Is the Italian Stallion coming back for a 7th movie?

Word on the street is that Rocky Balboa ( aka Sylvester Stallone ) will be returning to the big screen for his 7th movie appearance.  The upcoming movie though won't be called ROCKY 7 but rather "CREED".  It appears the premise for the movie is that Rocky played by 67 year old Stallone will train Apollo Creed's grandson to be a "fighter".

If you recall Rocky & Apollo duked it out in Rocky 1 & 2, Creed trained Balboa in Rocky 3 to go against Mr T in the ring, and than Apollo was killed by the menacing cold war Russian boxer in Rocky 4 motivating the Italian Stallion to get back in the ring. Than there was the horrible Rocky 5 where the broke mentally impaired Rocky had a street fight with a punk he was training to be a contender followed by Rocky 6 which seems to forget about Rocky 5 ever being made and got  Stallone back in the ring to fight the current heavy weight champ who is mad that a video game ranks Rocky as a better fighter than him.  Balboa loses in Rocky 6 but everyone loves him for putting up a good fight that embarrasses his opponent.  So Rocky 6 made up for the horrible ending that Rocky 5 left the franchise with and most of us thought the Italian Stallion would be put to pasture.

Nope not just yet as Rocky 7 ( aka CREED ) moves forward with production which looks to be the movie Rocky 5 should have been.  What has caught by interest about this new movie is the actor the producers want to portray Apollo Creed's grandson, Michael B. Jordon.  I recognized the name from his role on the tv series "Friday Night Lights" where he did a nice job playing the role of high school quarterback Vince Howard, a troubled youth who becomes a blue chip prospect and state champion.  More recently he has received great reviews for his portrayal of Oscar Grant III in the movie Fruitvale Station. Could this young energetic and charismatic star reinvigorate the Rocky franchise?

What do you think should the Rocky story continue on the big screen or is it time to put it to rest?

Get a FREE book for your Child each Month from Birth to 5 Yrs Old - Courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

From the first month we brought our kids home from the hospital after being born to today we've received a FREE book each month delivered in our mail courtesy of .... Dolly Parton.

The Country signer's Imagination Library has selected 60 books that they provide through partnerships with local charitable groups across the country to encourage parents to read to their young children for 15 minutes every day over the course of 5 yrs. If your community has a participating program (rules vary from program to program in some cases you just have to sign up and in other cases their are income/need criteria or programs you need to participate in to qualify) your child will receive a different book each month (specifically selected for suitability for your child's particular age level each month throughout the program) from birth until they turn 5 years old for a total of 60 books in all during that time span.

We've received some great books through this program such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "Where the Wild Things Are", Little Monkey Lost", "My Lucky Day", "The Little Engine That Could", and "If I Built a Car" among others.   The goal of the program is to encourage parents to regularly read to their children from newborns until they reach kindergarten for 15 minutes a day to promote early brain development and an appreciation of reading with children.

Why is reading to kids so important? According to the non-profit group Read Aloud: 15 MINUTES:

Forty million children will be born in the United States over the next decade. If something does not change, 15 million of those children will not be ready when kindergarten rolls around. The 15 MINUTES Movement aims to turn daily reading aloud for 15 minutes from a recommendation into a parenting must.
Why is reading aloud so important?

• Brain development – Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. From birth to age 3 are critical years for the development of language skills that are the foundation for future learning success.

• Language – The number of words that a child knows when he or she enters kindergarten is the most important predictor of a child’s success or failure. Reading aloud grows your child’s vocab and introduces many words and concepts that you might not use in everyday conversation.

• Literacy Skills – Vocabulary, phonics, familiarity with the printed word, storytelling, comprehension. Reading aloud is invaluable for building these skills.

• Bonding – Reading with a child in your lap is some primo bonding time.

• Love of Reading – Parents that read aloud are demonstrating that reading is important, pleasurable and valuable.

• Knowledge – Books have information! You and your child can learn something new when you read aloud.

Nearly half of America’s children are not read aloud to everyday. If your child is not reading at grade-level by the end of first grade, there is an 88 percent chance that they will still be behind in fourth grade. This can lead to a disheartened and frustrated child, who feels that they are constantly having to catch up.
By age 4, children who are read aloud to regularly have heard an average of 32 million more words than children who are not. 

Reading aloud 15 MINUTES is the simplest and most effective way to help our children be ready for a lifetime of learning.

For more information about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library or to to find a participating program serving your neighborhood, visit:  http://usa.imaginationlibrary.com/find_my_affiliate.php#.Ue6JAozD-M8

This has been a great program for our family to participate in courtesy of our local United Way & I'd encourage you to check it out if you have young children in your household.

It's Official - Angry Birds Star Wars 2 Game Launching on September 19, 2013!

Rovio, the publisher of Angry Birds games announced today that it is launching a brand new Star Wars featured one on September 19, 2013.  Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 will have a prequel trilogy theme with over 30 characters from Episodes I - III of the movies to choose from while playing the game.  This time around though, you don't necessarily have to be the good guys as you can choose sides ... you can join the "Pork Side" in this game!  There will be lots of new characters, powers and locations to crash in this sequel (or is it a prequel?) game to the popularly successful Angry Birds: Star Wars which has garnered more than 100 million downloads since in launched last year.

Also taking a cue from the successful Skylanders games by Activision this new Angry Bird game will also feature in partnership with Hasbro introducing a new element called Telepods.  Hasbro will create a line of 30 Star Wars Telepod toy figures that you can scan into the game through your phone or tablet camera so that you can select which characters to use based upon the figurines you have purchased.  My kids aren't into Skylanders but from talking to the parents of some of their friends these are a very popular mix of video games with toys with many children. Skylanders are toy action figures that you purchase and than can scan them into action adventure video games as characters in the game play. They give collectors some control over which characters they incorporate into their games. This element seems very interesting but a side of me also goes oh no cha ching more dough my kids are going to want to spend from my wallet.  Of course, I have to admit if the figures and game are cool enough it might be their geek dad pushing the purchase of a Telepod collection.

Check out this video for more information or visit the Rovio blog:

For those of us playing the current Angry Birds: Star Wars game, Rovio also announced that it will soon be coming out with  RETURN OF THE JEDI updates containing locations and characters from that movie for the existing app.  I foresee Jabba and Ewoks piggies & birdies crashing into the original game in the next few weeks.  Earlier this year Rovio expanded on the game by adding characters from Empire Strikes Back to those already in the game from A New Hope. Obviously a Return of the Jedi update had to be in the works at some point too going with the original trilogy theme of this game.

If you haven't played Angry Birds: Star Wars yet than you might want to download it now as it FREE  for a limited time for Iphone/Ipad & Android users.  I've posted the links in this previous article: http://ageekdaddy.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-angry-birds-star-wars-game-sequel.html

New Angry Birds STAR WARS game sequel (or is it a prequel?) is on its way!

I have to admit I was a skeptic when game developer ROVIO launched ANGRY BIRDS: STAR WARS that it was just a cheesy marketing gimmick to entice a new group of people to check out their product.  Despite that hesitancy, I paid .99 cents to download the game for my iPhone to check it out.  Wow was my initial view of the game wrong!  Rovio did an extraordinary job of creating a fun and challenging game that incorporated Star Wars locations and characters into the Angry Birds universe in a way that is humorous but not downgrading.  I find myself playing Angry Birds:Star Wars a lot when I have downtime and just want to sit back and relax for a moment.  What is nice about the game too is that I have no qualms about letting my young children play it - family friendly games are always a plus in our household.

Based on the success of ANGRY BIRDS: STAR WARS, Rovio will soon be launching a sequel (or will it be a prequel?) Star Wars game.  They posted this teaser on their blog on Saturday, July 13 and will be making an official announcement on Monday, July 15:

Based upon a movie poster from Star Wars Episode 1, you can only assume that the new game will be focused on the first 3 (or are they the last 3?) Star Wars movies.  Rovio in it's blog post states:

BIG news coming on Monday!

12.07.2013

Attention, Angry Birds fans! Stay tuned on Monday, July 15th, for big news about a brand new game! We’re talking the biggest character line-up ever, awesome new powers, and maybe even a few surprises! Intrigued? Stay tuned for more news on #July15!

Here's the original Star Wars poster that Rovio spoofed:

The original Angry Birds: Star Wars game has done a great job of introducing updates with extra locations and characters but have been all from A New Hope and the Empire Strikes Back so far.  They do need to add some Return of the Jedi to the game though.  So while they have incorporated elements from these films they don't have the characters and locals from the "prequel" movies.  I thought they may do this as updates to the current game but instead it appears there will now be a brand new game.  We'll know more on #July15!

If you haven't played Angry Birds: Star Wars the game is now FREE for a limited time for Android and IOS users. Enjoy!!!

CLICK HERE for the iPad version.

CLICK HERE for the iPhone version.

CLICK HERE for the Android versions.

GI JOE - A REAL AMERICAN HERO

I remember being in elementary school and running home from the bus stop to make sure I didn't miss a minute of the GI JOE animated series on TV.  At that age I was playing with the toys, reading the comic books and watching every episode of a show were the majority of the dialogue was the phrase "yo joe!" ... and I loved every minute of it!  This was during the first few years of when the toy line was reintroduced in the 1980s (they had been sold in the 60s & 70s looking more like guy Barbie dolls with beards and guns before being turned into "action figures" in the 80s) when there was a focus on some level of military realism with the brand.  The GI JOE of my youth had an infantry man "Grunt", a radio operator "Breaker", a ranger "Striker", a bazooka soldier "Zap", and a Commando named "Snake Eyes" that wore traditional military uniforms and used weapons you'd think real soldiers might be using in combat at the time.  The GI JOE characters evolved over time so that the characters became more fantastic and scifi-ish.  Unfortunately, the toys I see at the store now don't resemble anything that I relate to when thinking of GI JOE.

I came across this video that provides a great overview of the "original 13" which are the characters I associate with GI JOE from my childhood.  Check this out:

I have some hope though for a renewed development of the GI JOE franchise after reading IDW Publishing's  new monthly comic book series that debuted this year.  The GI JOE of my youth was a clandestine force of the best soldiers in the U.S. military taking on the threat of a secret international terrorist organization called COBRA.  IDW has modernized GI JOE for today's times.  COBRA doesn't lurk in the shadows anymore in this new adaptation but is rather a household name for the atrocities it has committed.  GI JOE is public now too.  Everyone knows about GI JOE and the military uses them as a promotional tool to gain public support and recruits.  The leader of GI JOE actually says that they will be using their likenesses and stories for toys, comic books and movies to promote the military.  A fun nod to the toy line and this new comic book series.

The new comic book series keeps some of the classic cheesiness of GI JOE of old though.  For example, the only person to die when the Joes' helicopter is shot down is the soldier wearing a parachute.  One of the bad guys controls crocodiles who he sicks on people.  Cobra's vehicles look more like toys than realistic fighting machines.  That being said, the new comic books have great art work and nice scripting to make them a fun and enjoyable read for both kids today and their 40 year old dads who enjoyed GI JOE when they were kids.  The artwork provides the feel of watching the story as an animated tv show as you read through it enhancing the enjoyment of your reading experience.

There were some interesting takes on bringing GI JOE into modern times that caught my eye while reading the first 5 issues of this new series.  GI JOE is exposed to the public by a "wikipedia leak"; a blogger who heavily uses twitter is added to the GI JOE team as an embedded journalist; and the character ShipWreck has the real life parrot that used to accompany him replaced by a mini-drone called a parrot designed to provide surveillance, scouting and communications support.

If you've missed out on the first monthly issues of GI JOE from IDW PUBLISHING they have compiled the first five into a graphic novel titled GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT that will be available for purchase soon. Here's the link to it on Amazon where it is available for pre-order:  http://www.amazon.com/G-I-JOE-Volume-1-Homefront/dp/1613777051/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Here's a preview of some of the pages you'll find in GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT.  On a final note I just feel the need to yell out "Yo Joe!"

DISCLAIMER:  I received a limited use digital pdf copy of GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT to use for this review from the publisher.  I did not receive any compensation for this post and the thoughts/opinions in it are my own.

They’ll Never Take Us Down - Neil Diamond Raising Money for Charities

Neil Diamond’s music has bridged generations.  I remember as a kid my grandparents listening to his music on their record player and going to his concerts while I have to admit I have a few of his songs on my mp3 player,  my wife & I went to see him in concert ourselves a few years ago, and that SAVING SILVERMAN is one of my favorite movie comedies.  In fact just the other day while stopped at a light driving home from work I was between a restored classic car with a guy looked like in his Sixties blasting “Cherry Cherry” and a Ford Fusion with some Twenty-somethings blaring “Holly Holly”…it was like a Neil Diamond Fest on Woodward Avenue!  Now Neil is using his music to bring together the Country with his new tune “Freedom  Song”.

Neil Diamond debuted his new song Freedom Song (They’ll Never Take Us Down) over the Fourth of July with performances at the Washington Nationals baseball game and on PBS’s annual musical special: A CAPITOL FOURTH.  Check out his performance:

You can download the song on iTunes & Amazon for $1.29 with 100% of the purchase price being donated equally to benefit ONE FUND BOSTON and THE WOUNDED WARRIORPROJECT.  Written, recorded, and produced by Diamond in the wake of this past April’s Boston Marathon bombings, this new and original song was released by Columbia Records.  All participating parties involved in the making and release of this song have donated their time, expenses and proceeds.

ONE FUND BOSTONwas created organization by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino t to ensure a legitimate fundraising & support organization in assisting the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.  THE WOUNDED WARRIORS PROJECT  provides programs and services to severely injured military service members during the time between active duty and their transition to civilian life.

CLICK HEREto download “Freedom Song” on iTunes

CLICK HEREto download “Freedom Song” on Amazon

Hoping your Fourth of July is a Blast & doesn't end up in a Bang!

You can tell the Fourth of July holiday is approaching as the stands selling fireworks have popped up at nearly every intersection and the evenings start to become filled with the sounds of booms, bangs and hisses.  Enjoy the season, but please be considerate of others and careful when enjoying fireworks.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 200 people PER DAY in the United States end up in an emergency room for treatment for a fireworks related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July.  In fact 60% of all fireworks injuries for the whole year occur in a 30 day span surrounding July 4^th!

As parents we can allow our children to enjoy fireworks but we need to be vigilant about supervising and maintaining safety around them.  Too many parents are being too lax when it comes to fireworks.  The numbers when it comes to childhood injuries involving fireworks are troubling.  According to the CPSC, 29% of fireworks injuries reported involve children 0 – 14.  Another 15% of injuries involve the ages of 15-19.  So almost half of ALL injures involving fireworks impact children.

Of the injuries suffered I found it interesting that only 1% involved arms thought that number would have been higher – the majority of injuries are to hands and fingers 41% with injuries to the head being the second most common with 19%.  More than HALF of ALL injuries were from BURNS so remember that sparklers can be dangerous if not handled responsibly too.  The most common firework injuries are from firecrackers accounting for 23% of injuries with sparklers and bottle rockets tied for second place each with 12%.

The CPSC has put together a nice illustration with this information:  http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/2013/06/cpsc-science-fireworks-injuries-2013-update/

I remember running around the front yard with sparklers as a kid and blowing up firecrackers with my dad as a kid.  We have some fun with our kids enjoying fireworks now too.  The numbers involving injuries though are troubling and very preventable.  I’m pointing out this information today so we can all come together to try and make the Fourth of July safer for children.  Every kid should associate the Fourth of July with a fun experience enjoying fireworks rather than a terrible trip to the hospital or even worse a long-term injury or scar that they will associate with the holiday for the rest of their lives.

With that in mind here are some useful safety tips from the CPSC:

•          Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
•          Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
•          Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
•          Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
•          Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
•          Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
•          Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
•        Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
•          Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
•          After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
•          Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

From my family to yours we are wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe Fourth of July.  Happy Birthday America! 

the Winner of the Star Wars Force for Fun Contest is …

A few days ago, I posted the youtube links for finalists in Pringle’s FORCE  FOR FUN Star Wars video contest who were competing for a $25,000 grand prize.  Over the weekend a winner was chosen! And the winner is …  JIM vs VADER!!!  Keep an eye out on TV because Pringle’s is going to be using this video as an upcoming commercial.

Check out this behind the scenes look of the filming of the JIM vs VADER commercial:

To watch the contest videos for JIM vs VADER and all the other finalists visit: http://ageekdaddy.blogspot.com/2013/06/who-is-chosen-one-pringles-force-for.html