Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising Released on Xbox Live Indie by the Students at the University of Utah's Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program

Hey there.  Have you guys had a chance to check out Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising on the Xbox 360?  It's currently available on the XBLIG marketplace and our good friends at Stunt Bear Games have provided me a code for their awesome game and I will be giving in depth review once I've had a chance to play the game.  But in the mean time, I do want to share their story and some of their game!

Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising is the senior project game of the student development team Stunt Bear Studios at the University of Utah's Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) Program.  Let that sink in for a minute.  Students at the University of Utah submitted an indie game as their senior project!  How freakin' awesome is that?!  Anyways, Avatar Trials: Ninja Rising is a Mirror's Edge type game that will feature YOUR avatar.  The game will time you as your avatar performs parkour type action and I for one can't wait to see my avatar jump, flip, and ninja my way through this promising 3D platformer.

Celebrate Mother's Day with The Best of Warner Bros 100 Film Collection (Giveaway)

Hey there.  Mother's Day is just a few weeks away!  Have you gotten your gift yet?  No?!  Oh man... No worries!  You're in luck!  Our good friends at PartnersHub and Warner Bros. ihas your back with one of the most awesome movie packs ever!  The Best of Warner Bros. 100 Film Collection ($597.92 MSRP)!!!  That is 55 DVDs with 100 of Warner Bros. best films.  That includes all 22 of Warner Bros Best Picture winners!  Who doesn't love a great flick and with this awesome collection, you get 100 of them!  And guess what... one of you lucky readers is going to win this awesome prize courtesy of ParnersHub and Warner Bros!  That's right, this is a giveaway, folks!

Thoughts On... Bioshock Infinite

Hey there.  I am finally getting around to posting my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, finally we got to play the game.  The game is beautiful.  The game is awesome.  The game lived up to MY expectations.  I purchased the Songbird Edition of the game and when the kids saw it, they asked that they get to watch me play the game.  lol  My older two kids (14 and 11) have seen me play through Bioshock 1 and 2 and they wanted to know how the next installment would play out.  I promised them they could, but it proved costly on my end.  There were many nights where I itched to play but couldn't because the kids were asleep. lol  Anyways, after finishing the game, I knew I had to give some insights, but before I do, be warned!  THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST!  If you have not finished the game and plan to, do not read below!  Go and finish and then come back.  Trust me, you'll get more insight from this post AFTER finishing the game.  Also, keep in mind that this is NOT a review.  This post is simply my thoughts on the game.  I did write a review for Dragonblogger.com and you can check that review out here.  Now, my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.

Starting a Website is Not as Hard as it Seems

Hey there.  I have been in the blogging game for the better part of 5 years now.  5 years... that still shocks me, you know.  When I started off, it was just something that I wanted to do.  No real plan.  No real path to take.  Just open up a new blog post and write.  If you go back and see some of my very first posts, you'll see that they are very unorganized, have little to no tags, and simply put, just all over the place.  I'm not saying that's bad, I'm just saying that when you jump face first into the blogosphere without a plan, you tend to make more than a few mistakes while you learn.  The good thing is that you don't have to make those amateur mistakes.

Join the Horde! Zombie Response Authority Swag Giveaway

Hey there!  I love me some zombies!  I love my hometown of Los Angeles!  I love t shirts!  What if I were to combine all 3?!  Our good friends at Zombie Response Authority (ZRA) made it happen!  I've written about my love for zombie stuff before and when I reached out ZRA to let them know that this LA shirt is pretty damn cool, they offered to provide me one AND partner up for a giveaway!  How awesome is that?! So here it is, the ZRA Zombie Swag giveaway!

The Ultimate in Protection for Safe Sex

Is there anything that Charizard DOESN'T do?!?!

Thoughts On... The 2012 - 2013 Los Angeles Lakers Season

# 7 Lakers vs # 2 Spurs!  NBA Playoffs!  I love this game!

Hey there.  I'm a huge sports fan.  I strongly support the Los Angeles area teams but really, I'm just a fan of the sport.  Whether it be basketball, football, hockey, or baseball, I'll support the local teams because I just love the thrill of competition.  For as long as I can remember, I have been a Lakers fan.  I've seen them win with Magic Johnson, I've seen them win with Kobe and Shaq, I've seen them miss the playoffs, I've seen thm steal Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies, and I've seen them assemble this "super team" of Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard.  This season was to be season where the Lakers steam rolled through the NBA.  The season where the Lakers play the unstoppable force going up against the NBA.  Last night, the Lakers made the NBA playoffs... as the 7th seed.  It's been a tumultuous season for the Lakers.  Mostly frustrating, partly exhilirating, all with a touch of Hollywood drama.  Here are my thoughts on the Los Angeles Lakers 2012 - 2013 NBA season.

Looking for Cheap Auto Insurance

Hey there.  You've all seen the commercials for auto insurance.  Some of them are funny and others are pretty straight forward and to the point.  I have a friend that used to work in the auto insurance field and she would give it to me straight.  What was the best coverage for the lowest price.  Easy and simple.  She no longer works in that field and I found myself needing to find a new auto insurance policy when I noticed that my monthly premium was slowly increasing.  I don't know if maybe the policies of said company changed or what, but when your payments jump from $50 to $75, there was time for a change.  It would have been great if I would have been able to find cheap auto insurance quotes all in a single spot as opposed to jumping all over the place.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Sequel Announced

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past sequel has been announced!!!

Hey there!  Did you guys catch this morning's special announcement on Nintendo Direct?  No?!  Then you missed out!  This mornings direct video announced that a NEW Legend of Zelda game will be released this "holiday season" for Nintendo 3DS and it will take place in the same universe as A Link to the Past!  How awesome is that?!  A Link to the Past is one of my all time favorite SNES games and it's definitely the first Zelda game that I felt emotionally invested in.  I'm extremely exciting knowing that a second game set in that universe will be heading to the Nintendo 3DS!

Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition OR Bioshock Infinite Art Book Giveaway

Hey there.  It's time for another giveaway!  But this is one is going to be a little different the others I've had.  I've been in Bioshock mode for the past few weeks.  I've been playing Bioshock Inifinte and it's been one hell of a ride!  I promised the kids that they can watch me play, since they've seen me play the first two Bioshock games and have an interest in the Bioshock series.  Last night, I finally got through the game and it brought a smile that my 14 and 11 year old were discussing the possible meaning of the ending.  Anyways, I decided that this giveaway will be Bioshock related and I've come across 2 prizes that should make anyone who loves the Bioshock series happy.  The prizes up for grabs are the Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition OR The Art of Bioshock Infinite Hardcover Book!  The winner will get to decide which on the prizes they would like!

How Tough Are You? How About No Memory Card Tough!

NO MEMORY CARDS!  That's not tough... that's HERCULEAN!

Chuck & Beans - Phones

Defiance Premiers on April 15th on SyFy

Hey there.  Who's excited for the brand new series, Defiance, on SyFy?!  I know I am.  Ever since Battlestar Galactica ended, there hasn't been a good sci-fi series on TV.  Defiance has it's sights on changing that!  The show premiers on Monday, April 15 but guess what....  I got invited to advance screening of Defiance at The Landmark theater in Los Angeles!  And to top it off, there will be game and console giveaways at the screening!  How awesome is that?!  If I'm lucky enough to snag one or two, I'm thinking it may just be given away to one of you lucky readers!  So what is Defiance?  Let's go into a little bit of details, shall we?

Beware of Afrin Addiction

Afrin is good!  But is it too good?

Hey there.  We are a family of six.  You know what that means?  It means that when one of us gets sick, that sickness is bound to be passed around from family member to family member.  It's tough when one of the kids get sick.  We try to make them as comfortable as possible and hope that the wife and I do not get sick. More often than not, we do get sick.  My wife usually gets the worst of it.  I'll get sick, but will only feel the stuffy nose and what not for a day or so.  My wife, on the other hand, will the effects for days if not weeks.  Anyways, a stuffy nose is the worst!  You simply can't breathe and it can get frustrating.  That's when the wife and I usually reach for our Afrin nose spray.  My wife more so than I.  She would spray the moment her nose felt stuffy.  I would say that she was using too much but it seemed to work for her and she always stopped using Afrin the moment the stuffy nose went away.  Big deal, right?  Well... today, I found out that you can actually get addicted to nose sprays.  In particular, Afrin!

Get a Life Ep. 12 - The One About Movies Based on Video Games

Hey there.  Are you ready for another episode of the Get a Life podcast?!  This week, Brian and I discuss video game movies!  We have yet to see that one great movie based on a video game.  We all know that the Super Mario Bros. movie is known as one of the worst video games movies ever... but when will Hollywood redeem itself and provide us witha  quality video game movie?  Brian and I give our two cents on what works in a video game movie and what doesn't!  Now, the Get a Life Podcast Ep 12 - The One About Movies Based on Video Games!!!!  Enjoy!

Mario Doesn't Do Taxes

25 years of collecting coins finally got the attention of, "the man." lol

VitalAlert Provides Medical and Security Response with a Touch of a Button

Hey there. Have you ever seen that commercial where an elderly person falls and exclaims, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"? I know I have. And you know what... I never really paid attention to the message that the commercial was giving us.  My wife recently started to take care of her grandmother and has been doing errands and what not for her.  Whether it be a trip to the grocery store, pharmacy, or doctor's visit, my wife is there.  But what if something happens when my wife is not there?  What if grandma has a "I can't get up!" moment?  That's why VitalAlert is essential for peace of mind.

ModCloth Sighting on The Carrie Diaries

Carrie Bradshaw sporting an awesome top from
ModCloth!  Click on the picture for more details!

Hey there. The wife is a huge Sex and the City fan.  She recently started to follow the early adventures of Carrie Bradshaw on the The Carrie Diaries.  The show always gives her ideas when it comes to fashion. What looks good and what doesnt and more often than not, she'll look to see where she can snag the outfits seen on the show.  Carrie Bradshaw has always been known for her great sense of fashion and this week on The Carrie Diaries is no different. At the beginning of episode 112: "A First Time for Everything" Carrie can be seen sporting the Up in the Tee Tops from ModCloth. A boldly patterned peplum top featuring a green tree atop a pattern of red, coral, and azure, Carrie could definitely use the calming effect this top can have after an interesting exchange with her boyfriend. Grab this fantastic frock today at ModCloth!  Later!

Finding Nemo Sequel Announced! Finding Dory

In theaters Nov. 25th, 2015

Hey there!  Well, it's about time!  Finding Nemo is one of those films that I absolutely adore.  I would watch it all the time on DVD with the kids.  Even today, we'll pop in the DVD every now and then and sit and watch.  It's just one of those timeless classics that you will always remember.  Whether it be the story of a father looking for his son or awesome job Ellen DeGeneres did as the lovable Dory, Finding Nemo has something that appeals to both the parents and the kids.  Pixar has a knack for that.  Many of their films touch everyone in their hearts and many of us look forward to the sequels.  I, for one, wondered when we would get a Finding Nemo sequel.  Well, my friends... now we know!  Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo has been announced!

Vipre Internet Security 2013

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vipre for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there.  I've been an avid fan of Vipre Antivirus software.  As a matter of fact, I've been using nothing but Vipre since 2010.  I know, I know... it hasn't been that long but once I have commited to a company, you have gained a loyal customer for life!  And Vipre deserves it, too.  They have done such as awesome job of protecting my computer that there is no need to switch to any other antivirus or internet security software.  So what's VIPRE'S latest software to battle all things threatening to your computer?  VIPRE Internet Security 2013, that's what!