RAILROADS ONLINE VIDEO GAME COMES TO PLAYSTATION AND XBOX

For those of you who share Sheldon Cooper's love of locomotives, you'll be GEEKED to know that the PC railway train simulator RAILROADS ONLINE is coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S video game consoles.  In Railroads Online, developed by Stefan Kelnberger and published by astragon Entertainment, players create the railroad network of their dreams alone or in a multiplayer with up to 16 players. In a large open game world, rails, switches, and stations must be built to transport different goods in authentic locomotives. The game uses the advanced physics systems of the Unreal Engine to create the most authentic railroad simulation possible, rendering collisions and forces dynamically in real time for maximum immersion. Railroads Online will be released digitally this Fall priced at $39.99.

In the game more than 20 authentic locomotives are available for transporting different goods. These locomotives hail from the golden era of steam engines in the United States, spanning from the 1870s — when steam power was rapidly transforming transportation — through to the height of steam locomotive innovation in the early 1900s. 

Among the collection are legendary models like the Montezuma, renowned Baldwin steam engines, the powerful Class 125, and the iconic "Betsy". Many of the steam locomotives featured in Railroads Online no longer exist or a very limited number are still around. The development team used specialist magazines, preserved documents, and surviving models in North American museums to recreate these locomotives as faithfully as possible in the game.

Game features include:

• Open sandbox game world to explore;
•  Online multiplayer mode with up to 16 players; 
• Build your own railroad infrastructure, including tracks, switches, stations and more;
•  Authentic, detailed locomotives and equipment;
•  Realistic railroad physics system and operation of locomotive controls, valves, brakes and equipment;
•  Earn money by transporting goods to develop your own business and buy more locomotives, cars and equipment;
•  Customizable locomotives

For more information, please visit: railroads-online.xsollasitebuilder.com

AMES BROS BUY ONE GET TWO FREE SHIRT SALE

I've been a fan of the classic Sci-Fi vibe t-shirt designs by Seattle-based graphic arts firm Ames Bros  since noticing their work on shirts being sported by Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.  From ray guns to robots science fiction fans are sure to be geeked about wearing shirts with illustrations by Barry Ament and Coby Shultz whose Ames Bros business has included designing album covers for Pearl Jam and Metallica, advertising illustrations for Absolut Vodka, Converse and Ray Ban as well as for the last decade creating awesome t-shirts. I have a number of Ames Bros shirts that you'll see me wearing all the time from tvstoreonline.com. 

So I wanted to share with you a special BUY ONE GET TWO FREE deal that tvstoreonline.com is hosting through June 20, 2021. You can purchase one Ames Bros shirt and get two others free! So you can pick up the Destroyer, Flash Ray Gun or Man-Bot shirts for the price of just one of them! If these aren't your style there are a number of other selections to choose from in the tvstoreonline.com Buy 1 Get 2 Free Collection including Star Wars, DC Comics and Marvel inspired wear. Call me looney but there are Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner and Marvin the Martian t-shirts that are singing out for me to buy them.

Just head over to tvstoreonline.com and browse through the Buy 1 Get 2 Free Collection. Pick out your favorite selections. Use coupon code Buy1Get2 at checkout to take advantage of this great deal. This amazing opportunity ends either June 20 or until supplies last. Don't wait around because lookie-loos will miss out.

That's not all though! My friends at tvstoreonline.com are going to give one lucky winner their choice of this Geek Daddy's favorite Ames Bros shirt design. Ames Bros vintage Man-Bot artwork is available in a variety of colors as well as him and her styles. There is a charcoal Juniors sized shirt, the popular blue and yellow shirt worn by Sheldon on The Big Bang and a green unisex version to choose from. Which of these Ames Bros shirts best fits your style? 

For a chance to win a free t-shirt simply complete the Rafflecopter entries below before 11:59pm ET on May 18, 2020. Must be a United States resident over 18 year old to participate in this giveaway. The promotion's sponsor reserves the right to modify the prize if necessary based upon available inventory. Good luck to all our entrants!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now go get yourselves some fantastic shirts from tvstoreonline.com! 

This blog post may contain affiliate links which provide a small commission from purchases to ageekdaddy.com at no additional cost to you.

THE BIG BANG THEORY THE COMPLETE SERIES

Sponsored by Warner Bros Home Entertainment

I've got a Sheldon Cooper shirt on, a good brew to drink and a bucket of popcorn for snacking on. Time to binge watch The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series that is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. Who else is missing seeing The Big Bang Theory episodes since the show went off the air? Fortunately, with the complete series now available to add to home entertainment video libraries you can watch all your favorite episodes whenever you want and without any commercial interruptions.

From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. The show aired on CBS for 12 seasons. So there is a lot to watch for fans like me who want to go back and see The Complete Series again. I have to admit this dad blogger is geeked to go back and watch all the episodes again. My now eleven year old twins are also looking forward to going back and watching some of the earlier seasons that aired before they started watching the show with me. It is not hard to calculate they weren't even born yet when The Big Bang Theory began!

The Complete Series of this blockbuster comedy follows the hilarious trajectory of best friends Leonard Hofstadter (Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Parsons): geniuses in the lab and challenged in the real world. Yet both somehow manage to entangle themselves in wedded bliss: Leonard with his street-smart neighbor, Penny (Cuoco), and Sheldon, after a long courtship, with Amy (Bialik), a successful neurobiologist. Across 12 universally beloved seasons, they and their friends—fellow scientist Howard (Helberg), his adorable microbiologist wife, Bernadette (Rauch), and astrophysicist bachelor Raj (Nayyar)—attempt to solve quotidian conundrums posed by academia, family crises and video games while solving world-changing problems in physics. Proving, ultimately, that what matters most in the universe is fun, friendship and a well-founded theory. Oh, and a Nobel Prize would be nice.



The only way to see The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series right now commercial free is to own it on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD. It is available on Digital via  iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, and GooglePlay. You can also pick it up on Blu-ray and DVD from Best Buy. If you buy The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series from Best Buy using an affiliate link within this post, ageekdaddy.com will receive a small commission at no additional expense to you. This dad blogger always appreciates your support!

SHIRTS SHELDON COOPER WORE

Whether a fan of Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory or not, you have to admit the character wears some great t-shirts on the show. Who hasn't geeked out over some of the shirts we've seen on him. With just a few episodes left before the series finale, have yourself some fun while watching the show by wearing some of the same shirts you've seen Sheldon wear.  Many of them are available from tvstoreonline.com.

Knowing that I'm a big fan of The Big Bang Theory, tvstoreonline.com sent me over a few examples of their Sheldon Cooper selection of t-shirts. Goofing around with my kids, I modeled them spoofing scenes with Sheldon wearing the same shirt from the tv show. Just like how I wear a Lions jersey while watching football on Sundays, I'm going to be sporting my Sheldon Cooper t-shirts while watching the final episodes of The Big Bang Theory as we say goodbye to Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard and the rest of the cast.

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73 T-SHIRT

Sheldon's favorite number is 73 so of course he has to wear a t-shirt with it displayed on the front. Why the number 73? Because Sheldon believes it to be the best number. 73 is the 21st prime number. Its mirror, 37, is the 12th and its mirror, 21, is the product of multiplying 7 and 3. Plus in binary 73 is a palindrome, 1001001, which backwards is 1001001. 73 is the Chuck Norris of numbers!

Sheldon's favorite number was also identified in the 73rd episode of the Big Bang Theory, "The Alien Parasite Hypothesis." Coincidently, '73 is also the year Jim Parsons who plays Sheldon was born.  It is also the year that American Graffiti was released which was directed by George Lucas and included Harrison Ford in the cast. The success of that movie paved the way for Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark → two of Sheldon's favorite movies. These are also two of my favorite movies too. So I'm proud to don the number 73 to celebrate my enjoyment of twelve great seasons of The Big Bang Theory.

AMES BROS MAN-BOT SHIRT

Looking for imagery to use on t-shirts that had a classic sci-fi vibe to it, The Big Bang Theory's producers turned to Ames Bros (Coby Schultz and Barry Ament) who had developed a reputation as trend setting graphic artists helping brand musical performers including Cold Play, Sting, Phish, John Mayer, Snoop Dog, and Foo Fighters through artwork on compact disc album covers, posters, and t-shirts. Ames Bros embraced geek culture outfitting Sheldon in shirts displaying monsters, ray guns and robots. My favorite of these Ames Bros shirts is the Man-Bot. Kind of reminds me of Ram Man from the He-Man cartoons that aired when I was a kid.

From a melting Rubik's Cube t-shirt to Wesley Crushers bowling shirts, tvstoreonline.com can help you show off being a Big Bang Theory fanatic. They even have a Doppler Effect costume if you really want to dress to impress for a series finale viewing party. Have some fun letting your geek side show!

THE PROTON TRANSMOGRIFICATION

THE BIG BANG THEORY STAR WARS “MAY THE 4^th” 

TV SPECIAL TO AIR ON MAY 1^st 2014

A few years ago I was working 60 hour weeks and didn’t have time to watch much television.  My wife kept telling me about this show that she thought was a hoot because it reminded her of many of the funny geeky things in life she had been introduced to by marrying me.  One night my wife heard me laughing while watching television and asked me what I was watching.  “Oh it’s this great new show called The Big Bang Theory,” I told her. “That’s not new, I is  the show I’ve been telling you to watch for a few seasons now.”  As usual she was right, I love this show and have become a big fan.  We bought the DVDs for the first few seasons I’d missed that weekend and had a The Big Bang Theory viewing marathon.  I’ve been watching the show ever since.

The show follows the lives of Cal Tech scientist with a comedic focus on the scientific and geek culture aspects of their lives.  Over the last few years, the characters have appeared in shows with comic book and science fiction themes, sometimes even dressing in costumes associated with Star Trek or Super Heroes.

This season, The Big Bang Theory is going all out by creating an extensive replica of the Empire Strikes Back Dagobah swamp set for a special episode to celebrate  STAR WARS DAY “May the 4^th”.  The Proton Transmogrification episode of The Big Bang Theory is an episode that any Star Wars fan isn’t going to want to miss.  It won’t be airing on May the 4^th though, but rather on the Big Bang Theory’s regularly scheduled broadcast night of May 1, 2014.

For more information about MAY THE FOURTH, visit http://starwars.com/news/the-history-of-may-the-4th.html and if you don’t mind SPOILERS and want to know more about the upcoming Star Wars themed episode keep reading.

**SPOILERS** I haven’t seen the upcoming episode yet myself but have gathered the following information from several sources about its script. In “The Proton Transmogrification” , while planning Star Wars activities for May the Fourth two of the show’s main characters Sheldon and Leonard discover their childhood hero, PROFESSOR PROTON, has passed away.  Bob Newhart played the role of Professor Proton in an appearance last season which won him a Prime Time Emmy Award.  Professor Proton’s (aka Arthur Jeffries Ph.D.) funeral is going to be held on May the Fourth (be with you) Day.  Leonard decides to put off his Star Wars plans to attend the funeral while Sheldon says mourning for someone is a waste of time and refuses to go to the memorial service.

While Leonard is at Arthur Jeffries funeral, Sheldon is holding a Star Wars movie watching marathon with his friends Amy, Bernadette, Howard and Raj.  Sheldon becomes upset about Professor Proton’s death as they begin to watch the movies and storms to his room where he falls asleep.  In Sheldon’s dream he is transported to Dagobah where he encounters Professor Proton as Bob Newhart makes his third and possibly last guest appearance on the show.  I hear that The Big Bang Theory’s producers teamed up with  Disney’s LucasFilm division to go all out in recreating the original movie set.  Bob Newhart appears in normal clothes, but when questioned by Sheldon on whether he is supposed to be his mentor “like Obi Wan”, his clothes transform into Jedi robes.  A funny sketch comedy scene is supposed to follow involving Professor Proton and a light saber.  I was somewhat surprised with the Obi Wan outfit as with the Dagobah set and Bob Newhart involved I’d thought they would portray Dr. Proton as Yoda.  Maybe Newhart vetoed that idea as he didn’t want to be too silly in his appearance.   

Sheldon starts to talk with Professor Proton about death and how he lost his father.  Professor Proton tells Sheldon that people may leave us, but he should cherish and appreciate those who are still with us.  Sheldon says he does appreciate his friends, but the Professor questions him on whether that really is true.

When Leonard returns from the funeral, he wakes up his friend.  Sheldon gives Leonard a big hug.  They proceed to watch their Star Wars movie marathon.  The show wraps up with a final appearance by Bob Newhart giving Sheldon some Professor Proton sage words of advice.  With this episode ending the Bob Newhart Professor Proton story arc and including a Star Wars theme it looks to be one of the best shows yet.  The Big Bang Theory showrunner Steve Molaro seems to agree telling CNET that LucasFilm contacted the show about doing a May Fourth themed show and saying “We knew that Bob (Newhart) was coming back and LucasFilm called us, and we realized that this might be an opportunity to mix both stories and come up with something special.” Molaro added that  Lucasfilm’s own SFX company Industrial Light & Magic will be recreating the “Star Wars” swamp planet of Dagobah where Yoda hid from the clutches of Darth Vader and the evil Empire.  “Bob is going to be swinging a lightsaber around and they sent us a real one to use.  They’re going to help make it look and sound right.  It’s an amazing crossover for us.”

I’m going to be watching to see how closely the spoilers I found actually pan out and will also be on the look out to see what other future May 4^th’s may hold for us.  With LucasFilm reaching out to promote the day with The Big Bang Theory and new Star Wars movies in the future it looks like May the Fourth may become a regular franchise promotional tool supported by Disney.  We’ll have to see if it eventually hosts annual events and promotions as interesting and fun as Free Comic Book Day has become. 

I really appreciate how The Big Bang Theory makes geek jokes and references without really making fun of geeks.  You can laugh at the geeky culture rather than degrade it which this comedy does a nice balancing act with.  I enjoy lots of things about the show, its comedy, references to comic book and science fiction, and that its theme song is sung by one of my favorite bands.  Did you know it was written and performed by The Bare Naked Ladies?  Check out this surprise performance of the theme song by the band at Comic Con a few years ago:

The Force is with us all too because a few weeks ago it was announced The Big Bang Theory was renewed for 3 more seasons.  The Big Bang Theory airs at 8pm EST Thursdays on CBS: http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory  Enjoy May the Fourth my friends!