I Built a Cardboard Nintendo!

The January 2015 Lootcrate box was awesome. It contained lots of fun, nerdy stuff (that I reviewed two weeks ago here), but what got me was the box. When you folded the box in on itself, it became a really cool cardboard NES console. Would look cool on a shelf or whatever.

But, being the tech genius that I am, the wheels started turning in my head. I had an idea starting to take form: what if I could turn this kitschy piece of decoration into a real, working Nintendo?

From there, a thought popped in my head: Raspberry Pi. The $35 mini computer meant for hacking/computing projects. After some research online, I found a Linux distribution for the Pi that supported an emulator called RetroPie. I ordered the mini computer (B+ model for the record) and necessary peripherals and waited. I also picked up a USB retro-styled controller from Hastings, seen above.

Once the parts came in, I got to work. I downloaded the OS image onto an SD card and installed the operating system on the Pi itself. I cut out the holes we would need for interconnection in the box. A USB port in the front for keyboard/game controller was cut into the space where the fake NES controller was.

I cut out holes in the back for power and HDMI connection. After mounting the Raspberry Pi inside the box, I installed the cabling and hot-glued the ports in place. After letting them set, I tested out the system. There is some command line setup here, including setting up wifi under the network config file in the linux system. And even in the RetroPie emulator software, it's necessary to configure the USB controller via a bash program.

I installed some game ROMs (that I legally own), and played a few. Original NES games played like a dream. Super Mario Bros 3, Legend of Zelda both played perfectly  with no skipped frames. I ended up overclocking the Raspberry Pi's processor and GPU because some Super Nintendo games played a little choppy. After overclocking up to about 1Ghz, they run fine. (Side-note: overclocking the Raspberry Pi can crash the system and break your SD card, but I'm willing to risk it for this project.

This was a cool project to do, and it was a blast finally getting to play with a Raspberry Pi.

Space is Super Huge.

Something I've been pondering on today...


I sometimes think about space, and how large our galaxy is, and how much distance is between us and our celestial neighbors...and how alone we are here, on this planet, in this sun system. We learn in high school that "light years" means how many years it takes for light to travel through a vacuum. So, for a star that is twenty light years away, it took twenty years for its light to reach our eyes. Follow?


Okay, so here's the deal: our scientists have found a planet that they say could harbor life, as it lies within its star's "Goldilocks Zone" -- the place within a star's orbit where a planet could harbor life. So, SETI pointed their radio telescopes at the star, and what did they hear?


Silence.


Why? The star is 180 light years away from earth. If there were beings on HIP 116454 b (seriously, we need a better exoplanet naming scheme), of similar intelligence to humans, and they were looking at the earth through their fancy radio telescopes, you know what they would hear?


Also silence.


The first radio waves strong enough to leave earth only happened 100 years ago. If there are any civilizations out there within our astronomical neighborhood, they need to be within a hundred light years of us. And then, there's the next question -- what are the odds of an alien civilization being alive and of comparable intelligence as us living at the same time as us?




#mindblown

Loot Crate!! Loot Crate Unboxing - January 2015 "Rewind"

Loot Crate! I love Loot Crate, and here is my first video unboxing of January's crate, themed "Rewind." Watch the video to see what all is included in this month's Crate. If you'd like to receive Loot Crate yourself, check out their site here.

Also, this is my first video edit using iMovie and quick Youtube-style jump-cuts.

Marvel's Star Wars #1 is the Balls

Welcome home, Star Wars. After nearly twenty-five years at Dark Horse Comics, the Star Wars franchise is back at home in the hands of Marvel Comics, the company that first published comic books set in that far-away galaxy. 

When it was announced that Marvel would be regaining the rights from Dark Horse, and that Disney/LucasFilm/Marvel would be essentially "rebooting" (I'm not a fan of that word, btw) the universe, I was both apprehensive yet relieved. In one sense, it was hard for me to think that a lot of the things I, as a Star Wars fan, have grown to love about the Expanded Universe -- the incredibly excellent Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn comes to mind -- are no longer considered canon. However, the storyline has become so convoluted, so long, that a reboot may just be what the franchise, specifically the Expanded Universe (ie, comic book, novel and video game properties), needs to -- oh god, I hate to say it...don't make me say it...bring balance to the Force.

So here we are with the first of the new series under new ownership. Written by Marvel writer Jason Aaron, who also scripted the mind-shattering summer event Original Sin, Star Wars #1 is already the biggest-selling comic of 2015. In fact, the reboot under the Marvel banner saw solicitation sales come in over a million units, with a ton of variant covers (I'm hoping to score a sketch cover myself). 

If you have't read it yet, feel free to stop here. Spoilers are contained within. If you don't care, or know you're not going to read it, continue on ahead.

Reading it made me feel like a little kid again. Instead of setting the comic in a time period with characters we may not know, Marvel puts us right in the middle of things with Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie and the droids. Set in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back may mean we won't see anything too dramatic (Luke won't get a leg chopped off; Han won't die, etc), but drama and tension are both very present.

The book starts with the classic crawl -- which had me humming the theme music in my head -- and the likenesses of the actors as our main characters take us right into an awesome sabotage story. There are a couple of splash pages in here too that took my breath away. The art is superb, and I am waiting impatiently for Issue 2.

That's not to say it's without error, however. I'd give the issue a solid 9, but a few minor things keep it from being a 10. Leia is a bit too brash here. Yes, we want a strong female character, and we know that the princess of Alderaan is no damsel in distress, but she makes a decision in the book that makes me scratch my head a little.

All in all though, it's a tour-de-force (hehehe, get it?) and any reservations I may have had are completely out the window. Welcome home, Star Wars. It's been a long time coming. 

Back to the Future in 2015

Back to the Future is the first movie I vividly remember watching. I was probably four years old. I wasn't going to bed when I was supposed to, so my parents let me stay up late with them and watch this movie they had rented on video.

Even at four years old, this movie had a huge impact on me. The skateboarding scenes, the flames, the DeLorean ("You made a time machine?! Out of a DeLorean?!"). Michael J. Fox was my first movie star hero. I didn't discover Star Wars until I was about ten, so I spent several years pretending I was Marty McFly. 

(Side note: the first "bad word" I remember saying in front of my dad -- we were playing with my remote control car. I turned to look at him and said, "When this baby hits 88, you're going to see some serious shit!")

So, a few nights ago, my seven year-old son wasn't going to bed and wasn't tired. It was 11pm, and browsing through our movies, I asked him, "Have you seen Back to the Future?"

"No," he said. So I put it on, and we watched it together. 

The good news is, the movie still holds up. It perfectly encapsulates that high school trying-to-be-something-even-though-some-people-say-I-won't-amount-to-anything feeling. The awkwardness of Marty and his mom and his dad in 1955 is still hilarious, and yes -- still creepy. 

It was great watching my son watch my favorite movie of my childhood. He was fascinated with the DeLorean. He thought Doc Brown was crazy. He thought Marty McFly was the flyest guitar player this side of Huey Lewis. 

And just like me, nearly 25 years ago, the ending-- where Doc says "Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads," and the time machine mother-loving FLIES -- absolutely floored him. 

"It can fly?!"

Guess we need to watch Part II now.

Nerd Food: Mountain Dew Cake

Very possibly our Dungeon Master.

It's no secret: nerds love Mountain Dew. It's pretty much the Official Drink of D&D players all over the world. When I was a teenager, a 12-pack of the glorious, neon yellow super-sugared soda was pretty much a staple (along with a giant bag of Fritos and/or Doritos) when we were playing our Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

So, if you're a nerd, it's pretty much a given that you've got a few cans of the "nectar of the gods" in your fridge. Today, I'm going to show you how, with a few other ingredients, to turn that soda into a delicious MOUNTAIN DEW CAKE that you can take to your next adventure session (or, eat all yourself within the comfort and privacy of your own home -- no judgement here, bro).

First, you'll need to gather the necessary items.

For the cake itself, you'll need:

Some of the stuff you'll need.

• One box of Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake
• 1 (3.4 ounce) box Lemon Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix (you can go generic store brand here.)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 12oz can of Mountain Dew (equals to 1 1/2 cups)
• Large (10-cup) Bundt cake pan
• Nonstick spray
• Flour

And for the glaze:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) UNSALTED butter. (Go with real butter here. Margarine just doesn't do it.
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Mountain Dew

First things first, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then spray the inside of your cake pan with the nonstick spray. Sprinkle in a little flour and get a good thin coating of flour in there. That'll keep the cake from sticking from the pan. 

Take your cake mix and Jell-O pudding mix and throw that shiz in a big mixing bowl. Add the eggs and oil and blend it on medium with your mixer while slowly adding in the full can of Mountain Dew.

Once all that is all mixed and you've got a nice batter, pour it into your Bundt pan. Throw it in the oven and set a timer for 45 minutes. Go play some video games/browse 9gag/catch up on Joshua Williamson's Nailbiter (Vol 1 available on Amazon). Once your timer goes off, or you magically remember that 45 minutes have passed, take your cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer it onto a wire rack to cool.

While the cake is cooling, you need to make the glaze. In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter. Once it's melted add the 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup Mountain Dew (you'll have a little more than half a can of Mountain Dew left. Drink it.) Melt all that together and stir with a wooden spoon until all the sugar is dissolved. Take it off the heat and let the glaze cool for about 10-15 minutes. 

Poke holes in the top of your cake with a skewer, then slowly pour the glaze over, consistently covering it. Then let it cool completely, which will take about 30 minutes. 

There you go! You've got yourself a Mountain Dew cake!

Completed cake.

Trick-or-treating Strategy for Winners

WARNING: Non-computer post.

Because nerdiness pays the bills, except when it doesn't.

Halloween is Friday! I love Halloween. I'm still a kid at heart, and love the dress-up, the jack-o-lanterns; all the pomp and circumstance is so much fun. Plus, it's the only holiday where I can put on a Spider-man costume and run around the neighborhood without having the cops called on me.

My kids are the perfect age for trick-or-treating. They look adorable in costumes, yet are old enough to carry their own loot bags and walk at a normal-sized human pace. Also, no strollers is a big deal. So, at seven and nine years old, we have a perfect trick-or-treating strategy for optimal candy-per-child ratio. 

1. Be very cute, very creative, or very scary – The costume is the biggest part. And don't just slap on some face paint and a black sweater and call it a day. Candy-givers *do* play favoritism, and if you're the cutest, most creative, or most scary, they're more likely to hand you an extra piece of candy. I know this, because I've done the research.

2. Go retro – This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. The people who are handing out candy are my age or older. So, if you dress as something that appeals to them (ALF, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony, etc), you'll activate that nostalgic part of their brain that'll make them want to give you more candy. It's all psychological at that point.

3. Leave the cute plastic pumpkin bucket at home – Plastic pumpkin will hold approximately 16 oz of candy at the most. It's a pain to constantly dump that thing out. Grab your best pillowcase or reusable shopping bag for optimal candy-hoarding.

COROLLARY: If you're using your vehicle as "home base" between blocks, take the plastic pumpkin and dump it into a sack between blocks. This will make people think you don't have a lot of candy when you show up to their front door with a half-filled pumpkin. They'll take pity on you and give you more candy than normal. 

4. Map out your trick-or-treating – Logistics is important, folks. If it had not been for logistics, America may not have won the Civil War. And that's a fact. Also, Google Maps is a thing. Use that to map out your route. If you live in cookie-cutter square blocks, it's easiest to zig-zag by walking up one side, down the other, and go on to the next block, hitting the houses on the side streets. 

5. Wear sneakers – Sure, you may be tempted to wear the heels or pirate boots to complete your costume, but sneakers are your best bet for moving fast.

6. Hem, hem, hem – You may look frightful in that grim reaper costume, but if the rope is dragging near your feet, it'll slow you down. Hem that sucker up. You'll be happy when you don't trip on the sidewalk.

7. Don’t go out too early – If you’re one of the first kids out in the neighborhood, homeowners will be rationing out the candy, only giving you one Tootsie Roll to make sure there’s enough for later trick-or-treaters. 6:00-6:30pm is the optimal starting time. 

8. Ignore the houses with no lights or disappointed children – Lights out means they’re not home or don’t want to be bothered. Others may leave the light on, but won’t answer the door. Most of these houses are void of Halloween decorations. You can usually tell there’s a dud house when the group of trick-or-treaters before you leaves mumbling.

9. The more decorated the house, the better the candy – Some folks absolutely love Halloween. Scout out your neighborhood a few days before the night of and mentally note the ones that have a lot of decorations up. They'll be your best bet for the most candy-per-house. 

12. Be patient – Don’t be so quick to run to the front of the group and be the first to say “Trick or treat!” If you’re the last person in the group, sometimes the candy giver will slip you an extra piece of candy or two for being patient.

13. Stay in 2's – Stay in packs of two. Why? Because a whole herd of kids will invariably kick in the "one for you, one for you" rationing mentality of the candy-giver. Stay in packs of two so you don't overload them. They'll be more likely to give you a few pieces per handout. Again, science!

14. Don’t forget your immediate neighbors – They love seeing the neighborhood kids they know (unless you give them a reason not to like you), and will give you more candy.

15. Don’t trick-or-treat too late – If you’re knocking on someone’s door at 11 pm, they’re bound to be angry. No candy for you. Start winding down between 8:30 and 9:00. This is usually when people start giving out handfuls of candy, since they don’t want the calorie-laden temptations in their houses on November 1.

And lastly...

16. Remember to say thank you!

Here is the crappy candy list. Don't hand this stuff out, folks. It's not good for the environment.

– Apples
– Pencils
– Toothbrushes
– Sticky candies that get caught in your teeth (some are great, some are meh, like Dots, some are flat-out miserable)
– Candy corn. Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘em, but something is just weak about handing out factory-sealed plastic baggies of them. Leave them in the office treat bowl. If you’re giving out tiny candies, try Nerds or Reese’s Pieces. Not these sugary sweets that just end up making your sugar hangover 10 times worse.
– A single caramel cube. CARAMEL CUBES MUST BE JUST AN ADDON TO ANOTHER CARAMEL CUBE OR CANDY. If you give me just one, I’ll take it because they’re ridiculously tasty. But you’re going to wake up and there’ll be a tiny gourd missing from your porch, and an electric tea candle from your flashy pumpkin lawn display.
– Raisins. RAISINS?!