GeekDad Parents, Kids and the Stuff We Obsess About

PAX East is Almost Here! Do You Know Where Your GeekDads Are?

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Session Friday 7:00 Wyvern Theatre (somewhere in the Hynes Convention Center)

“How young is too young for The Hobbit? What should my kids’ first LEGO set be? How can I control my disgust if my child tells me he likes Jar Jar and the Ewoks? When should I buy my kids their first non-six-sided dice? These questions and many more will be discussed by writers for Wired.com’s GeekDad blog and other geek parents. Come share your stories and advice for how to make sure our kids grow up to be geeks like us! Don’t have kids? Show up and find out what may be in store for you if you ever do!”

Panelists:

  • Matt Blum (Moderator)
  • Dave Banks
  • Natania Barron
  • John Booth
  • Doug Cornelius
  • Michael Harrison

The inaugural PAX East convention is almost here (3/26-28/2010), and GeekDad has the honor of holding a panel on raising the next generation of geek. If you’re going, we really hope you’ll be there! Our contributors will be wandering the convention in their GeekDad shirts all weekend, so be sure to give them the secret sign (what, you don’t know the secret sign?). Happy PAXing!

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Get a Clue on the Mystery Express

Mystery Express Box Cover

I always loved Clue. Okay, the die-rolling was largely unnecessary but I loved the deduction and record-keeping, the strategy behind deciding which cards to show which people to keep them in the dark. Well, now Days of Wonder is releasing a new deduction-style board game, Mystery Express. It’s like Clue, except on a train, and harder. Much harder, but it’s definitely worth the extra brain-bending effort. So far I’ve played three times (with new players each time) and everyone has given it a thumbs-up.

Since I think many of you are familiar with Clue already, I’ll draw some comparisons and then really dig into the gameplay. Clue had you looking for the murderer, weapon, and location; Mystery Express adds motive and time of murder into the mix. (Plus they use the fancy term Modus Operandi instead of “Weapon” so your kids can learn a bit of Latin, too!)

But the biggest difference is this: instead of one of each card (so that seeing a card allowed you to eliminate that particular suspect), there are two of everything (and three of each time!) so you’ll need to see both cards in order to eliminate something. Oh, and did I mention that the cards can change hands throughout the game?

Mystery Express Set-up

Mystery Express Set-up

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Installing the Lego Autopilot (GeekDad Wayback Machine)

After my proof of concept of a Lego autopilot a couple weeks ago, the hard work began. First thing was to find an appropriate “avionics platform”, AKA a good-sized R/C airplane. We settled on the Electristar .40-sized trainer, which seemed to have the right balance of stability and equipment compartment size.

The HiTechnic guys had seen my previous post on my plans to build a Lego autopilot and kindly FedExed me a prototype of the gyro sensor. I’d been using a tilt sensor as a stand-in, which actually worked quite well. But programming the Lego servo to smoothly track the tilt sensor position readings had taken me and the nine-year-old all the spare time we had this weekend. The gyro sensor introduces another level of complexity (albeit a necessary one to handle the unpredictable gusts and bumps of real flying), and that’s going to take us a few more weekends to figure out. So in the meantime, we turned to the mechanical side.

Adapting the autopilot to fit turned out to be pretty easy–just a few holes in the equipment floor of the plane to bolt down the Lego base pieces. It all fit together freakishly well:

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Here, to get a sense of scale, is the whole plane, minus the wings:

The Lego equipment adds about a pound to the plane’s weight. That probably won’t be a problem (the weight is right at the center of gravity and the plane has power to spare), but just in case, I switched the plane’s batteries to Lithium Polymer, which provide even more power at a pound less weight than the standard NiHM. It’s now got plenty of juice to support even more avionics to come (GPS, video, radio backchannel, etc).

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For you Lego Mindstorms geeks, here’s the instruction page for the prototype gyro sensor (click to enlarge). Next weekend I’ll post about the programming necessary to make a real autopilot, and why you might want to consider alternatives to the basic block-based Mindstorms visual programming environment. (Short answer: if you want to do anything remotely complicated, the Mindstorms visual approach turns into a sprawling mess.)

[This post originally ran in March, 2007]

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The Tiny-But-Wondrous World of Mouse Guard

Mouse Guard

What is it about talking animals that fascinates us? And by us, I mean me. I’ve always loved books involving critters, whether they behave more like real animals who just happen to talk (as in Watership Down) or like small furry people (think Secret of NIMH). And, of course, there are plenty of books in which animals are just completely anthropomorphized, where they’re living in a basically human world, wearing human clothes, doing human things. Mouse Guard by David Petersen falls somewhere in the middle: the mice behave like people, walking on two legs and wearing clothes, writing books and building cities, but they’re still mice. Tiny creatures in a world filled with much bigger things like snakes and owls and weasels who are decidedly not friendly.

I don’t remember when I first came across Mouse Guard—probably in a bookstore somewhere—but I only had time to flip through briefly and thought it looked promising. When the first two collected volumes (Fall 1152 and Winter 1152) showed up at my local library I decided it was finally time to give them a read, and I’m really glad I did. Mouse Guard is like Lord of the Rings meets Watership Down with mice. Oh, and there might be a touch of Star Wars in there, too.

Here’s the gist: the mice live in colonies scattered throughout the forest (and on the shore), somewhat camouflaged and hidden from view. But occasionally a mouse needs to travel from colony to colony, or somebody needs to send a message. That’s where the Mouse Guard comes in. A select group of trained fighters, based in Lockhaven, the Mouse Guard are responsible for the territory surrounding and separating the colonies. Their leader is Gwendolyn, and outside of the colonies their word is law—a small price to pay for their protection.

Winter 1152: Chapter One

Winter 1152: Chapter One

The artwork is amazing: Petersen depicts the various mouse colonies with painstaking detail, and the supplemental material at the end of the books shows that he has fairly detailed maps and backstories for everything. I was especially impressed with encounters between the mice and various predators. In the first book, several crabs attack some mice in a house on the beach, and the illustrations of a couple crabs crawling over the roof are absolutely striking. I enjoyed Fall 1152, about a secret plot to overthrow Gwendolyn, but it was the second volume, Winter 1152, that really hooked me, both the story and the artwork.

For the most part, the books are kid-friendly, too, as long as you’re okay with some illustrated violence. The creepiest part (which I wouldn’t show my six-year-old for fear of causing nightmares) is in the second volume: a few of the mice wind up in Darkheather, old weasel territory, and come across the bones of their victims (i.e., mice). That’s an image that won’t fade away soon.

So far those are all the collected books Petersen has completed, but he’s got a lot in the works. Legends of the Guard will be written and illustrated by various contributors with oversight by Petersen, and The Black Axe will reveal in more detail the legends of a mouse warrior that we’ve only gotten hints of up until now. Petersen has also prepared an 11-page insert for Free Comic Book Day, coming up in May.

For more about Mouse Guard, including extended excerpts, check out Petersen’s website MouseGuard.net. And one more bit of “hey, cool!” is the Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game. I haven’t played this myself, but having seen the amount of detail Petersen puts into the comics, I wouldn’t be surprised if the RPG is a richly-created world.

If you like The Lord of the Rings and talking animals, you should definitely check out Mouse Guard. You won’t be disappointed.

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GeekDad HipTrax #46

GeekDad HipTrax Logo by Dave Banks

GeekDad HipTrax Logo by Dave Banks

[Sorry for the delay everyone! Had a little technical difficulty with the upload Wednesday morning. All better now!]

This episode of GeekDad HipTrax is sci-fi themed. Herein we cover all the bases: Firefly, Star Trek and Doctor Who.

Okay, so maybe we left out Star Wars. Well Star Wars and BSG… and also Stargate.

Let me try this again; in today’s edition of HipTrax we just cover some of the bases. With the help of:

“Monahan’s Mudder’s Milk” by Marc Gunn

Marc Gunn, known as “The Godfather of Celtic Music Online,” is a musician, blogger, podcaster and champion of contemporary Celtic music on the web. Lucky for us, he’s also no stranger to the occasional filk tune. This workers’ rights ballad themed around the Firefly episode “Jaynestown” is freely downloadable at his site, but he’s also got a fine selection of pay tracks available via Amazon.

“The Saddest Song Ever Written About Star Trek” by Warp 11

Sacramento’s Warp 11 are not exactly among the most kid-friendly of acts we’ve featured on HipTrax. They are, however, a veritable explosion of kick-ass Star Trek musical fandom. They were featured in the 2003 documentary Trekkies 2, and standout track “Everything I Do, I Do With William Shatner” was included in the Comedy Central roast of The Shat. You can check out the breadth of their fantastic back catalog online. Just, y’know, make sure the kids are well out of earshot.

“There’s No Such Thing as Impossible” by Turn Left

Turn Left are sisters Victoria and Georgia Minnear, also of UK Wizard Rock outfit RiddleTM. While not writing amazing songs about the power of Potterdom or any of a myriad of other subjects, the ladies also get their Time Lord Rock on. In a manner most divine.

Can’t get enough of this stuff, right? Well, you can subscribe to the GeekDad podcast in iTunes (see the button on the sidebar), or directly through the RSS feed. You can also download GeekDad HipTrax #46 via this link, or simply listen in the embedded player below.

The HipTrax theme song was created by Snake Eyes. He can’t believe that schools no longer teach recreational mathematics!

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Zibits Mini R/C Robots Giveaway

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Image by Senario

I’m a sucker for small robots, and have a thriving community of the creatures migrating back and forth between my office and home. I suspect they hitch rides in my camera bag, but haven’t been able to catch any of them in the act. Last month a Wall-E and M-O showed up on the dining room table, much to my son’s delight.

He was equally pleased to see the review sample of a Zibits on my desk. The Zibits are a mini r/c robot with a price point of about $10. They should be a good fit as a quick and easy birthday present, or an inexpensive desk toy.

Time will tell if they hold up to play testing, but so far this one is entertaining. The simple remote lets you drive them forward and spin backward, much like the cheap R/C cars that Radio Shack used to sell. A two channel remote might have been more fun, but could have driven the cost up a little.

So now for the giveaway. Just post a comment telling us about your favorite robot (real or fictitious) for a chance to win. We’ll consult with random.org to pick 5 lucky winners. Deadline is Midnight on Saturday.

Wired: Robots are always cool. Remote makes sound.

Tired: 2 AAA batteries required. Remote makes sound.

Available from Amazon, eToys, and ToysRUs.

Crazy commercial video after the jump.

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National Geographic Goes Wild

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We are always looking for good things on television for our kids. I don’t have a problem with television. It’s just a box that displays pictures and makes sound. Content is the key to the good things about television and the bad things about television.

The best television is something that you like, something the kids like and something that teaches all us. National Geographic has always been a source of good television content.

Now they are launching a new television network: Nat Geo Wild.

I’m not sure how they are going to divide the content between this new channel and the existing National Geographic Channel. According to Geoff Daniels, Senior Vice President, Development & Production of Nat Geo WILD:

“Nat Geo WILD will offer viewers extraordinary and unforgettable stories of the animal kingdom through a mix of both series and specials – ranging from “Expedition Wild with Casey Anderson” to “Rebel Monkeys.” National Geographic Channel will continue to be programmed more broadly with a rich tapestry of adventure, exploration, culture and science programming including a select number of natural history specials.”

I guess that means more wild animals and less Dog Whisperer on Wild.

Copies of some new shows ended up in my mailbox. We watched some episodes of Rebel Monkeys, Shark Island, the Brutus episode of Expedition Wild with Casey Anderson and Hunt for the Giant Octopus.

Rebel Monkeys follows a gang of monkeys making their home at the Galta Temple in the Indian city of Jaipur. It’s sort of an urban version of Meerkat Manor. Brutus is a 900 pound grizzly bear rescued by Casey Anderson who is trying to teach Brutus the skills he needs to survive when he is released to the wild. Here is a snippet from Expedition Wild, with Casey Anderson trying to teach Brutus how to fish. Shark Island was a big hit as it followed an exploration of Cocos Island and the hundreds of sharks that flock to its waters.

The clear favorite was Hunt for the Giant Octopus. My six-year old watched it non-stop for a few days. There is a great video footage, a great story and great lessons. Set your TIVO, it Premieres Tuesday, April 20, at 9 PM ET/PT.

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The “bad” news is that when Nat Geo Wild launches on March 29th it will replace the Fox Reality channel. I admit that I’m a fan of many reality TV shows. But I find them completely uninteresting in repeats and you’re not going to find anything good for the kids on there. So we get a GeekDad win, losing an uninteresting cable channel and getting one that is great for our geeklets.

If you don’t currently get the Fox Reality channel you’ll need to check with your cable provider. Nat Geo Wild is a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox.

I should disclose that my company has a significant business relationship with News Corp, the parent company of Fox, and that I got big box of swag from National Geographic promoting the new channel.

Images and video courtesy of Nat Geo Wild.

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Dork Tower Wednesday

Dork Tower #810 by John Kovalic

Dork Tower #810 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

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Comics Spotlight on: Bleach

Happy Comic Release Day!

When my two sons take twenty volumes of a manga out of the local library and devour them all in one weekend, I pay attention.

That’s exactly what happened with Bleach by Tito Kube from Viz Media.

Bleach #1

Bleach #1

Summary:

Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow–a ghost without a soul–Ichigo accidentally becomes part of the community of soul reapers. The reapers help new ghosts pass onto the other side and protect humans from the malevolent Hollows.

The first story arc follows Ichigo as he’s trained in his new abilities by Rukia Kuchiki, the soul reaper who saved his life in his first encounter with a Hollow. Rukia’s abilities were transferred to Ichigo in that fight and the tension and then growing friendship between the two of them fuels some of the story’s finest moments.

What Kids Will Like About It:

I asked my eldest son what kept him so enthralled and while he admitted that there are “lots and lots of fights,” he said what he loved most was the character development and the unpredictable plot elements.

There’s no romance between Ichigo and Rukia but they do have a very strong bond of friendship. His favorite moment in the whole series is when Ichigo defies the entire soul reaper community to save Rukia from execution.

He said he was also surprised more than a few times when events which seemed to indicate one thing led to something completely different and more interesting.

What Parents Will Like About It:

This is an extremely cool idea. I especially like the villains, the Hollows. They’re ghosts that hung around too long on our plane and their souls were destroyed. As a result, they want to devour other souls. The villains in the current story arc are Hollows who can pass as humans. As my son says, the more human they look, the more dangerous they are.

I also liked something I’ve noticed in other manga–the strong sense of responsibility of the main character. I’ve read two volumes sent to me by Viz and understood completely why this manga is so popular. Ichigo is loyal but not blindly loyal so. He honors his friendships and protects the innocent.

Best Panel:

I continue to be a little bit frustrated by the backwards setup of  manga. It’s not so much the turning of the pages as it is training my eyes to move in a completely different direction to read the panel flow correctly. I also get  annoyed at the manga conventions of overly dramatic facial expressions.

That said, the black and white art makes the actions of the characters incredibly crisp and clean. In the volume I read, there’s a full-page panel of Ichigo finally summoning his greatest weapon that is incredibly impressive.

About the Creator:

Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach, is thirty-two years old. He started writing after graduation from high school. He’s been writing the series since 2001, when it first appeared in the Shonen Jump anthology series. He’s said in a Shonen Jump interview that he has no interest in seeing a live-action version of his creation.

However, there is a very popular anime of Bleach that follows the manga closely. My son highly recommends that too.

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Top 10 Geeky Changes Included in the Health Care Reform Bill

This is a medical related picture. (image: Me.)

This is a medical related picture. (image: Me.)

Here at GeekDad we tend to stay out of politics in general and we certainly don’t choose sides. However, with the recent passing of the Health Care Reform bill through Congress we can’t pretend we aren’t aware of what is going on in the world. Not getting too deep into the politics or the function of government, we know it’s a law and it’s going to be implemented over the next few years. But this health care bill has spawned a lot of questions, such as; will this cost me more? Will there be more insurance providers? What about the middle class squeeze? And of course, will my IRS agent also be my primary care doctor?

These questions are all well and good, but the most important concern is: how is universal health care reform going to affect us geeks? What changes can we expect in our lives? With that in mind, I came up with a completely random and poorly researched list of geeky changes that may or may not come with the Health Care Reform bill. That is, some of these are actual stipulations of the bill that will be in effect by 2014 and some are just plain made up. These are just gut shot reactions based on too much caffeine too late at night.

10: On Free Comic Day, everyone gets free reading glasses. Part of the new vision plan includes a pair of folding reading glasses for every comic book geek. They might not need them now, but with nearly one trillion dollars to spend, might as well get them while you can.

9: Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to drop anyone with a pre-existing condition. That means those of us with eyestrain, Nintendo Thumb; Nintendenitis; tennis elbow; tendonitis; bursitis; and carpal tunnel syndrome are good to go.

8: Considering the above conditions, Mountain Dew and Fritos will become prescription drugs. They’ll still be available over the counter, but the prescription strength Mountain Dew will cause gamers to feel no pain and never blink.

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