Hooray! Snoopy and the Peanuts gang are coming to the big screen this holiday season. For our family, as I'm sure as for many of yours, its a tradition to watch Peanuts animated television specials during the holidays. Halloween just wouldn't be the same without a showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown nor would Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years without our family enjoying one of the classic Peanuts holiday TV specials. Now we'll have another story featuring Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their gang of friends to enjoy when THE PEANUTS MOVIE arrives at theaters on November 6, 2015.
To help you get in the mood for upcoming movie, there is a great feature that let's people get "peanutized" where they can create their own personalized Peanuts avatar. Visit PeanutizeMe.com to create your own customized image that can be used for a social media profile or as the wallpaper for your personal computer or laptop's screen. They're very easy to create - just choose your character's gender, hair, clothes, and accessories and voila there you have it your very own Peanutizd persona. Here are a few images of myself and my kids turned into Peanuts characters. What do you think? Did PeanutizeMe.com capture our inner Charlie Brown?
THE PEANUTS MOVIE will be the big screen debut for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang. Not only will this be their first appearance in a theatrically released motion picture, but it will also be the first time the Peanuts are presented in state of the art 3D animation. In this film, Snoopy, the world's most lovable beagle -- and flying ace -- embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis The Red Baron (oh by the way Snoopy we found your missing biplane the other day) while his best pal, Charlie Brown, begins his own epic quest. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day!
For more information about the movie, visit PeanutsMovie.com or follow @PeanutsMovie on Twitter. Our family is really looking forward to kicking off the holiday season with a trip to the move theater to see THE PEANUTS MOVIE this year plus looking forward to watching it again and again in future years as a brand new addition to our traditional seasonal entertainment.
Beginning October 5, 2015, preschoolers watching Nick Jr. will be transported to an enchanted land filled with fairies, elves, and magical mishaps when the animated series Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom joins the cable channel's program lineup airing at 6:30pm (ET/PT). The October 5th launch of the show on Nick Jr. marks the U.S. broadcast debut for Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, an International Emmy Kids Award-winning series created by Astley Baker Davies, the acclaimed British animation studio behind the popular Peppa Pig.
Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom follows the adventures of Holly, a young
fairy princess whose magic often goes awry and her best friend Ben Elf,
who lacks magical powers but is extremely handy. They live in the "
Little Kingdom", a tiny land where flowers and grass rise above the
tallest towers. Together, Ben and Holly go on exciting adventures with
their friends and work together to fix magical mistakes.
Nick Jr. has acquired seasons one and two (52 episodes) of Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and will roll out these episodes throughout the fall. The series currently airs in over 130 countries worldwide, including being really popular in the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Russia, Mexico and Brazil. The show is a good fit for Nick Jr., a 24-hour television network dedicated to programming for preschoolers which reaches 75 million US households via cable, internet and satellite TV. The series' premiere episode will also be available to view online following the broadcast debut via NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App beginning October 6, 2015.
A Geek Daddy was pleased to be a part of the groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the beginning of construction on LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan, a 32,000-square-foot indoor attraction featuring more than one million LEGO bricks and themed exhibits including a 4D cinema, two interactive rides, and a uniquely Michigan-themed MINILAND display, that will be located at Great Lakes Crossing in the city of Auburn Hills. Bertie, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center mascot, joined the fun when a large construction loader dumped 50,000 LEGO bricks for local dignitaries and school children to dig in to as they ceremonially welcomed the facility to the community. After checking out the layouts of the facility they had on display during the groundbreaking ceremony, I just have to say "Everything is Awesome!"
Opening in Spring 2016, the attraction will provide an immersive 2 to 3 hour LEGO experience for its visitors. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will be the 8th LEGOLAND Discovery Center attraction within the United States and the 14th in the world. Aspects of the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will include:
a 4D Cinema that takes 3D films featuring popular LEGO characters and adds some extra special effects like wind, rain, snow, and lightning to bring the experience to life.
Kingdom Quest is an interactive ride that has you jump into a chariot and use your laser to zap evil doers as you attempt to rescue a Princess and win the highest score. The better your aim the higher your score will be. Challenge your friends and family on who will achieve the highest ranking.
LEGO Racers: Build & Test lets you build your own vehicle and test it on a test track. Times are recorded to the hundredth of a second so it might be a close competition between friends on who has the bragging rights to claim the fastest LEGO racer.
LEGO Factory Tour provides a virtual reality experience that lets you discover how LEGO bricks are made to get their shape and color. It has you guide factory workers through each stage of the LEGO brick making process; mixing, heating, molding and decorating.
The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan will also include a LEGO Duplo Village play area for guests under 5 years old, LEGO MINILAND depicting Michigan landmarks, Merlin's Apprentice Ride and a LEGO Master Builder Academy plus a Cafe and LEGOLAND Discovery Center Shop.
LEGOLAND is owned and operated by U.K.-based Merlin Entertainments, the world's second largest visitor attraction operator, which also recently opened and operates SEA LIFE Michigan at Great Lakes Crossing. Great Lakes Crossing is an outlet mall located 35 miles north of the city of Detroit conveniently off of the I-75 highway within Oakland County, Michigan. If your kids love LEGO building blocks (seriously what child doesn't?!) and are as excited as mine are about this brand new Metro Detroit attraction you can get updates about its opening while it is under construction by following @LDCMichigan on Twitter or liking its Facebook page.
NASA has an established goal of landing human explorers on the planet Mars by 2030. Wow! based upon that timeline first graders now like my son and daughter would be the ideal age to serve as the crew for that space mission when it launched. What would it be like for them to travel through space and land on the red planet?
Only a handful of people in Earth's history have ever traveled off our planet to walk on the moon. Buzz Aldrin, who was the second person to walk on the moon following the footsteps of that famous first leap made by Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong just a few minutes later on July 20, 1969, has a few thoughts on how to get astronauts to Mars and what life would be like for the first pioneers to colonize that planet. In his new book National Geographic Kids: Welcome To Mars, Aldrin provides his unique perspective to challenge curious kids to think about Mars as not just a faraway planet but rather as a possible home for Earthlings. He makes the book relatable to children by exploring topics like what would you eat for breakfast on Mars (sweet potato pie made from yams grown in a green house); what would you do for fun (snowboarding down Martian gullies or zip lining across valleys); where would you live (imagine a combination of a college dormitory and a super-sized dirt igloo); and what would people wear (flexible, light weight space suits). Plus the book includes some great hands-on science experiments that children can do at home to excite them about space exploration as well as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
If you have an elementary school or high school aged child in your life that may be imagining one day being an astronaut, A Geek Daddy has a great giveaway for you. Courtesy of our friends at National Geographic Kids, one luck A Geek Daddy reader who follows the instructions below will receive a complimentary edition of Buzz Aldrin's Welcome To Mars book. For a chance to win you must be a U.S. or Canadian
resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the
following
entry methods to earn up to 4 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday October 4, 2015.
UPDATE (10/5/2015) Congrats to Joel from Northville, Michigan who won the Welcome to Mars book by Buzz Aldrin.
EMAIL (1 Entry) E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address. Email subject line should be Welcome to Mars.
FACEBOOK COMMENT (3 Entries) Visit A GEEK DADDY on Facebook and leave a comment on our contest post sharing which planet or moon in our solar system you'd like to visit and why.
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.
Welcome to Mars is a 96 page hardcover book filled with 155 color illustrations that retails for $18.99. It is recommended for readers 8 to 12 years old. Inspires young readers to want to soar through the skies and reach for the stars like Buzz Aldrin by reading about this astronaut and rocket scientist in a book that explores his ideas about traveling through space and colonizing the red planet. This is a great example to show children that a book about space travel doesn't have to be science fiction to be amazing and interesting to read. It's time to inspire the generation that will one day be embarking on missions to Mars!
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 towards A Geek
Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with
this promotion. A Geek Daddy
Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive the prize that is being awarded to
one of
our readers for this
contest for free. A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our
readers. Any opinions in this post are my own. #NGKINSIDER
My daughter loves to solve puzzles and tinker with things so it seems a career path in engineering or science might be something to keep in mind as she progresses through school. While many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields provide interesting and financially lucrative career opportunities these jobs also are dominated pretty exclusively by males which has to be an issue of concern for the father of a little girl who doesn't want to see her future limited from pursuing any endeavor she may choose. According to research from the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), women make up 47% of the overall workforce in the United States but only 28% of females have jobs involving science and engineering. Researchers looking into this huge workforce differentiation have had the insight that boys tend to have more activities and play time as children that relate to STEM so they tend to consider these fields more interesting and fun than girls do. Therefore parents and educators are being called out to become more engaged in encouraging girls to have fun with STEM at an early age so they may have more of an interest in growing up to become a future computer programmer, scientist, or astronomer.
As a parent of a young daughter myself, I was thrilled to discover the Nancy B Science Club from Educational Insights that makes STEM topics fun by encouraging girls to engage in exploring and learning through a variety of cool scientific gadgets. Nancy B Science Club products include among other things a black light illuminator kit for science sleuthing activities, binoculars with a built in compass for exploring parks and nature trails, a microscope to examine the intricate detail of things in the world around us, a Stir-It-Up Chemistry Lab to experiment on how things react and a MoonScope to gaze into outer space. These science club products are actually designed by "Nancy B" who is a science product designer, former science teacher, and an all-around science enthusiast who want to inspire girls to share her passion for science, technology, engineering and math.
My daughter was so excited when I brought home a Nancy B's Science Club MoonScope for us to check out the upcoming super moon eclipse. This is a very rare phenomenon taking place from approximately 10:11 to 10:47pm E.T. on Sunday, September 27, 2015 where you will see a giant red moon. That night's full moon will appear about 14% larger than normal creating a "super moon" effect because it will at the closest point (known as its perigee) in its orbit of the Earth. It will also appear blood red in color during the total lunar eclipse; which is when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon. Our planet blocks most of the sun light from illuminating the moon at this time, but some light does reflect through the Earth's atmosphere giving the moon a red tin similar to the effect you see in the sky during an evening sunset. How great is that to start off the Halloween season with a Blood Moon to have a teachable moment with your children and get them excited about science!
So we put together the Nancy B's Science Club MoonScope and tested out calibrating and focusing the lenses to make sure it was ready to go so we wouldn't have to be monkeying around getting it ready when wanting to view the big event in the night sky. It's instructions recommend putting it together during the day and testing it out on some objects like trees to make sure it works properly and to learn how to focus the lenses without it being dark out. Everything worked great and we're ready to go for Sunday night!
The MoonScope, which has received The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, does a remarkable job of providing a clear view by magnifying the night sky by 18x to 90x through transferable 20mm and 4mm all-glass eyepieces. The MoonScope requires 2 AA batteries to power a red light at the base of its tripod that isn't used for the function of the telescope but rather provides a way for kids to reference the included activity journal without hurting their night vision. I found the MoonScope, which was a 2014 nominee for Best Educational Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association and received a Silver Honor from the Parents Choice Foundation, easy to assemble and most importantly my daughter found it easy to use when she tried it out.
The only thing that took her a bit of getting used to was looking through one eye to see through the MoonScope's eyepieces, which I have to admit I'm not very good at either. Make sure to take advantage of the pre-aligned finderscope next to the eyepiece on the MoonScope to line up your targets as it can be difficult to find things just by using the telescopic lenses. The finderscope even has a glow-in-the-dark ring on it to help you target things in the night sky which we thought was pretty neat. Also you will want to have a table or something sturdy to place the MoonScope on because its tripods aren't very tall making it challenging at times to get the right angle for a view if you don't have something to prop it on.
So we checked everything out during the daylight, gave it a test run the other night, and we are ready to go for viewing the Super Blood Moon! Don't miss out because the last time there was a blood red super moon was when I was a third grader in 1982 - in fact since 1900 it has only happened 5 times (1910, 1928, 1946, 1964 & 1982) - and it won't occur again until 2033. You don't want to wait another 18 years for another chance to get a glimpse of this special astronomical event.
If you don't have a MoonScope of your own to view the Super Moon Eclipse with, NASA will have a live feed from 8:00 pm through 11:30 pm ET streaming views of the eclipse from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California, Adler Planetarium in Chicago, and Fernbank Observatory in Atlanta, Georgia among other locations across the United States. NASA solar physicist Mitzi Adams will discuss the eclipse and answer questions from people on Twitter using the hashtag #askNASA during the broadcast.
** Disclaimer: A Geek Daddy received a complimentary Nancy B's Science Club MoonScope to review. The opinions in this post about the product are my own and a positive review was not mandated for this blog to receive the product. **
** As a Fox Home Entertainment Insiders blogger, A Geek Daddy received a complimentary Digital HD download for #AnastasiaMovieNight **
Join my family and other Fox Home Entertainment Insiders bloggers from across the country as we enjoy a fun movie night on Friday, September 25, 2015 watching the classic 1997 animated film ANASTASIA, which will be available as a digital download at a special discounted rate only on that day via the Fox Movie of the Day app. Pop some popcorn, click this link to download the app to get the featured flash sale film of the day, and enjoy your Friday evening with a family movie night.
Anastasia mixes adventure, comedy, romance, and music in this animated tale of a lost Russian princess and her quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, the royal family's youngest daughter barely escapes with her life. Years later, Anastasia and a band of heroic companions must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim Anastasia's rightful destiny, and solve one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. Anastasia was nominated for an Oscar in the category of "Best Original Musical Score" and features the vocal talents of Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst, and Angela Lansbury voicing the characters in this animated film.
Anastasia will be available exclusively for a special discounted price on Friday, September 25, 2015 through Fox Home Entertainment's Movie of the Day app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch which allows people to purchase their favorite Twentieth Century Fox films via Digital HD downloads through daily flash sales. The Movie of the Day app's user friendly interface gives consumers a 24-hour window to buy a brand new movie each and every day at a discounted price of up to 70% off and add it to their iTunes library. The Movie of the Day app is available only on the App Store.
A Geek Daddy is part of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders program, an exclusive, members-only ambassador group that has a real passion for film and TV that works to promote Fox Home Entertainment Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD releases. Fox Home Entertainment Insiders are provided with exclusive access to Fox releases and unique and exciting opportunities to interact with Fox Home Entertainment in engaging ways.
modern family one of my wife and I's favorite comedies on television right now but it seems as if we never get to watch it anymore because the show airs when we are busy getting the kids ready for school the next day and putting them to bed for the night. Is it just our family or if your children happen to still be up during prime time hours do they they hijack the television watching cartoons? So I hate to say it but we missed just about everything that happened during Season 6. Fortunately, our friends at Fox Home Entertainment hooked us up with the modern family Season 6 on DVD so we can get caught up with the series before Season 7 starts.
Don't worry we're taking care of our A GEEK DADDY blog readers too! If you want to relive your favorite moments from last season or are like us and want to catch up with what you might have missed before Season 7 starts just follow the following instructions for a chance to win a modern family Season 6 DVD box set. Must
be a U.S. 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 Friday September 25, 2015:
UPDATE (9/27/2015): Congratulations to Deanna from Orem Utah who was the winner of our Modern Family giveaway.
E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing
address plus tell us your favorite character from modern family. Email subject line should be MODERN FAMILY (1 ENTRY)
Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post
leave a comment telling us who in your family is most like a character from MODERN FAMILY and why (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.
So what did happen during Season 6 of MODERN FAMILY? Vote for your favorite family moment:
About Season Six of modern family
The honeymoon is over, but the laughs continue in Season Six of modern family, ariving on DVD September 22nd! As freshly hitched Cam and Mitch
acclimate to the realities of wedded bliss, Phil and Claire find their
marriage stressed by annoying neighbors, Thanksgiving dinner gone awry
and Claire’s online snooping. Meanwhile, a spy-camera drone wreaks havoc
in Jay and Gloria’s backyard and a close call on the highway leads to
amusing changes in various members of the Pritchett-Dunphy clan. It all
adds up to the funniest season yet of this brilliant and acclaimed
comedy.
Remember to add the DVD box set of modern family to your home video library when it is released on September 22nd! CLICK HERE to purchase it today!
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. #ModernFamilyInsiders
Skylanders®
fans with a need for speed should look no further -- a brand new version of the popular video game franchise arrived at stored today that provides online multiplayer and racing gameplay for the first time. Available at major North American retailers nationwide beginning Sunday, September 20, 2015, Skylanders SuperChargerstakes kids on a wild ride as they drive the mountainous terrains, dive the deep sea environments and fly the big blue skies of
Skylands like never before with
amazingly detailed vehicles, many of which feature moving parts that
will play in the real world and come to life in the game via the Portal
of Power®. While this is a new addition the franchise that needs the purchase of a Starter Pack parents will be pleased to know that Skylanders
SuperChargers is forward compatible with all 300+ unique toys from all previous games –
Skylanders® SWAP Force™, Skylanders® Giants, Skylanders®
Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders® Trap Team.
Developed by Vicarious Visions,
Skylanders SuperChargers expands upon the franchise’s
signature gameplay to introduce vehicles-to-life -- an entirely new way
for fans to experience the magic of
Skylands. The trailblazing innovation of Skylanders SuperChargersis realized when players take the helm of powerful, tricked-out
land, sea and sky vehicles that are playable in both the physical and
digital worlds in a high octane action-adventure videogame.
Skylanders SuperChargers offers a rich story-driven
gameplay experience filled with vehicle-based and on-foot adventures,
combat, puzzles, mini games, activities and platforming, set within a
variety of all-new compelling environments. The game
features a brand-new class of heroes that is distinct with fresh moves,
powerful attacks and all-new weapons. SuperChargers also have special
in-game abilities that help Portal Masters fight
Kaos. Twenty new SuperChargers
character toys and 20 new vehicle toys will be available. Right out of
the box, the game also features an all-new Racing Mode that blends
high-octane, supercharged racing with combat, accentuated
by power-ups, boosts, hazards and more.
Players can also
purchase Racing Action Packs that unlock additional content. A total of
three Racing Action Packs, one for each terrain, will be available for
$34.99 MSRP and each will include three special
toys -- a SuperCharger, vehicle and villain trophy which unlocks two exclusive racing tracks for the game. The first of the three packs, the
Skylanders SuperChargers Sea Racing Action Pack, will be available at launch.
“Remember
when you were a kid and pretended that your toy cars came to life,
zooming around your living room on the most epic racetracks
of your imagination?” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing in a press release provided to A Geek Daddy. “Well, we are about to bring that fantasy one step closer to life with
Skylanders SuperChargers. We are reimagining toys-to-life
by bringing race cars to life, along with helicopters, motorcycles, jet
planes and submarines, as you race through
Skylands and compete against other players for the first time. Our fans are going to love playing this game. I know I do.”
To celebrate the arrival of
Skylanders SuperChargers and the addition of racing to the franchise,
Skylanders became the official partner of racing champion Max
Chilton for the season finale of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.
Chilton, a 24-year-old former Formula 1 driver and fan of the
Skylanders franchise, blazed the tracks of Laguna Seca in a
Skylanders-themed race car on September 12-13. “SuperCharged” Chilton shattered Tony
Kaanan's 1997 track record in the qualifying race, broke the race lap record set by
Helio Castroneves in 1996 and ended the season on the Indy Lights podium for Carlin.
Skylanders
also “SuperCharged”
EneaBastianini from the
Gresini Racing Team to take the win at the San Marino and Riviera
di Rimini GP in Italy, his first career victory in the Moto 3 World
Championship.
Bastianini will take to the track again in his Skylanders
SuperChargers-branded race suit at the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain on September 25-27.
Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack will include two new Skylanders characters, a first-of-its-kind Skylanders vehicle, a newly
designed Portal of Power® and the full AAA game. Skylanders SuperChargers will be available for the PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360™and Xbox One™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, and Nintendo’s Wii U™
system for $74.99 MSRP. As a bonus for Nintendo purchasers, that console's game packs some extra star power as itincludes two of Nintendo’s iconic characters reimagined as
Skylanders -- Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser --
available exclusively in
Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs for the Wii U system, and in Skylanders® SuperChargers Racing Starter Packs for the Wii system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
Skylanders SuperChargers Dark EditionStarter
Packs also will be available in North America on September 20 for $99.99
MSRP. All Dark Edition Starter Packs will include Dark Spitfire, Dark
Hot Streak and the highly sought after
Kaos Trophy which is the only
way to unlock special gameplay content, plus a two-sided ultimate
collector poster. The Dark versions of the Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and
his vehicle, Barrel Blaster, will be available in the Wii U Dark
Edition Starter Pack; Dark Hammer Slam Bowser and his vehicle, Dark
Clown Cruiser, will be available in the Wii Dark Edition Starter Pack.
Skylanders SuperChargers Racing,
a
complementary racing experience, will be available on September 20 for
Nintendo’s Wii™ system for $74.99 MSRP and the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held
system for $64.99 MSRP. The addition of Donkey Kong
and Bowser as guest stars in the new game, along with their specially
created vehicles, will be available exclusively in
Skylanders SuperChargers and Skylanders SuperChargers RacingStarter Packs for the Nintendo platforms. The SuperCharged characters not only work in
Skylanders SuperChargers, but will also work with select
amiibo-compatible Nintendo games with a simple twist of the character’s base.
Fans of the Skylanders franchise can also choose to purchase the
Digital Portal Owner’s Pack, available on September 21 for $49.99 MSRP for connected consoles, and use the Portal of Power they already own to play
Skylanders SuperChargers. The download of the Digital Portal Owner’s Pack provides a great way for returning players to enjoy
Skylanders SuperChargerson the platform of their choice. On October 25, the full
Skylanders SuperChargers game will also be available on select iOS devices including iPad®, and for the first time ever iPhone® and iPod touch®.
Skylanders SuperChargers will also be available on Apple TV® this fall.
Our children have been going to Sunday and Holiday masses with my wife and I since they were infants, but the next few months are a particularly important time for their induction into the Catholic faith as they begin attending catechism and preparing for their First Communion. So Pope Francis' visit to the United States from Tuesday, September 22 through Sunday, September 27th presents a great opportunity for us to have some teachable moments regarding the Catholic faith and the Pope's role in the Church as he tours our country.
As part of our discussion with our children about the Pope's visit, we read together as a family the book National Geographic Readers: Pope Francis. This book was really perfect for our first grader twins because it is a Level 1 book meant for early independent readers or parents reading aloud to their kids. This 32 page softcover book is recommended for children 4 to 6 years old and provides readers with an overview of the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina who became the first Pope to originate from the Americas and the first to replace another living Pope for the leadership position of the world's largest Christian church which has a congregation of more than 1.25 billion people worldwide.
Photo by Dave Yoder/National Geographic
National Geographic Kids points out some fun facts in their book that can help children relate to Pope Francis such as:
Pope Francis is the oldest brother of 5 siblings;
He loved to play soccer as a kid;
Praying was something he learned from his grandmother during his childhood;
He has been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine;
The Pope is an excellent cook;
He was the first Pope to take a Selfie;
As a kid Pope Francis collected stamps and now his image is featured on several stamps.
This National Geographic Kids book written by Barbara Kramer is available for $3.99 from the National Geographic online store and other retailers such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. It is part of the National Geographic Readers series which provides kid friendly profiles of public and historical figures including Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington, Rosa Parks, Sacagawea, Thomas Edison and President Obama. These easy to read books also feature topics such as Coral Reefs, Ellis Island, Mars, Trucks, Weird Sea Creatures and Volcanoes.
Pope Francis visit to the United States begins in Washington D.C. where he will meet the President at the White House and give a speech to a Joint Session of Congress at the Capitol. There will also be a Papal Parade through the National Mall and a special mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pope Francis will be in Washington D.C. from Tuesday September 22 through Thursday September 24.
The Pope will arrive in New York City on Thursday evening. While in New York he will attend an evening prayers at St. Patrick's Cathedral, address the United Nations General Assembly, attend a mulit-religious services at the Word Trade Center's 9/11 memorial and museum, visit a catholic elementary school in East Harlem, and have a procession through Central Park. Pope Francis' stay in Manhattan will wrap up with a mass at Madison Square Gardens on Friday, September 25th.
Pope Francis arrives in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 26th for a two day stay. While in Philadelphia, he will hold mass at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, visit Independence Mall, meet with bishops at the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, tour the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, and meet with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families. The Pope then departs back to Rome on Sunday evening.
While hundreds of thousands of people are expected to see Pope Francis as he visits the US, if you aren't able to be in the area to see him in person here are a few suggestions on how to join in on the experience from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Take part in a "Virtual Pilgrimage" with these prayers as the Holy Father makes his way to more than a dozen different locations in Washington, DC, New York City, and Philadelphia.
Learn more about the places Pope Francis will visit by following his journey on this interactive map.
Have a Papal Visit Watch Party! All events will be live streamed in English with audio commentary here. Select events will also be available for video on demand here.
Respond
to Pope Francis's call to have a personal encounter with Jesus by reaching out to those in need,
supporting parish or community charitable efforts, acting to promote
life, human dignity, families and religious freedom, and by caring for
creation. Find ideas here.
Engage in social media: use our hash tags #PopeinUS and #PapaEnUSA. Don't forget to use some Pope emojis!
Support
the many people working to make Pope Francis' historic US visit a
success by praying for them to the Blessed Virgin under her title Mary, Undoer of Knots. . .
(a favorite of Pope Francis). Include in your intentions: Vatican
staff, The US Secret Service, the US Bishops, their staff and
volunteers, the World Meeting of Families committee and volunteers, and
the three host archdioceses and host cities.
A Geek Daddy Blog is participating in the National Geographic Kids Insider
brand ambassador
program for the 2015-2016 school year. During this time, the
“Insiders” will get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s
resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families.
National Geographic Kids Insiders review books, magazines television
shows and toys, and will be
offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors.
Photos uses in this blog post are by Dave Yoder/National Geographic from the book POPE FRANCIS & THE NEW VATICAN used with permission. Copying, distribution, archiving, sublicensing, sale, or resale of these images is prohibited. In other words you can look but don't touch the photos in this blog post - which in general is how you should treat all the photos on A GEEK DADDY as this is a copyrighted website with all rights reserved by the publisher. #NGKinsider
Avast! my mateys today is that grand ole day of the year when
all the land lubbers of the world stop to pay homage to the spectacular
vocabulary skills of those scurvy band of corsairs we've come to know as
Pirates. Talk Like A Pirate Day started off 22 years ago when syndicated humor columnist Dave
Barry promoted the idea created by two wise-cracking buddies John Baur
and Mark Summers. It's now become a globally recognized day of fun that
takes place every September 19th where people across the world debate
the usage og Arrr! versus Arrgh! What's the main message of this
special day...life is short take a break and have some fun being silly
from time to time.
In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, I'm going to share 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually Truecourtesyof our friends at the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY:
#1 Pirates Flew the "Jolly Rogers" over their ships;
#2 Pirate ships were rowdy, boisterous vessels full of drunken rogues;
#3 Pirates had hooks and peg-legs;
#4 Pirates would maroon crew members on deserted islands;
#5 There was such a thing as a "Pirate's Code"
Take a moment to watch the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC video posted above, it is
pretty good with lots of interesting information. For example many
ships' crews primarily drank rum because as they were traveling across
salt water oceans and seas where they couldn't guarantee their supply of
safe fresh water to drink so the drunken sailer image may not be too
far off. So yo ho ho is the Pirate Life for you?
For myself next to trying to remember the proper usage of then verus than
the next biggest the next biggest vocabulary challenge is the properly
using Arrr versus Arrgh. Fortunately the good crew over at TalkLikeAPirate.com
have an answer for that within their official pirate language
dictionary. Arrgh is the sound you make when you get a poke in the eye
or a kick in the butt. Arrr means YES, I AGREE, I APPROVE , or SEND
ANOTHER BEER MY WAY PLEASE.
So lift your grog you bilge rats on this occasion and give toast to
those who made this day be. Cheers to John, Mark and Davey! Thank you
for making sure we all know the proper use of Arrr versus Arrgh and
creating a day that always provides smiles and amusement to us land
lubbers one and all.
A Geek Daddy Blog is participating in the National Geographic Kids Insider brand ambassador
program for the 2015-2016 school year. During this time, the
“Insiders” will get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s
resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families. National Geographic Kids Insiders review books, magazines television shows and toys, and will be
offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors.
What do you get when a desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer in an attempt to prevent a diabolical global disaster? A hilarious spoof on secret agent movies starring Melissa McCarthy in the blockbuster hit SPY which film critic Leonard Maltin referred to as "her funniest movie yet." Jason Statham, Jude Law and Rose Byrne join McCarthy in delivering hysterical performances in SPY which earned more than $100 million during its theatrical run in the United States and a 95% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com. In anticipation of the movie's release on Blu-ray and DVD on September 29, 2015, A Geek Daddy is sharing a few fun facts about Hollywood's newest Queen of Comedy, Melissa McCarthy, and giving away a SPY Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.
Did you know Melissa is a Saluki? She studied fashion at Southern Illinois University (who are know as the Salukis from their school mascot). In fact she originally made her way to New York to be a fashion designer but after a fateful night at an open mic night decided to take a shot at being a stand-up comedian instead. Melissa s still very talented when it comes to fashion though and designed her own gown that the actress/comedian wore to the 2011 Emmys where she won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
While Melissa McCarthy may be best know for her breakout role in the 2011 comedy hit Bridesmaids where she received an Academy Award nomination for her part in the film, she had already been acting for more than a decade at that point having a primary supporting role in the television series Gilmore Girls from 2000-2007 and Samantha Who? from 2007-2009. She currently stars in the CBS prime time sitcom Mike & Molly where she earned her an Emmy in 2011 for the role of Molly Flynn. One of my wife's all time favorite TV shows is Gilmore Girls. For a lot of yearsshe watched reruns of Gilmore Girls every afternoon when returning home from work and we had to make time to watch every new episode whenever they aired. So for our family Melissa McCarthy will always be Sookie from the Gilmore Girls.
Speaking of her big role in Bridesmaids - other than playing one in the movie, Melissa has been a bridesmaid in real life once - at her sister's wedding.
Melissa has a really sharp memory. When she has hosted Saturday Night Live she hasn't used cue cards. Melissa has memorized EVERYTHING for these "live" SNL performances. Wow! That's impressive! In fact, she's earned 2 Emmy nominations for hosting SNL (2012 / 2013).
What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you as a kid? For Melissa who grew up in the rural farming community of Plainsfield, Illinois it was climbing up into a neighbor's silo and not being able to get back down. She had to be rescued by a friendly farmer who climbed up, got her unstuck and brought her down to earth.
Since Bridesmaids, Melissa has had roles in the films Spy, The Nines, The Back-up Plan, Life As We Know It, Identity Thief, The Heat, and The Hangover Part III. She will be starring in the upcoming Ghost Busters remake that is scheduled to be released in theaters across the USA on July 15, 2016. Ghost Busters is being directed by Paul Feig who also directed McCarthy in the movies SPY, The Heat and Bridesmaids.
Thanks to our friends at Fox Home Entertainment, one lucky A GEEK DADDY blog reader will win a free
Blu-rayDVD combo pack of SPY. Must
be a U.S. 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 September 27, 2015:
E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing
address plus tell us your favorite Melissa McCarthy role. Email subject line should be SPY (1 ENTRY)
Visit our Facebook page and on the contest post leave a comment telling us about your funniest moment at work or school where you were caught out of your comfort zone like McCarthy is in the movie SPY (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.
McCarthy
is armed and hilarious in this comedy from director Paul Feig.
Deskbound CIA analyst Susan Cooper is about to become the world’s
newest — and unlikeliest — secret weapon. When her partner (Jude Law) falls off the
grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, Susan volunteers to go
deep undercover and bring down a deadly arms dealer. Loaded with wise-cracking
action and adventure, SPY is a mission impossible to resist!
Of course the Blu-ray and DVD come loaded with a bunch of bonus features in addition to the movies:
SPY BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
Unrated Cut
3 Redacted Scenes
15 Classified Alternate
Scenes
Top Secret Gag Reel
Extra Top Secret Behind-the-Scenes
Gag Reel
Director of
Intelligence Feig Makes the Cast Do His Bidding
Susan and Her Men
Super Villain Rayna Can't Keep It Together
The Many Deaths of
Anton
The Trouble With Covers
The Great Rick Ford
For Your Eyes Only:
Jokes-A-Plenty
The Handsy World of
Spies
Speaking is an Art Form
Super Villains of the
Animal World
How Spy Was Made
The Filmmakers Tell You
How Spy Was Made While You Watch The Movie! aka The Commentary Track (Jessie
Henderson, John Vecchio, Paul Feig, Robert Yeoman, Walter Garcia)
SPY DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
Top Secret Gag Reel
Extra Top Secret
Behind-the-Scenes Gag Reel
Susan and Her Men
The Great Rick Ford
The Filmmakers Tell You
How Spy Was Made While You Watch The Movie! aka The Commentary Track (Jessie
Henderson, John Vecchio, Paul Feig, Robert Yeoman, Walter Garcia)
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. #SpyInsiders
Saturday, September 26th is BATMAN DAY where bookstores, comic shops, and other retailers will be celebrating this iconic character with fun promotional giveaways and special deals on Batman products. Kids and kids-at-heart can also have some fun at home on BATMAN DAY too by enjoying these activity sheets, coloring pages, and mask cutouts from DC Comics:
If you are heading out on Saturday make sure to stop by a comic shop, book store, or participating retailer to receive a FREE copy of BATMAN ENDGAME
SPECIAL EDITION #1 with an 8-page preview of the upcoming BATMAN AND
ROBIN ETERNAL. Comic book stores will all have one cover for this free comic book but other retailers including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Books a Million, FYE, Gamestop, Hot Topics and Spencers will be handing out comics with exclusive variant covers. Digital isn't being left out of the party either with free downloads, also featuring exclusive covers, being available from Apple iTunes, Comixology, Google Play and Nook.
BATMAN DAY partners include Warner Bros. Consumer Products with
licensees Bendon, Capstone, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and DK
Publishing, as well as DC Collectibles, WaterTower Music, Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Partners
will provide unique retail and digital promotional tie-ins to celebrate
the world-renowned Caped Crusader.
Signings and meet-and-greets with top Batman talent from DC Comics will also be taking place on BATMAN DAY including an all star line-up at Baltimore Comic-Con with Scott Snyder, Greg Pak, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Peter Tomasi, Cully Hammer, and Klaus Janson. Additional BATMAN DAY signing events featuring comic book talent will take place around the United States and Canada include acclaimed artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee (Los Angeles), Greg Capullo (Guilderland, NY), Tom King (Baltimore), Paul Dini (Los Angeles), Tim Seeley (Chicago), Dan Jurgens (St. Paul), Brenden Fletcher (Toronto, ON), Sean Murphy (Brooklyn) Len Wein (Los Angeles), Chris Burnham (Burbank), Ray Fawkes (Toronto, ON), Pat Gleason (St. Paul), Brian Buccellato (Los Angeles), Kyle Higgins (Los Angeles), Matt Manning (Asheville, NC), Daniel Wallace (Eden Prarie, MN), with more to be announced.
To help fans get in the spirit for #BATMANDAY the various DC Comics Facebook pages have been updated with themed banners.
But wait! take a closer look! In addition to their being a Batman logo on the banner could there be something else lurking in the shadows?
It's Batman! They've added an image of the dark knight in the main banner of these nine Facebook pages as Easter eggs for fans to look for in a great caped crusader hunt: Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow, and Vertigo Comics. Did you find all the hidden Batman images in the artwork? Some are pretty easy to spot and others are really difficult.
As Robin would say Holy Armadillo Batman there sure is going to be a lot of Batmania going on September 26th!
