Preparations for CalvinBall

This...Is...CalvinBall

Credit for this fantastic piece of art goes to http://www.robotpencil.org/

Get an Extra-Life

It's that time again! For the past 2 years I have participated in one of the most fun and what I feel meaningful fundraisers, and it's time to get ready for round 3.

Extra Life began in 2008 as a way of honoring a young lady named Victoria Enmon. Tori’s battle against acute lymphoblastic leukemia inspired the Sarcastic Gamer Community in a way that is difficult to describe. Members sent in video games and bought gifts to keep Tori’s spirits up despite numerous hospital stays and three bouts with the deadly disease. Tragically, we lost Tori to cancer in January 2008. Later that year, I asked my partners at Sarcastic Gamer if they would be interested in Extra Life, a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money for the hospital that treated and fought beside Tori. In 2008 and 2009 Extra Life raised a combined $302,000, 100 percent of which went directly to help kids like Tori at my local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital (Texas Children’s Hospital). While thousands of gamers, more than 100 websites and more than 12,000 donors were happy to support Extra Life, many expressed their desire to raise money to help kids closer to home. In what I can only consider destiny, in 2009 I left behind my radio career and went to work full-time for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as a Radiothon Director. This life-changing event gave me unique insight into an incredible non-profit organization that helps kids all over the United States and Canada. I quickly realized that Children's Miracle Network Hospitals would be the perfect solution to expand Extra Life into more communities. This year, when you sign up to play video games for 24 hours on Oct. 20, 2012, you won’t just be raising money for kids. You’ll be supporting LOCAL kids and their families. Kids right in your own backyard. All the money you raise for Extra Life 2012 will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice.

I will literally be up for 24 hours playing every console/PC/iOS game I can get my hands on. The best part is i'ts all for the kids, every penny goes to a great cause, and I am proud to say that I am a part of it.  Also if your on any system and want so help keep me up, my handle on almost everything is "Mythicgriffon" (Of course)

This year we are looking to break last years fundraising record and I sincerely hope we do. Of course none of this is possible without the support of all you gals/guys!

 I'm gonna keep this short, but please support me and help me reach my goal, only 2 weeks to go!

 

A Father of a Padawan

I went to bed last night and I dreamed of sitting in my living room and having a Star Wars Marathon.  It included my daughter "The Munchkin" a couple of Pizza's, and an introduction to a science fiction fantasy world.  When I awoke this morning, the feeling had not gone away, and I knew it was time.  It was time to introduce the Munchkin to the world built by George Lucas.

After a long day of work I headed home, eager to get to a DVD player, where I could watch the first episode (episode IV for the purest our there).  I picked the Munchkin up from Daycare and I told her the plan.

Me: I have a surprise for you
Munchkin: What is it!?!
Me: Were going to go home, have your favorite food and watch the first Star Wars
Munchkin: YAY! I'm finally old enough?
Me: Yes Padawan, you are old enough. The Force is strong with you...

Image by James Chance

This was the actual conversation.  Arriving home, I quickly ordered a couple of pizzas, poured us some Root Beers and it had begun.  Now I have to point out a couple of minor details, the DVD we were watching was the High Definition re-release 3 pack with George Lucas changes, it was not the Blu-Ray, I couldn't find my VHS collection copy.  I had thought this wasn't going to be a big deal until we began watching.  Little things bothered me, and I wondered how it was going to affect the Munchkin.  Simple things, like Han NOT shooting first, The conversation between Solo and Jabba, most of Aunt Berus' lines changed (possibly a different actress VO'ed). Little things like this bothered me.  I want to know that even with these changes, will my Munchkin be affected by these films as much as I was as a child?  I worry for our next generation.

Now I have seen many debates about the order that you should present these films.  From Chronological order, to the original release order all the way down to an alternating order of I - IV - II - V - III - VI.  Even Wired's Geek dad has an opinion on how to watch these sacred films. I felt the best way to present them was the way they were presented to me IV - V - VI and maybe the prequels when shes older (Damn you Jar Jar).

After finishing episode IV, the Munchkin asked if she could watch the next one, but it was late, and I have to work in the morning, so I told her the next movie night we would watch.  She was very appreciative, and glad she got to watch it.  Now I sit here thinking about what I have done.  I have begun a chain of events that will alter the way the Munchkin views sci-fi for the rest of her life.  I am literally sitting here typing this, figuring out a way to get a hold of the original VHS copies so I can show her the original format.  So here we are at almost the bottom of this blog post and I am sure you are wondering why I am going on a tangent, well here is the reason - At the end of Return of the Jedi, when Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda appear as ghosts of the Force to Luke Skywalker, the "Edited" versions show Hayden Christiansen instead of Sebastian Shaw.  Now when the Munchkin sees this person, she will have no idea who that is, he is not show anywhere else in all 3 of the original films.  How do I explain that? Am I forced to show her the prequels so she understands? Do I skip episode I and go straight to II.  This is the thing that keeps me up at night.  I don't want to confuse her, I want her to enjoy it, just as I did as a child.  A world of Light Sabers, Space Ships, Dark vs Light.  What is a father to do in the best interest of his child?

Well i'll tell you what I am going to do, I am going to scour the online universe and find the original un-edited versions of the series and continue from there. Yes I may pay an arm and a leg (possibly my next newborn?) but it is the only way to protect my child from the taint that is the "edited" versions of a once great series.  I never thought it was an actual issue before, but that was before I sat on a floor made of blankets and pillows, enjoying a piece of pizza and root beer, with the next generation of sci-fi fans.  I hope that you take this in when you decide it's time to show your child the series.  Watch Episode IV before you make any decisions and see there reaction, hopefully that will determine how you can proceed.  I am interested in what other dads think, or have done, to let there children be broken into the series. 


May the Force be with you... Always

Galveston County Cook-Off weekend

It's that time of year again, I can almost smell the barbecue.  This weekend April 19th - 21st I will participate in one of the most fun Barbecue Cook-Off competitions down in Galveston County Texas.  This will be my 3rd proud year with the "BeefMasters" team.

In my 3 years with the team i've gone from not knowing the difference between grilling and barbecuing, to entering in my personal chicken wing recipe and making it to second cut.  I'm hoping to place in at least the top 5 this year.  I plan on stuffing myself with Ribs, Brisket, Chicken, Fajitas, Kabob, and Chicken wings.

Its a great time, and I look forward to it every year.  If you live in the Houston area I highly recommend you come and check it out, and come stop by and say hi, i'll have a cold beer waiting for you!

*Logo provided by Casey Dockendorf*

The Halo Effect

I'm a PC guy, I have been for years.  I remember working on an Apple IIe and thinking "this will never be like Windows" and "This is the worst operating system ever, why does it always crash?".

Here I sit, holding my iPhone in my hand, wondering why I went so long without hopping on the bandwagon.  I used to swear by Android devices, I had the limited edition Star Wars R2-D2 Droid for a long time, proclaiming that it was the greatest phone ever made.  Now with this tiny sleek/smooth/keyboardless device, I've felt more connected than I ever have with any other cell phone.  When I say connected, I mean that in a social network sense.  On a daily basis I am using Instagram, Oink, Path, Pinterest, along with the cross platform Facebook and Twitter apps.  I am engaged on this device on a whole other level than I ever was with my Android device.  Now don't get me wrong, I still like Android and I think that it has a fantastic OS but I just feel it has too many options for me to want to manage.  As I get older I want things to be simple.  Does that make me a fanboy?

I was against the iPhone/iPad/iPod for years, but now that I have one, and I am using it, I regret I didn't start earlier.  The worst thing of all, is that with so much use of my iPhone, I have now convinced myself that I want a Macbook air.  I tell myself "I'ts okay, you always have your Windows PC to fall back on" but how long until I want that replaced too? (Not likely, considering how many video games I play and Apple lacks the library)  So how did I convince myself I wanted a Macbook air you ask?  Easily, development.  I've been toying around with the idea to develop apps/programs for the past 6 months now.  I've been working in Javascript and self teaching myself C++, but to what end? What did I want to develop?  The end-all answer is an app for the iPhone.  By accepting that fact I had a starting point, a launch pad from where to my creative ideas could pour.  Of course I could download the SDK and get it to work in a Windows environment, but I would prefer to work on it in it's native OS.  Thus birthed the idea to get a new laptop...

All of this because I finally used an iPhone.  Apple has caused this Halo effect and I have fallen completely down their rabbit whole.  Soon I will be on of those users, in the Apple store, swapping stories with the kid over the counter at the Genius bar *Shudder*.  Now I just have to tell my parents...

Skyrim cover Saturday!

So today I woke up this morning, and while surfing the internet, I stumbled across a couple very cool covers of "The Dragonborn Comes" from Skyrim, composed by the very talented Jeremy Soule.  I was really blown away by how good this song was.  So digging deeper in the land of tubes I found another collaboration with other Youtube artists that was equally satisfying.  The original was performed by a very talented young woman named Malukah from Monterrey, Mexico.

Being the fan of Skyrim that I am, I felt it was my duty to share these renditions of one of the greatest video game songs to be released last year.  I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I did!

And here is the YouTube Mashup that just lends that extra something to this song.

Credits go out to:

Malufenix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9TdDCWN7g
Noahlittlejohn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcf1xnzt0OM
Mr Dooves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwgeulqt-jI
Maluka Mr Dooves Duet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7vrQKLpklI

Finally, for all you metal heads, a cover of the same song by Charlie Parra del Riego who is well known for his other video game metal covers.

I always appreciate other peoples takes on video game music, and these artists are extraordinary!  Enjoy and Happy Saturday everyone!