Tag: GeekDad

Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy

Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance

Brad Moon

I enjoy reading and I’m especially fond of a long read. At the risk of sounding shallow, in the olden time bookstore days, I used to browse the Sci-Fi section in search of wide spines, followed by a quick glance inside covers to verify a potential target book’s font hadn’t been boosted in size to make it look more impressive. Of course being a good book is even more important; if it’s a series, even better. Classics like Dune, Lord of the Rings and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are examples of series that satisfy all three of my preferred criteria and are on my regular rotation for re-reading every few years. I’ve just made a new addition to that collection, Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance.

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Copyright Spin Master

Spin Master Toys: 20 Years of Spinnovation

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Last week I had the opportunity to attend a media event for Spin Master, the Canadian success story and one of the global leaders in the toy industry. That’s a long way to have come in just 20 years and Spin Master’s rise from a start-up selling the grass hair-sprouting Earth Buddy to a multinational children’s entertainment company with products ranging from the robotic Zoomer line to Air Hogs RC vehicles and the hit PAW Patrol animated TV series shows how quickly things can change in the industry. With its three co-founders still in leadership roles, an emphasis on innovation and a laser focus on entertaining kids, Spin Master is well positioned for further growth.

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GeekDad Visits Spin Master HQ

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We at GeekDad have a long history with Spin Master, the Canadian company behind well known toy brands like Air Hogs, Ionix, Spy Gear and Meccano, licensed products for properties including Disney Pixar’s Monsters University and Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon, game apps and TV series like PAW Patrol. Going back to 2007, I was posting about flying Air Hogs with my kids, but until a few years ago I didn’t clue in to the fact that I live only a few hours from Spin Master’s headquarters. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity take advantage of this proximity, visiting Spin Master HQ, touring the facilities, demoing the latest and greatest toys and meeting the co-CEOs of the company.

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Nash the Slash RIP

RIP Nash the Slash

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Sad news out of the Great White North, where one of my all-time favorite musicians and a 1980s-era Toronto icon has passed away. Nash the Slash (Jeff Plewman) gained fame for appearing onstage exclusively in a bandaged mummy get-up while playing an electric mandolin. He was 66 years old and had recently retired from performing after 35 years or so of being onstage in bandages and sunglasses — and that’s after his earlier career as part of Canadian prog-rock band FM. RIP Nash the Slash.

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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Now Available on iTunes

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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters was one of the movies to watch for, spiked out by GeekDad’s Doug Cornelius in his Guide to This Summer’s Movies. It got a pretty stellar review from GeekMom’s Amy Kraft. You can buy it on DVD and Blu-Ray starting December 17th, but if you want to get a viewing in before Monday or you just want to skip the madness of malls and holiday shopping crowds altogether, it’s available as a digital download now on Apple’s iTunes.

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