A SciFi Book Review: LORDS OF THE SITH

 **Warning Minor Spoilers**

I recently finished the newest Star Wars novel, LORDS OF THE SITH, written by Paul S. Kemp and found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Most of the Star Wars books I've read over the last few years have been pretty underwhelming and disappointing so I began reading this story without high expectations, but found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed this action packed novel.  I guess it takes a fellow Michigander like Paul S. Kemp to pen a quality story that will appeal to an adult audience of Star Wars fans like myself.  The novel starts out with an action packed space battle that reinforces why Darth Vader is a villain to be feared and wraps up with a jungle trek that shows why a menacing foe like Vader still bows down on one knee to Darth Sidious (aka Emperor Palpatine) as his Master.

LORDS OF THE SITH takes place a few years after the fall of the galactic republic and has Emperor Palpatine preserving order and allegiance to his imperial rule through military might.  The public, nor his military establishment,  realize that he is the powerful Darth Sidious and perceive Emperor Palpatine as an elderly and fragile politician.  On the other hand, Vader is not in the public eye but rather lurks in the shadows as an enforcer of the Emperor's most important mandates.  Rumors of Darth Vader's immortal feats are beginning to circulate throughout the galaxy adding a sense of fear to the public that the Emperor's minion is not one you want to cross.  The public doesn't really know if Darth Vader is fact or fiction until he is coming for them and by that time it is too late.  With this stage set, the Emperor finds himself with a firm grip of control over his Empire with only one person who could potentially challenge his dominion, Darth Vader.  So Darth Sidious sets out to test Vader's loyalty and demonstrate why the Emperor is the most dangerous and powerful of the two.

While the title would make you believe this is the principal storyline of the book, the relationship conflicts between the Lords of the Sith play a secondary role.  The main plot revolves around a character that was originally introduced in the Clone Wars animated television series named Cham Syndulla.  Cham appeared in two episodes of the Clone Wars leading a band of Twi'lek freedom fighters when their home planet Ryloth is invaded by the Separatist army during its battle with the Republic.  Now these freedom fighters are standing up against the Empire which has taken control of Ryloth and is abusing its population as a source of slave labor and depleting the planet's resources as the Imperials mine it for a mineral known as Ryll Spice which is a favorite narcotic used by many species throughout the galaxy.

Cham's efforts to bring down Imperial control of Ryloth are one of the first significant "rebel" challenges to the Empire's power and a spark for things to come in the Star Wars universe.  While no characters from the Star Wars: Rebels television show appear in this story, LORDS OF THE SITH does a great job of establishing a canonical bridge between that series and Clones Wars.  You see Cham's daughter is named Hera, who is one of the main characters in Star Wars: Rebels, and what transpires during LORDS OF THE SITH plays a big part in how Hera Syndulla gets to where she is at when the Rebels storyline begins.

You know Cham isn't going to win in the end of this story because it takes place well before the events of A New Hope ( aka the original Star Wars movie) but he provides a thrilling story that kept me enthused about finishing the book.  True Star Wars fans will appreciate  how this book lays a foundation for future events within the franchise and does a nice job of linking references from the prequel movies and Clone Wars tv series to the Star Wars: Rebels show and the original movies.

John Jackson Miller's book A New Dawn was supposed to be the setup book for Star Wars: Rebels, but because that novel really wasn't very interesting or well written I'd recommend skipping over that book if you haven't already read it and stick with Lords of the Sith as a bridge between the Clones Wars years and the Rebels time period.  Kemp really does a nice job of referencing other Star Wars events into the book, but it was also refreshing that he adds new characters, monsters, locals and scenarios into his book.  Too often authors writing Star Wars novels rely too much on the same established characters, creatures and settings that for me makes those stories uninspired and boring...I'm so sick of Rancors being used as monsters and stops on Tatooine - give us some new original monsters and locals please it is a big galaxy...and I was pleased that Kemp has done a nice job of using familiar but not over used elements while also putting his own original touches into the story.

So how does Cham and his band of Twi'lek freedom fighters get Darth Vader and the Emperor stranded in a dangerous alien jungle fighting against vicious Ryloth wild predators, treasonous Imperials, and Syndulla's forces hunting them down?  You'll have to read the book to find out!

LORDS OF THE SITH gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because for casual Star Wars fans it provides a fun action packed SciFi adventure and for die hard fans it adds some great foundational elements to the canon of the franchise further tying together the movies and television series.  This book is suitable for tweens and up.

Turbo F.A.S.T. Television Series Activity Sheets & DVD Giveaway

I remember the weekend before TURBO hit theaters back in 2013 we were making the hour drive to visit my parents and every few miles along our route on the highway we'd see these huge promotional ads on billboards featuring the racing snails from the movie that got my son excited every time we drove past one.  That hooked our family into going to see the film the next weekend and my son's been a huge fan of the movie and its characters ever since.  So he was pretty bummed to find out from friends at school that Turbo and his racing snail friends have their own animated television series that he couldn't watch because we don't subscribe to Netflix.  I'm sure my son's going to be really thrilled when I surprise him with the first season of Turbo F.A.S.T. when it is released on dvd and via digital download on June 2, 2015.

Thanks to our friends at Fox Home Entertainment our family is receiving the Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd package features the 26 episodes of the Netflix televison show's first season to view. That's 9 hours of fantastic snail racing action!  We're not leaving our A Geek Daddy blog readers out in the cold though! Fox Home Entertainment has provided us some fun Turbo F.A.S.T. themed activity sheets to share plus one lucky blog reader will win a Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd/digital download prize pack of their very own.



Race your kids to see who can race through the maze first. That snail is fast!



These word puzzles are a nice way to pass the time. Print this out for a rainy day or for a long card ride.



Build your own paper creation of Turbo the racing snail. Download then print out these activity sheets for best clarity and quality.

For a chance to win Turbo F.A.S.T. you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday June 7, 2015:

Congrats to Ray from Toledo who won the Turbo F.A.S.T. dvd collection!

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be TURBO FAST. (1 Entry)

Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post share who your favorite member of the F.A.S.T team is. (2 Entries)

All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

"Turbo Fast" Season One
Start your engines... and rev up the fun! From DreamWorks Animation, creators of the hit movie Turbo, comes the high-speed animated series that takes comedy, action and excitement to the extreme. Join the world's fastest snail and his Fast Action Stunt Team as they put their elite skills to the test against all- new opponents on and off the track. It's a Turbo-charged collection of heart-racing thrills!

For more information, visit teamturbofast.com



DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.

Fifth Sun T-Shirt Review & Giveaway

 ** This post was made possible by Fifth Sun.  I was provided the featured products for free but all opinions expressed are honest and my own **

When the weather heats up and my kids are out of school, I want to be casual and comfortable so a few good t-shirts are a mainstay of my summer wardrobe.  With two young children at home, I want to make sure I'm donning clothes that can weather outdoor adventures and childhood messes with a sense of geek chic.  Being a dad doesn't mean you have to lose all your sense of style. So I always have my eyes out for a good comfy & stylish t-shirts that I can sport during the summer months while doing outdoor chores, playing with my kids or working out.

Fifth Sun, a leading supplier of graphic apparel for the retail industry for the retail clothing industry, generously provided my son and I some samples of the t-shirts that can be purchased from their web site www.fifthsun.com.  They design and produces unique t-shirts for well-recognized brands including Angry Birds, Star Wars, and Nintendo. Of course they caught my attention when I found out about the large selection of Star Wars gear they have available. You can find Fifth Sun apparel in over 3,500 independent stores, retail clothing chains such as Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, and Old Navy, in addition to most major national chains such as Target, JCPenney, Kohl’s, and Walmart.  Understanding that many consumers appreciate the convenience of shopping online, Fifth Sun is selling some its most popular retail designs in addition to exclusive t-shirts unique to its website through www.fifthsun.com.

You have to admit it is a thrill to get a fun package in the mail.  The t-shirts we ordered from fifthsun.com were delivered very quickly and nicely packaged.  My son picked out shirts featuring Batman, the Justice League, and his favorite video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.  I'm always nervous about ordering clothes online because you don't want to get them and they don't fit, but all his t-shirts were a good fit...and they didn't shrink in the wash!

Growing up in the Motor City of course I have an appreciation for classic cars and auto racing, so it was impressive to see the automotive related apparel that Fifth Sun has to offer. I picked out one of their Shelby Cobra t-shirts to race around in while chasing after my kids.  They also have a large selection of designs featuring my father-in-law's favorite television show, Gas Monkey Garage.  For those of you who haven't seen the show, which I actually watch a lot myself too, they take neglected classic cars and fix them up into super charged hot rods.  If you have an appreciation for hot rods, than you'll also want to check out Fifth Sun's selection of officially licensed NHRA drag racing gear. Plus they have some cool Chevy stuff too!

Of course, I also picked out for myself a few t-shirts from their extensive Star Wars collection.  I like having a retro flair to my t-shirts so these Boba Fett and Star Wars Fan Club selections were perfect for me.  Like my son's shirts the ones I received were a comfortable fit and didn't shrink in the wash.

I can vouch from from all the boo boos that I've cleaned up over the years that yes like this t-shirt says my son does do his own stunts.  What kid doesn't attempt a wide variety of stunts while playing super heroes with their friends on the playground? So this obviously was his favorite t-shirt from www.fifthsun.com. What's yours?

A Geek Daddy Blog will be allowing one lucky reader to choose his or her favorite t-shirt (up to $26 in price) from Fifth Sun and get it for FREE.  For your chance to win just follow the instructions below to submit up to 2 entries before 11:50pm EST on Sunday, June  7, 2015.  You must be over 18 years old and a United States resident to participate.

Congrats to Jerry from Detroit who selected a Gas Monkey Garage t-shirt from Fifth Sun as his winning entry.

 EMAIL (1 ENTRY) - Email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your full name, mailing address, t-shirt size, name of the t-shirt you would like to win, and the url of the page for your favorite shirt that you would like to receive from www.fifthsun.com with the subject line SUNNY SUMMER TSHIRTS.

BONUS ENTRY (1 ENTRY) - Include in your email the name of the Star Wars creature that was featured on A Geek Daddy's Facebook page's Mothers Day post for a bonus entry.

Disclaimer & Rules:

A Geek Daddy Blog will select a random winner on  Monday, June 8, 2015 ( 1 winner will be selected from a random draw of all eligible entries - each submitted entry will be assigned a number and a random number will be drawn to select a winner based upon total entries ).  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers.  Information for this post was provided by Fifth Sun.  A Geek Daddy Blog did receive items and services of value in exchange for writing this blog post and review.  A positive review was not required of this blog and the views and opinions expressed are my own. Fifth Sun is responsible for the delivery of the prize in this promotion.

Digital Media Academy Helps You Avoid Your Kids Having A Lazy Summer

** This is a U.S. Family Guide Sponsored Post that I have been compensated for. Any claim, representation, statistic, quote or other representation should be verified with the service provider, Digital Media Academy **

Wow! Only 2 more weeks of school for our kids before summer break begins! What plans do you have for your children and teens this summer to keep them interested in learning and help them pick up some new skills? If you want to make sure your children have a productive summer check out the Digital Media Academy (DMA) which has programs aimed at tech savvy youth that will interest them and build their skill sets at the same time. Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, film-making, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.

When it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers women are really lagging in these male dominated fields which often have lucrative salaries and challenging job responsibilities. One of the contributing factors to this disparity is that by eighth grade, more than twice as many boys than girls will be interested in pursuing STEM focused careers. Getting girls interested in STEM topics at earlier ages and parents showing an interest in them learning about these subjects helps overcome a societal stigma that being a computer programer, scientist, or engineer is a "guy" thing. If you are a parent of an elementary or middle school aged daughter, you may want to check out Digital Media Academy's MADE BY GIRLS program. Being offered for the first time this summer, MADE BY GIRLS is aimed to help inspire future women computer programers, scientists, and engineers by empowering girls to embrace STEM topics and close the gender gap in the tech industry.

A Geek Daddy Blog readers can save $75 off summer camps at DMA with code TECHSUMMER at www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31,2015 to give your kids a heads up in being able to #CreateTheNext ______.

Don't let your kids by lazy over the summer break. Enroll them in a summer program they will find interesting now and will provide skills that may be of benefit in a future college course or career opportunity later. Digital Media Academy Summer Camps are held at college campuses across the United States. For example, in my home state of Michigan Digital Media Academy is hosting its camp at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They also have programs at Northwestern University in Illinois, Harvard University in Massachusetts, Stanford and UCLA in California, and Rice University in Texas among other locations. Programs are specifically designed for children 6 - 12 or teens 13 - 17 in nine digital media specialties ranging from Programming & App Development to Robotics & Engineering.

Founded at Stanford University, DMA is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world. Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child's confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention this US Family Guide Special Offer.

For more information visit: DigitalMediaAcademy.org

Walt Disney Studios Kicks off the Summer with the Live Action Family Movie TOMORROWLAND

We are planning on taking a family outing to the movies over Memorial Day weekend to see the new SciFi themed movie #Tomorrowland which hits theaters in the United States on Friday, May 23, 2015.  This movie is aimed to be family viewing experience with a PG rating that is being marketed as a story that will entertain both kids from 6 to 16 plus the parents that take them to the show.  From viewing the trailers, the movie seems very much in the same vein as Back to the Future, E.T., Flight of the Navigator,  National Treasure, and The Karate Kid which were all fun live action adventures that parents could feel comfortable taking their children together for an entertaining time out for the whole family.  Hopefully Tomorrowland will live up to this billing and be a hit with our family.

Taking a cue from the Pirate of the Caribbean movies, Tomorrowland is loosely themed on a Disney theme park attraction but that is more inspiration than actually incorporated into the movie.  It is the story of a brilliant but disillusioned teen named Casey who has been stirring up trouble over her angst about the down-sizing of NASA and the closing of the installation her father worked at.  Her actions lead her to getting arrested and when she is released from a police department holding cell, Casey finds a mysterious pin included in her possession that when she touches it cause her to have visions of a futuristic world.

Casey wonders if these visions are a "real place" someplace in time or space and begins a search to find out more.  This leads her to a former boy genius named Frank who is all grown up now and played by George Clooney.  It appears as a youth, Frank was invited to Tomorrowland but did something to get himself kicked out and access to the wonderland by others from Earth shut down.  Now fearing Clooney's character will return and cause havoc the leader of Tomorrowland begins hunting down Casey and Frank with his robotic henchmen.  Where is Tomorrowland, will Casey and Frank get there, and what will they find there? We'll all have to go see the movie to find out!

Walt Disney Studios provided A Geek Daddy blog with some amusing Tomorrowland activity sheets to share with our readers that could be put to good use over the summer as a distraction during a lazy summer day or while traveling for a family vacation.  We have some activities, mazes and coloring sheets you can scroll through to select, download and print out.

These paper fortune teller games bring back memories of third and fourth grade when everyone in my class would screw around and waste time in class - so maybe summer is just the right time to play around with these.



Who is ready for a jet pack balloon race?



I enjoy doing mazes like these almost as much as my kids do.  My wife and children often tease me for looking forward to completing them on the kids' restaurant place mats when we go out to eat.

Enjoy these free coloring pages!  We post a lot of these on various posts for A GEEK DADDY blog make sure to come back and keep an eye out for them if that is something you are interested in.



If you are looking for an intellectual stimulating movie that will be a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars than Tomorrowland most likely won't be your cup of tea, but if you are looking for a movie that your whole family can just sit back and enjoy a fun adventure while scarfing down some popcorn I have a pretty good feeling this will be a good movie to enjoy during your kids' summer break.

Goodwill Thrift Store PSA "Donate Stuff.Create Jobs" & $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Bloggin' Mamas. I was not financially compensated for sharing this information.
 

Donate stuff. Create jobs.

There’s never a bad time to clear the clutter out of your home or garage or to do a wardrobe purge. When you donate your stuff to Goodwill, the revenue from the sale of your donations helps fund job training and placement opportunities for people with disabilities and disadvantages directly in your community. That’s cleaning with a purpose.

Goodwill in currently running the “Donate Stuff. Create Jobs” campaign. Thanks to the programs and support services made possible by donations of clothes and household items, more than 261,000 people earned jobs in 2013 – that’s one person finding a job every 27 seconds of every business day. So you’re literally donating your stuff AND helping to create jobs. Check out this quick PSA:

You can even calculate how much your donation helps your local community by using Goodwill’s Donation Impact Calculator. Simply input the items you’re donating to calculate the number of hours of career counseling, on-the-job training, résumé preparation, financial planning classes, and other services you’ve helped provide someone facing challenges to finding employment. I'm happy to be able to join my friends at the Bloggin' Mamas blogger network in supporting the Ad Council in spreading the word about Goodwill®, by sponsoring this $100 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway. It runs 5/19/15 12:01am EST through 6/2/15 at 11:59pm EST, and is open to US residents 18+. ENTER BELOW!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. If you have any questions please email info@blogginmamas.com

Free Swag at Comic Book Shops in June from DC Entertainment

 

Wednesdays are New Comic Book Day each week every month throughout the year.  To help keep customers regularly coming through retail store doors and to assist publishers with managing their workload and production the distribution of new comic book issues are scheduled so that releases are evenly spread out throughout the month hitting store shelves on Wednesday.  So comic fans are guaranteed that on most Wednesdays they'll be able to find something brand new to pick up and read if they swing by their neighborhood comic book store.

DC Entertainment has had their comic book series on hiatus in April and May this year as they've focused efforts on promoting several mini-series tied together through a storyline called Convergence during that time span.  At the conclusion of the two month Convergence campaign, 25 of DC's popular monthly titles that existed before the Convergence event will continue again at the point where they left off at in March 2015 plus 24 brand new monthly series will begin with their first issues in June.  To promote the return of fan favorite titles like Batman, The Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman plus kick off the new serials featuring characters such as Black Canary, Starfire and Bat-Mite, each Wednesday in June DC Entertainment will be giving away FREE swag like posters, temporary tattoos, and cardboard super hero masks at participating retailers.

On June 3rd, DC Entertainment will be distributing Justice League Darkseid vs. Anti-Monitor 11” x 17” posters with art by Jason Fabok; Batman Beyond paper masks; Bat-Mite temporary tattoos; and Bizarro temporary tattoos.

June 10th will feature a Batman 11” x 17” armor blueprint poster; Harley Quinn masks; Starfire 5” x 7” postcards; and Gotham Academy crest stickers.

The promo items for June 17 will be  Justice League Of America 22” x 34” posters with art by Bryan Hitch; Black Canary 11” x 17” concert posters; Robin: Son of Batman paper domino masks; and Prez bumper stickers.

Wrapping up the month on June 24th will be a Superman Daily Planet Replica edition; Grayson Spyral ID cards; We Are…Robin temporary tattoos; and Batgirl paper masks.

Look for these free promotional items on New Comic Book Day each week throughout the month of June.  These aren't extravagant but still these fun little items will probably thrill most kids and put smiles on their faces. I know my kids always love temporary tattoos and would have a lot of fun playing around with these character masks. Oh, and I think that Darkseid poster is pretty darn cool myself!  CLICK HERE to find a comic book shop near you.

Have Your Kids Unleash Their Inner Super Hero

It was nice weather outside the other day and my kids were being rambunctious inside the house.  When I urged them to go out and play they whined back at me "there's nothing to do in the backyard."  I urged them to use their imagination as they were ushered outside.  It didn't take long for me to hear them having fun as they started to pretend they were the Avengers and imagining they were on an adventure to save the planet.

My son threw on his Iron Man Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron Hero Mask and Iron Man Arc FX Armor and was racing around the backyard pretending to blast apart the robotic hoards of the villainous Ultron's cybernetic army.  Hasbro's Arc FX armor provides kids with a pair of articulated gloves that assists them in role playing by featuring a light-up repulsor with sound effects so they can blast into their imaginary battles like Iron Man.  Raising your hand activates lights and blasting sound effects.  Meanwhile my daughter was pretending to be the Fantastic Four's invisible woman so she could ignore my son and stay out of the fray.

Iron Man next stumbled upon Thor's mighty battle hammer Mjolnir and tested himself to see if he was worthy to hold the famed weapon.  He used all the power of Iron Man's armor but was unable to budge the hammer from where it rested.  This peaked my little girl's interest who wandered over and without a bit of hesitation hoisted Mjolnir into the air.  That action transformed a six year old kindergartener into the mighty Thor!

Thor and Iron Man then teamed up to tackle a variety of challenges as they leaped, rolled, and wrestled their way through an imaginary adventure.  They spent about 2 hours outside on a nice spring day playing Avengers.  These role playing Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron toys from Hasbro were really a nice enticement to encourage my kids to get outside and play in a fun way that also got them some exercise and spurred their imaginations.

According to a post in Scholastic's parenting blog, pretend play, like my kids Avenger's adventure in our backyard, has important learning benefits that assist children with problem solving, critical thinking, self expression and imagination. The children's publisher Scholastic notes that when kids pretend to be different characters they have the experience of "walking in someone else's shoes" which helps teach the moral development skill of empathy.  The article also mentions that pretend play can assist children with language skills as they use words to reenact a story or act out their own adventures.  CLICK HERE to read the full blog post by Scholastic on the many benefits of children engaging in pretend play.

There are also a bunch of benefits in regard to getting kids outside to play. One of the most important is that the American Heart Association recommends that children 2 and older should be involved in at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activities each day to stay in good health.  Getting your kids to pretend they are super heroes is a great way to get your kids outside playing and being active!  These Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron role-playing toys really can spark a child's interest in pretending to be a super hero and spur them to run, leap, and wrestle in imaginative play.

In addition to the Iron Man and Thor gear I've show above, here are a few other Hasbro role play items in their Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron collection that can be used to #AssembleYourTeam and help your child unleash his or her imagination to join the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Super Heroes.

 AVENGERS HERO MASKS
Wear the Hulk's scowl, Captain America's iconic 'A', Iron Man's flip up visor, or Thor's helmet to suit up as your favorite Avenger.  Recommended for children ages 5 & up.

HULK GAMMA GRIP FISTS
These foam hands let kids imagine battling evil like the most powerful member of the Avengers: the Hulk!  Recommended for children ages 4 & up.

CAPTAIN AMERICA STAR LAUNCH SHIELD
Pull the rip cord to deploy the shield's center disc and send it flying for a surprise attack.   Recommended for children ages 6 & up.

These toys are available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com 

Avengers Assemble! Get out there and have some fun adventures of your own!

DISCLAIMER:  I was not provided any financial compensation for publishing this post and there was no promise made to Hasbro that if they provided complimentary products that they would receive a positive review or in fact any post on this blog at all.  Opinions and views expressed in this post are my own.  Some of the product information and photographs used in this post were provided to A Geek Daddy blog by Hasbro.  A Geek Daddy blog was provided some complimentary products that were utilized in this post.

Xfinity Kids Sale Kicks Off Summer Movie & TV Viewing

 

Wow! Summer is going to be here before you know it and kids across the country are soon going to begin the annual extended break from school.  While hopefully a lot of that time will be spent having fun and playing outdoors, there will be those incredibly hot days, rained out times, and moments when mom and dad might just be tuckered out and want the kids to give them a little peace and quiet where a nice kids friendly movie would really come in handy.  Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend Comcast Xfinity subscribers can take advantage of a special sale on digital downloads featuring some great kid friendly selections that families can enjoy over the summer break.

From May 19-25, Comcast customers can browse the virtual aisles of the Xfinity Digital Store and stock up on a collection of the best and newest kids’ releases at discounted sale prices.  Headlining this sale will be a special SpongeBob Squarepants promotion.  Beginning Tuesday, May 19th, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, will be available to own through Xfinity On Demand two weeks before it is released on blu-ray & dvd plus during this Summer Kids Sale both this film and the original Spongebob Squarepants Movie can be purchased as a high definition HD digital download combo for the price of one at $19.99.

Additionally, the sale will feature a great collection of kids' titles including the new Annie movie, The Boxtrolls, Earth to Echo, the two Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies, and Lego DC Super Heroes that Xfinity customers can purchase for just $4.99 HD.  With Monster High Haunted, Barbie Princess Power, and Thomas the Train Dinos & Discoveries there is something to entertain almost every kid available to pick from in this $4.99 virtual bargain bin.  With Annie (2014) normally priced at $19.99 and Barbie Princess Power, Boxtrolls, Earth to Echo and Thomas the Train Dinos & Discoveries normally priced at $15.99 for example, this summer sale is definitely a great opportunity to build up your family's home video library.

Purchases made during the Kids Summer Sale can be viewed on your television at home and are also accessible to be downloaded or streamed to your personal computer, lap top, tablet, or smart phone.  So it's as easy as clicking the flick you want your kids to watch when accessing your purchase through #Xfinity.  Whether its being rained out on a camping trip and pulling out your tablet to watch your movie in the tent or enjoying a show from the air conditioned comfort of your living room on a one hundred degree day, your selections will be conveniently available to you on the go or at your home.

The one caveat to these purchases is that if you discontinue your Xfinity subscription you'll lose access to watching them via your television though you would still be able to watch them on your PC through the Xfinity TV Go website or on mobile devices through the Xfinity On Demand Purchases app.  Just something to keep in mind when making your purchasing decision.  If you are an Xfinity customer who will have young kids at home over the summer, this is an opportunity I wouldn't pass up as these are some quality selections at bargain prices.

Xfinity customers who have children watching television should also check out the Kids Zone. When in Kids Zone, children can browse all on their own, selecting live programming, free Xfinity On Demand content, movies and TV shows purchased through the Xfinity Digital Store, as well as any saved programming on your Comcast DVR — all of which has either been flagged by the network or studio as kids programming, or deemed age-appropriate for kids 12 and under by the great folks at Common Sense Media.  Additionally, while in Kids Zone, children can quickly find recently-watched programming, browse by their favorite network and even sort by their favorite theme such as "superheroes," "princesses" or "talking animals."

What is specifically nice about Kids Zone is that parents can lock the television down so that children can't leave this mode and flip through the rest of the Xfinity channel and OnDemand offerings without a parental control pin code being entered.  No more worrying about some unauthorized movie rentals or purchases showing up on your bill or your kids being too scared to go to bed because they caught a glimpse of The Walking Dead while flipping through the channels.  Parents can also filter the programming within Kids Zone to specific age ranges.  So if you don't want your child 4 year old watching episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Monsters High just yet you can just allow then to view just programming that has been tagged preschool appropriate.  Parents can set programming to specifically cater to the following age groups:  2-4, 5-7, 8-9 and 10-12 years old.  With my having 6 year old twins that 5-7 year old category fits in really nicely for our family.

**Disclaimer**  I have been provided a complimentary subscription to the Xfinity TV Go app and access to the Comcast cable programming lineup as part of the Xfinity blogger reviewer program.   Opinions expressed are my own. #Xfinityreviewer

Food Allergy Awareness Month Twitter Chat - Thursday May 14, 2015

 In recognition of National Food Allergy Awareness Month, A Geek Daddy Blog will be co-hosting with the Life of Dad Bloggers Network a special Twitter Chat to promote awareness and information on the topic of food allergies.  Join us on Thursday, May 14, 2015 from 9 to 10pm ET as we are joined by special guest Doctor Dave Stukus, pediatric allergy and asthma specialist at Nationwide Childen's Hospital in Columbus Ohio.

During this chat about food allergies and kids, A Geek Daddy Blog will randomly be giving out four $10 iTunes gift cards to participants who are actively participating in the conversation throughout the hour.  To eligible for winning one of the gift cards that we'll be giving out every 15 minutes during the chat, participants must be following the Twitter accounts of @LifeOfDadShow & @Geekdad248 , use the hashtag #LifeofDad in their tweets, and be a United States resident over 18 years old.  No RSVP for this event just show up and engage in the conversation.

In addition to the #LifeofDad Food Allergy Awareness Twitter Chat make sure to participate in A Geek Daddy Blog's Food Allergy Trivia Contest for a chance to win a great gift pack courtesy of Comcast #Xfinity.  Answer some trivia questions for a chance to win a backpack filled with a mobile recharging kit for smart phones and tablets, coffee mug, baseball cap, and a water bottle. Must be a US resident and over 18 years old to participate in the trivia contest. CLICK HERE to give it a shot.

You can become a food allergy action hero this month by taking a moment to educate yourself on this matter and pledging to make an effort to be considerate of those who suffer from this medical condition.  If you are up to the challenge CLICK HERE to download the template to create your very own food allergy action hero costume.  Print a teal mask and a hero emblem for your shirt then cut out and wear them to have fun as you show your food allergy spirit.  Take a picture of you in your action hero outfit and tag it with #FoodAllergyMonth on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. There are adult and children's sizes of the masks available to download.

Once you have your food allergy action hero gear, take a moment to read this one page handout that contains facts about food allergies that can be shared and used to help educate others about this growing public health issue.  Download Now.

 

For more information about food allergies visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at www.foodallergy.org.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of these contests and delivery of the prizes. By participating in this contest, you waive any and all liability to A Geek Daddy Blog and its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers and as a public service to promote awareness on the topic of food allergies. Any opinions in this post are my own.

Keep Your Kids Busy & Learning Over The Summer

** This is a U.S. Family Guide Sponsored Post that I have been compensated for.  Any claim, representation, statistic, quote or other representation should be verified with the service provider, Digital Media Academy **

It is that time of year when the end of school days is quickly approaching and parents need to start thinking of what their plans for the kids will be during the summer break.  If you want to make sure your children have a productive summer check out the Digital Media Academy (DMA) which has programs aimed at tech savvy youth that will interest them and build their skill sets at the same time. Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, film-making, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.  To help inspire future women computer programers, scientists, and engineers, DMA is also introducing a new program this summer, Made by Girls, dedicated to empowering girls and closing the gender gap in the tech industry.


The DMA Experience from Digital Media Academy on Vimeo.

From talking with my teen aged niece & nephew, I know designing and making money from creating apps is something all the kids are into right now.  Participating in DMA summer camps can really help a kid get the skill set to put them on the right track to making their own apps. You can't beat an opportunity that lets your kids have fun while learning skills that could help them get into a career field they are interested in.

A Geek Daddy Blog readers can save $75 off summer camps at DMA with code TECHSUMMER at www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31,2015 to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!

Founded at Stanford University, DMA is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.  Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child's confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention this US Family Guide Special Offer.

DMA Summer Camps are held at college campuses across the United States. For example, in my home state of Michigan DMA is hosting its camp at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They also have programs at Northwestern University in Illinois, Harvard University in Massachusetts, Stanford and UCLA in California, and Rice University in Texas among other locations. Programs are specifically designed for children 6 - 12 or teens 13 - 17 in nine digital media specialties ranging from Programming & App Development to Robotics & Engineering.

For more information visit: DigitalMediaAcademy.org

Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest

I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day at school. As a first time parent, I didn't think there was any cause for alarm in giving my children food that I ate myself as a kid. Having no friends, family or work colleagues with food allergies, the topic actually didn't even come to mind. Than one nice summer day, I took the afternoon off work to enjoy some time with my kids. I fed my daughter a banana slice with a very small amount of peanut butter rubbed on it. She was only a toddler and had never had peanut butter before; my wife had read something about food allergies a few days earlier and asked me to give our 18 month old twins a small sample so just in case a negative reaction occurred I was the one dealing with the situation and not a baby sitter or day care. I didn't think much of it...what was the worst that could happen? Maybe a rash or some itching? Twenty minutes later we were in the ER at a local hospital with my toddler's eyes, nose and throat swelled shut. She was going into something called "anaphylactic shock" and was surrounded by a half dozen or more doctors and nurses urgently rushing in efforts to save her life. It's an experience I'd like to help make sure hopefully others never have to go through.

Fortunately, my daughter survived the experience. Our lives have changed now though. My daughter has a severe food allergy to peanuts and we always have to be on guard to her coming into contact with them now. Her twin brother has a more moderate allergy to them, but we have been warned by our doctor that additional exposures could enhance the condition to a more dangerous level. So we screen all the food they eat now for its ingredients and potential contamination, wipe down surfaces that could have residue on them that could be absorbed into the skin, and try to avoid situations that could put our kids at risk. May is Food Allergy Action Month and since I know from personal experience both how the subject isn't a top of mind issue for most people and also how people without food allergies can expose those who do to risk, injury, and sometimes even death, A Geek Daddy Blog is sharing our story to promote awareness and provide information on this topic.

Our friends at Comcast Xfinity have generously donated a great gift bag as a prize for A Geek Daddy Blog's Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest. Answer the trivia question below for a chance to win a backpack filled with a mobile recharging kit for smart phones and tablets, coffee mug, baseball cap, and a water bottle. Must be a US resident and over 18 years old to participate in the trivia contest.

Unfortunately, the number of children with food allergies is an increasing trend with most school now averaging 2 kids per class room with a moderate to severe food allergy compared to that number being a fraction of a percent a generation ago. No one knows what is causing this escalation in food allergy cases and there is no cure. Watch this short informational video from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, to learn more about food allergies and to find the answer to our trivia contest question.

For a chance to win the Comcast #Xfinity prize pack submit one or both of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday May 24, 2015:

Congrats to Kev from Maplewood, Minnesota on winning the Trivia Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated.

E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address plus correctly answer this question: In what year did an expert panel issue "Guidelines for the Diagnosis & Management of Food Allergy in the United State"? Email subject line should be ALLERGY ACTION HERO. (1 Entry)

For additional entries, visit our Facebook Food Allergy Action Month Trivia Contest post and leave a comment mentioning one of the eight most common food allergies (2 Entries)

A special thank you to Comcast Cable Heartland Region for generously providing our trivia contest prize.

We've encountered many people over the last few years who don't think that our daughter's food allergy is "a big deal", don't want any restrictions placed on them to help protect children with food allergies, or just don't care and believe it is just our family's issue to deal with and if something bad happens it is my daughter or our family's own fault.  While we understand that our daughter's medical condition is our burden to deal with we also believe that when it comes to school and public spaces that there should be some level of safeguards in place to allow people with food allergies to be able to live healthy and productive lives without fear that someone else's actions could hurt them. We're not trying to rid the world of peanuts, our family is just asking people show some consideration and compassion for those people who are facing a life threatening medical condition.

You can become a food allergy action hero this month by taking a moment to educate yourself on this matter and pledging to make an effort to be considerate of those who suffer from this medical condition.  If you are up to the challenge CLICK HERE to download the template to create your very own food allergy action hero costume.  Print a teal mask and a hero emblem for your shirt then cut out and wear them to have fun as you show your food allergy spirit.  Take a picture of you in your action hero outfit and tag it with #FoodAllergyMonth on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. There are adult and children's sizes of the masks available to download.

Once you have your food allergy action hero gear, take a moment to read this one page handout that contains facts about food allergies that can be shared and used to help educate others about this growing public health issue.  Download Now.

 

For more information about food allergies visit FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) at www.foodallergy.org.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest and delivery of the prize. By participating in this contest, you waive any liability to the publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.