjoy what I am playing at the moment. Currently I'm still playing God of War III and I am almost finished with it. It's taken me a while because I am playing it on Titan mode (I'll take you down Zeus!) but overall this game is a beast and I highly recommend it.

Today being Tuesday it's new game release day and of the few titles that are coming out today the one that I am looking forward to is Super Street Fighter IV. I have always been a fan of the Street Fighter games and always loved playing them at the arcades back in the day. Now I am not the best at this game, but I just like playing it and taking my chances with whoever I'm playing against. While everyone used Ken or Ryu my favorite character was Chun-Li. I loved getting in a groove and using her helicopter kicks to take out my opponent. Just using a girl to kicks the other guys butts made it even more fun, especially when they would laugh at my choice of character. Maybe it was her muscular legs, but I loved using her because she was a little under-rated.

I was able to get my copy of Super Street Fighter IV today and I can't wait to play it. This is an updated version of the game that was released in February of 2009 and contains 10 new characters, new bonus stages, new challenge mode and new Ultras. Some of the fan favorites that were not included in the February release have been added to this one, can you say Thunderslam? (T. Hawk reference) I have a few friends that are pretty well-versed in this game and I know that they will have fun in beating me to a pulp until I get the hang of it, but that's fine with me.

When the wife and baby are asleep and the dog has been walked for her last time of the night, I will sit down and try out Super Street Fighter IV and write a full review of what I think of the game. In the meantime, I will try to defeat Zeus and kill off some Zombies in Left 4 Dead 2.

-Victor

Notable releases
- Dead to Rights: Retribution (Xbox360, PS3)
- FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa (Xbox360, PS3, PSP, Wii)
- Nier (Xbox360, PS3)

My mind has been blown.

"But it’s the gameplay that’s really changed. First, you’re asked to don a headset, almost as if you’re playing Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

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. It’s unsettling and weird, at first. But then you get it. You’re the quarterback and what’s coming through the headset is similar to what comes through the helmet of, say, Jets phenom Mark Sanchez. The offensive coordinator is suggesting a play given the situation on the field."

Wow! I don't think I've been this excited about a Madden game for a long time. Do yourself a favor and read the article and then come on back!

See! What did I tell you? It sounds sweet, the team getting off the bus, (off the bus running if you're the Bears according to Lovie) and the stadium progressively getting filled. *drools*

Madden is one of those games that has a special place in my heart, and my wallet. Yes, I am one of those suckers that gets it every year, regardless of how much I've been warned. Some years it has failed, but it's Madden, you have to get it. I mean, Madden day should be a holiday, for reals. Surprisingly I can't find any examples of them at the moment, but some of the ads for Madden Day have been awesome. If I remember correctly some were about missing husbands/boyfriends and people missing work, heh.

It's not only that I'm a huge football fan, but I've got a lot of history with Madden. In high school we'd all would rush to my cousin's house after school or practice to get some games of Madden in. Everyone had their teams, I had the Bears, my cousin was always Detroit, and we had friends who were the Falcons, Eagles, Broncos, Raiders, and Buffalo. We'd have tons of people playing at my cousin's house and it was always a blast.

In later years it became a staple of Sunday mornings. Everyone would watch football at another cousin's house and most of us would get there a bit early and play Madden before the weekly NFL games. Some of these contests would get amazingly heated, I remember one game where one of our friends demanded a rematch and anted up a hundred dollar bet. Playing two on two was especially interesting. "What the hell are you doing!" "Noooooo!" "Mother#$%!$@!"

During the holidays we'd play a tournament to see who would be the family champ. I even got a trophy made one year, the magnificent "Hoyne Street Cup". (It's like six inches tall, heh) In the last couple of years we haven't been playing as much, this past year I think we busted out the Magic cards but that's a whole other story. That being said, if Madden 11 lives up to the hype, I think Thanksgiving and Christmas just got a little bit more interesting.

Madden 11 is set to release on August 10th for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PSP.

The Losers - Movie Review

Nowadays it seems like Hollywood is running out of ideas for movies that they are either: remaking older films, making films based on television shows or hitting the comic book stores to see what's hot. The Losers falls into the comic book category, but could easily fall into any of the previously mentioned categories.



The Losers is based on a DC/Vertigo comic that is in itself an updated version of a World War II DC comic about a rag-tag group of soldiers. Even though it's roots are based in comics, the movie feels like it could have been filmed in the late 80's, early 90's when action movies were running rampant in theaters. The film also feels like it could have been a television series with new adventures every week, a la The A-team, but that I will get into later.

The basic premise of the movie is that The Losers, Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Jensen (Chris Evans), Roque (Idris Elba), Pooch (Columbus Short) and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada), are betrayed, left for dead and decide to clear their names and get revenge on the mysterious Max, played with uncanny sarcasm by Jason Patric. This plot sounds similar to The A-team and that is where the similarities end; there is no signature vehicle, no iconic catch phrase and no crazy teammate, although Chris Evans character does seem a little off sometimes.

As soon as the movie begins we see the bond between the team and could tell that they have gone on various missions before, so there really isn't any genesis of the group. This is great because we are not caught up in learning their back stories and why they do what they do, instead the director throws us right into the story. The men are about to bomb a drug lords factory in Bolivia when they see a bus load of kids arrive to be used as mules. The team tries to abort the mission, but the mysterious Max interrupts their communications and tells the pilot to carry out the bombing. With only eight minutes before the bombs are dropped the team race to save the kids and leave before the whole place goes up in smoke. The men succeed, save the kids, but their rendezvous chopper has enough room for only the kids. The men tell the kids to be safe and as the chopper departs it is shot down in front of the them. "That was supposed to be us" says Clay into the camera and the team are now left for dead and stranded in Bolivia.

Flash forward four months and the team is now making due in their new home, working in a doll factory and betting on cock fights, when Clay is approached by Aisha (Zoe Saldana). She makes Clay and the team an offer to get them back into the States and will help them with what they need to bring down Max. Max is played with brilliant sarcasm and over the top evil that I think people will be divided with Jason Patric's performance. Some people will find him as too much, while others will get it and sit back and enjoy the performance. His miss-communication during a meeting with his second-in-command Wade on the rooftop will have you laughing, even though you shouldn't be.

As with all action movies there are a few plot twists, someone goes bad and a hidden agenda is revealed, but that plays well within this movie. The Losers is a fun ride and I think that's what people should expect when sitting down in their seats. The movie has sharp witty dialogue and constantly keeps you invested in what's happening on the screen. The two performances that stood out to me were that of Jason Patric and Chris Evans. Evans is the scene stealer of the movie with his over the top performance and his eye catching t-shirts, (you'll see what I mean.) To me the funniest line he says is "Look at me, I got a crossbow" or something to that effect.



The movie is action packed and a good time to be had. The movie leaves it open for a possible sequel and I would like to see more adventures from The Losers, but it's up to the fans to decide that. Definitely check out this movie this weekend and be prepared to enjoy yourselves and leave the theater wanting more and humming Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Trust me, you'll love the way they use the song.

3 four sided dice out of 4.

-Victor

Music Review - Rise Up

Wow what a coincidence! It's April 20th and both the new Cypress Hill CD and Cheech and Chong DVD dropped today! Amazing. That's right, the new Cypress Hill CD, Rise Up, hit shelves today. Being a long time fan of the Hill, I immediately picked it up. It's been a few years and I was looking forward to giving it a listen.

Let me start by saying that a lot of the songs had a "lo-fi" feel to them. It works on some songs, on others, not so much. There are a lot of great guest artists on the album. Tom Morello, Mike Shinoda, Everlast, Mark Anthony, and Pitbull just to name a few. I wasn't aware that Evidence and the Alchemist were also on the record and I was pleasantly surprised to see them on the fourth track, "Pass the Dutch". If you're not familiar with them, stop reading this and pick up some Dilated Peoples records, right now.

Yes, there are references to marijuana on this record. There are also sketches by Cheech and Chong. If you've heard a Cypress Hill album before you know what you're getting yourself into. The Morello songs are good ("Rise Up" and "Shut 'Em Down") but nothing special, it's like they really wanted them to be these epic, kick ass songs, but they kind of just fall flat. Besides they've done it before on Skull and Bones, and they did it better.

"Carry Me Away" is one of the better tracks on the album, it works. "Armanda Latina" seemed like a bad idea at first. It's the song that's been playing on the radio, so you may have heard it. Marc Anthony, really? Well, it might be the best song on the album. B-Real flows on it, the hook works, and it's catchy. A bit pop-ish, sure, but Cypress Hill has always been right on the edge.

I'm not a music critic by any means, so take this all with a grain of salt. I'm also a little bias as Cypress Hill is one of my favorite bands, so I'm going to have to give it...wait a minute. Stars won't work, that's played out and it's not the Fandad way.

So, as much as it pains me, I'm going to give Rise Up, 2 four sided dice out of 4.

-G. Real

The New Perk to Being a Dad or The Extra Gift.

When we decided to start FanDads I started thinking of what type of content we could add to the site that would make it interesting and informative for other FanDads out there. I knew we would write about the things that we love: movies, comics, cartoons & video games, but what else can we add. Then I started thinking about about this year; my first as a father, then it hit me.

Every year we get about 4 gifts from our wives for the holidays: birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and if lucky, Sweetest Day. I know Sweetest Day isn't a real holiday, but some people celebrate it. Now that I'm a dad I'll get an extra gift: Father's Day.

Yes, Father's Day. Remember when you were younger and you would try to figure out what to get your father. You would talk to your friends or siblings and try to find that great gift and end up getting him a tie or a belt. I never want to get a tie or belt, but if I do it better be a Star Wars tie or belt.

I think that being a Fandad will make it exciting when Father"s Day comes around, because we might get a gift card for a video game, or a graphic novel that we've been wanting, or even that one Blu-ray movie that you haven't been able to find. The possibilities are endless.

I know that this year's Father's Day will be an exciting one for me because it's my first & because I will just be excited to see what I will get. Even if it is a tie or a belt.

-Victor

C2E2

C2E2 has come and gone. It feels like Christmas Day and I just finished opening my presents. Now what? I hadn't been to a comic book convention in years, I used to attend Wizard World every year, but for the past few years I've been out of the "scene".

I spent all of Friday walking around visiting vendors and artists. I met Max Brooks and got him to autograph my copy of World War Z. I also talked to one of my all time favorite artists/authors/creative geniuses, David Mack, for a while. I ran into a few familiar faces and saw pretty much everything there was to be seen. I was there all day and I left exhausted. I parked over a mile away, I figured that I could spend the $19 it cost for parking on better things, but on the way back to the car I started to regret it.

Saturday afternoon I met up with Victor and some of his friends. He also had his baby Sofia with him. That was an interesting experience and a glance of sorts into my future. Not that he was the only one pushing a stroller through the traffic, I was happy to see a lot of people and couples carrying babies, pushing strollers, and chasing toddlers. Unlike other venues or events, no one looked twice and none of it seemed out of place. Strollers and Stormtroopers side by side.

I was also planning on playing Magic on Saturday. A new set of cards, Rise of the Eldrazi, is coming out next week and there were prerelease events going on everywhere including C2E2. I registered and our event started about 1:00. I wasn't too excited with the cards I ended up getting, but I made a playable deck and entered the fray. After everything was said and done I did not fare too well, I ended up with a 1-3 record, but I did win a booster pack of cards and I got to see and play with the new set. So overall, I really couldn't complain. That was enough excitement for one day and I headed out for dinner with the wife, I kept smelling Connie's Pizza all day Friday and Saturday so we went there for dinner. I wasn't going to pay nine bucks at the con for a slice and a pop!

The next day was going to be interesting. I was bringing my wife Melissa and my nephew Rex along with me. It was Kid's Day at C2E2 and they had events lined up especially for kids. Kids could take pictures with their heroes, learn to draw, and make comics, along with other activities.

Once again, I was getting a taste of what lies ahead for me in the near future. My nephew was very excited, he called his grandma (my mom) the night before to tell her he was going to meet Spider-Man. He was telling his parents that he was going to say "Hello Peter Parker!" (I was wondering why he'd want to reveal Spider-Man's secret identity and put him and his family in danger, but I guess a three year doesn't look at the big picture) Rex was even up at six in the morning ready to go. Of course as soon as we got there he changed his tune. He's kind of shy at times and I think the masks scared him at first. We ran into Thor, some Stormtroopers, and Darth Vader at first. Admittedly, to a three year old, those could be a bit scary. It took us a while but we finally found Spider-Man and it made his day. He loosened up and started enjoying himself as the day went on.

It was also nice to expose my wife to the madness. It's always a little scary to bring someone into your world, obviously my wife knows who and what I am, (nerd!) but comic book conventions can be a little...unique. That being said, she enjoyed herself. She especially liked Artist's Alley, there are such talented artists out there, and she was really impressed by their work.

I also visited with David Mack again briefly. On Friday when I spoke with him, I mentioned that I had kind of been "out of the game" for a while and he gave me one of his newer books for free. I took it home and read it that night and really enjoyed it. For those of you not familiar with him, he did some work on Daredevil, but he is probably best known for Kabuki. If you can, pick up "The Alchemy", it's a good starting off point if you're not familiar with his work.

After a couple of hours all of the excitement and walking started wearing us down. We took a look at a few more things, I snapped a couple more pictures and we started our journey home.

C2E2 was a great weekend and a fun event. I was reminded of great memories from the past, and gave me a glimpse of my future. It made me think, and inspired me to write some more, but I'll leave that entry for another day...

-Gil

C2E2 10: Star Wars BDs in the Works - Blu-ray News at IGN

Star Wars saga coming out on Blu-ray was announced today at C2E2 during the "Celebrating Star Wars" panel. This is something that a lot of us have been waiting for and hopefully Lucas doesn't skimp out on the extra content. IGN has the official statement from Lucasfilm Director of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet.

Maybe we'll finally see the sandstorm footage, Threepio removing the warning sign from the door on Hoth (shown in the original tralier at the 1:31mark), Anakin beating up little Greedo and a Jar Jar less Menace (I know this one won't happen, but I can wish). Until them, read the article below and let the conversations amd criticisms begin.

C2E2 10: Star Wars BDs in the Works - Blu-ray News at IGN

C2E2 or Does My Baby Really Need New Clothes?

Today was the first day of C2E2 and normally I would be there bright and early with my books ready to be signed and agenda for my entire weekend, but unfortunately, this was not the case today. Instead I was running errands with my wife and shopping for stuff for my little girl. Don't get me wrong I love being with my family and I was a little upset that I couldn't be with my fellow geek Gil, but sometimes you need to set your priorities straight.

Since my little girl was born, I've noticed that I don't hit the toy aisles as often as I used to, or I tend to skim the DVD section and second guess myself from buying the new season of Lost. Why do I do this, because I know that my little girl comes first now and her formula and diapers are a little more important, I can't be giving her Red Bull and using newspapers as diapers. I do buy figures every now and then and Netflix has saved me from buying every DVD that I want to get.

Having my little girl has not stopped me from being a fanboy, in fact the cool thing is I still get to enjoy the convention on the weekend and take my little girl with me. I get to show her what daddy finds cool and share with her the fun of being with others with similar interest. I hope this is the beginning of a tradition between my little girl and me.

I remember going to the Chicago ComicCon, before Wizard bought them out, with my father and enjoying walking around and looking at all the comic books. Just this past Tuesday my dad called me to tell me about the show and if I was going. Even though he doesn't go with me anymore, he always asks keeps me informed of upcoming shows.

So this weekend at C2E2 if you see a guy with a green stoller and a little girl with a Spider-man shirt, say what's up and share with me your Fandad stories, maybe I'll post it up for others to see.

-Victor

P.S. After getting home from our errands, I got an e-mail with passes to see The Losers on Tuesday night, so the day wasn't a total loss.

Genesis of Fandads: Origins

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." - 1 Corinthians 13:11

There are tons of inspirational quotes out there, just Google inspirational quotes or type in "words to live by" and you'll get over half a million results, but this passage from the bible is one of my favorites. If I'm not mistaken Cereal Killer even quotes it in Hackers. (which if you haven't seen, you should, at the very least just to check out Angelina Jolie)

I guess it resonates with me because I'm not sure if I've ever been able to "put away childish things". I may interpreting it too literally but I still derive a great deal of joy from video games, comic books, movies, and other kinds of gaming. I also know that I am definitely not the only one. Being a "geek" has definitely become more mainstream. Lance Briggs of the Chicago Bears is an avid comic book reader. The Big Bang Theory is one of the most watched shows on television. Several movies based on comic books are made every year and most are quite successful at the box office. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, maybe I'm still trying to rationalize why I spend time and money buying books about a monkey hitman. (from the pages of Deadpool in case you were wondering)

I know what you're thinking, well you might be thinking; did he mean a hitman who only kills monkeys or a monkey who happens to be a hitman? (it's a monkey who is a hitman, btw) Sorry I'm rambling now, what you really might be thinking is what is this all about? It's about an idea, to start a blog about geeky stuff and about being a dad. Raising a child and working on this whole being a "adult" thing without forgetting how to have fun. I know it's been done, there are tech blogs and geek blogs, and geeky dad websites, but what the hell, everything's been done before. Maybe we can do it a bit differently.

We? You noticed, good for you. Along with me for the ride is Victor Aragon, he's my Obi-Wan, I'm his Padawan learner. I'm Peter Parker to his Uncle Ben, or something like that. He's already entered the realm of fatherhood, and is a fellow geek. He's also been working on a comic and some other things that will fit in nicely on our little website. Along the way we'll have polls, forums, photos, comics, reviews, and a whole lot of other content.

I think that about wraps things up, except for something I sort of hinted at. I too will soon be a daddy. My wife is due in August. Wish me luck, I know my kid's going to need it, his dad's kind of an idiot.

-Gil