All posts by Nerdster

Ralph Breaks the Internet

I may just be saying this because I got to go for free, but my honest opinion is this movie is just on the whole great, and is chock full of story, references, and good lines, telling a touching and passionate story. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is about what happens when Litwak’s Family Fun Center & Arcade gets internet. Like in the Emoji Movie, when Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz go into the internet they encounter a lot of things that are familiar things to us, including the annoying pop-up ads and helpful search bar. This movie is a great combination of a cartoony storyline, the crazy fun and awesome experience of the internet, and a touching tale of friendship and insecurity. I think this movie can teach everyone something, small or large, and ties in so much story as well as some pretty awesome action scenes. It has many touching moments and shows scenes that are true for both cartoon characters and real people.

I only have one complaint about this movie. It shows us glimpses of many different links in the Disney chain, like Star Wars, Marvel, Muppets, and has more Disney princess participation than you would think. But they don’t really tie together in the end. I would have loved a Jedi jumping out of a spaceship to hit the big bad guy, or we saw the Muppets running around and helping out, but that is a super minor thing and really depends on how much you enjoy the Disney crossovers.

Stepping back and looking at the movie, it is great. It is the best Disney movie that I’ve seen in a while (Excluding MARVEL movies, but they rock.). There is something for everyone, and both I and my dad loved watching it because there were just so many different themes in the same movie. Let me give you some advice, though. Stay till the end, because there may or may not be a sneak peek for Frozen 2. (But you didn’t hear it from me!)

Coco: A thanksgiving movie.

The latest movie from Disney-Pixar after a year and a half is finally here; Coco! I, Nerdster, and my sister Nerdpud are here to tell you about some of our favorite parts of the movie.

Nerdpud: Coco was better than I thought. The animation and drawing were great and the story is good. My want to see Coco started when Roblox hosted an event about it. There was a funny video of a Xolo dog, like Dante in the movie, touring Pixar Animation Studios. I also found the setting interesting when I read a book called Ghosts, By Raina Telgemier. That is where I learned about Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, and ofrendas. An ofrendas is a table decorated with a framed photo of someone and lots of offerings. There was some Spanish words, some that I knew like gracias (thank you) or si (yes). There were other Spanish words that I didn’t recognize, but caught their meaning because of the good flow between Spanish and English. I really enjoyed the movie!

Nerdster: I really enjoyed Coco. I was telling Nerdmom that she would love it and was right. I fell in love with this movie when I first heard about it. The trailers were vibrant and comical, and the drawing was amazing. My excitement grew when the Roblox Coco Event (now over) came. I went through and played every game in one day. When I finally saw the movie, it was even better than it was put up to be! While the story and background were set comically, the people and objects were very realistic and cool! The story revolves around one concept; remembering family. The main character, Miguel, had a great-great-Grandpa that his family had all but forgotten, and Miguel was just like him, but his family hates music because of that man. Miguel goes on a quest of self-discovery, taking him to the underworld. The music is great, and they move from Spanish to English often enough you get what they are saying. It is an amazing movie!

So now you know. I hope you enjoy as much as my family. See Coco in theaters now, and never forget your ancestors.

Nightmare before Blocktober!

So, as you may or may not know, I LOVE MARVEL! And why not? It and all things made by marvel are awesome. So I was playing my favorite game, Roblox (woot!), when I looked and saw there were two events going on (woot again!). So, as any curious person would do, I clicked on both pages to see what they were about. I found that both events were sponsored by MARVEL (woot once more!) and had to do them! The first event was sponsored by Spider-Man: Homecoming! and the other by Thor: Ragnarok! I went and played the Spider-Man event before even looking at the Thor event because Spider-Man is cooler (duh). So when I looked at the thor event and saw it was called Nightmare before Blocktober, I knew it had to be good. It sounded even better when two of the games were games I love, WFYB and Assassin. The other game, BTD: Redux, I recommend for those whose hearts are strong and love of hulk and/or zombies is stronger, who like getting scared, and love a challenge. I attempted (and failed) this one. But if anyone reading this loves Marvel or just a fun game, try both these events. But remember, the Spider-Man event goes until October 10, and the Thor until the 14th. Plus, there is the first 10 minutes of  Spider-Man: Homecoming under the event. With four games overall, this is the time to win some sweet Roblox gear, and have some Marvel fun!

The Creation Crate Mood Lamp!

Creation Crate Mood Lamp

CUE FLASHBACK!

So one day, Mom and Dad called me into their office along with Nerdpie and said, “We got sent this buildable mood lamp from Creation Crate, and were wondering if you wanted to make it.” Nerdpie was like, “Kind of, but if Nerdster wants to, he can!” Of course, to this, I said, “I would really like to make the lamp! Thanks!”

 END FLASHBACK!

And here I am, a week or two later, and I learned a lot. A couple of things I learned are:

  • I learned about circuit boards.
  • I learned about charges and how they travel.
  • I (surprisingly) learned about programming.
  • I especially learned about inputting circuits and lining them up.
  • And I learned about CHIMICHANGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This lamp was super fun to make and incorporated a couple of cool features and skills, including:
  1. Circuit boards
  2. Programming
  3. Troubleshooting and Debugging
  4. Wire attachment
  5. Proper care of wires and LEDs (I learned this one the hard way :)C. Let’s just say, there was supposed to be three LEDs.)
All in all, this was really fun to make. I only have a couple complaints.
1)The wiring is a little confusing.
2)It didn’t come with a power source.
But other than that, the lamp was perfect. I really enjoyed learning how to implement the programming to the board, and how to program the timer for switching colors. Arduino programming is like some of the languages I like, such as JavaScript, Es6, or Python, but it also has its own sort from combining languages like JSON, CSS, or C++. It was really interesting and taught me things I hope to use later in life. Maybe I can get a job making supplies for Arduino. That would be fun. This was a super fun project which was very educational and helped me brush up on my programming skills.  Over all, this was a great experience and I can’t wait to see what will come next time. I rate this creation crate… two enthusiastic thumbs up! Comment on what you think would be something cool to make!
 
NerdMom’s 2 cents:
 
I love Creation Crate and the idea of it! This is one of the first STEM/crafting kits that I have seen that is actually for kids 10 and up.  It is something you can use as an actual curriculum. They claim that if you do 12 kits you will have more hands on programming experience than 99% of college computer science students. The cost ranges between $22.50 – $29.99 just depending on if you go month to month or a year at a time. It was a great project and my son learned a lot. This would make a wonderful gift because it is very educational and very fun!
 
(Disclosure: We were given the Creation Crate by the company and this post contains affiliate links. That said, all opinions are ours and ours alone)
 

My thoughts on Impressionism

Camille Pissarro (French, Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas 1830–1903 Paris) Haystacks, Morning, Éragny, 1899 Oil on canvas; 25 x 31 1/2 in. (63.5 x 80 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Douglas Dillon, 2003
Camille Pissarro (French, Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas 1830–1903 Paris)
Haystacks, Morning, Éragny, 1899
Oil on canvas; 25 x 31 1/2 in. (63.5 x 80 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Douglas Dillon, 2003

I read Impressionism by Eyewitness Art but this is what I think about Impressionism. 

Many decades ago, social changes inspired different artists around the world, such as Degas, Sisley, Caillebotte, and Pissaro to rise up and rebel against old, tame styles of painting under the name impressionists. Those men and woman started painting in bold new styles. They painted everything: landscapes, cafes, dancers, and more! I wish I could give a simple explanation, but of simplicity, Impressionism eludes. The wild and bold creations this group come up with, from paintings, portraits, models and more. These radical creations earned this group many sponsors, such as George Charpentier, Paul Gachet, Ernest Hoschede, and many more people. Many people liked these creations. Some of the more famous creations are Music in the Tuileness, The Cradle, Paris, a rainy day, and Pissarro’s letter sketch. And today, there are thousands of impressionists out there, painting the world their way.

 I think of Impressionism was a newer, more lifelike style of painting and making sculptures. It looks, to me, as though it makes everything look more natural. I have seem some impressionist pieces and they look for life-like than other art pieces. One of them I thought was a picture instead of a painting! Some Impressionism art is lewd, and inappropriate, but some of all art can be inappropriate. Overall, I think Impressionism is a nice change from classical art.

Impressionism is a change of pace, and I suggest everyone gives it a chance. Sayonara!

 

Minecraft Halloween Update!!!

halloween

We are going into Halloween, and Minecraft is coming with us! To get to the Halloween Update on the PC, follow these steps:

  1. Open Minecraft launcher
  2. In the bottom left, you will see Edit Profile
  3. Click use latest version and save
  4. Click Play!
  5. Make new world.

The Following is a list of new mods (Some of which are in 1.10.2)

  • Llama: Basically a horse that looks different. It can hold a chest but not a saddle. I consider them transport mods. 
  • Evoker: An evil villager. Can summon a line of jaws and the new Vex mob.
  • Vex: Little blue faeries with swords and wings.
  • Stray: A revamped Skeleton with new clothes and white eyes. They are very creepy!
  • Husk: A gray zombie that doesn’t burn up!
  • Vindicator: Minecraft’s ax murderer.
  • Skeleton Horse: A skinless horse that often causes lightning. (Erie lightning too) Unrideable.
  • Zombie Horse: A horse that is back from beyond the grave! (Insert spooky music here) Unrideable.
  • Skulker: 1 1/2 block tall and shoots you with bullets that make you fly. (play “I beleive I can Fly”)
  • Polar Bear: Neutral mob that drops fish.

The following are now able to be spawned:

  • Mule
  • Donkey
  • Zombie villager

The following blocks are new (As of 1.10.2)

  • End rod: Fence-like bricks that can be placed horizontally. 
  • Chorus: A plant in the end that can be crafted into:
    • Purpur Stairs
    • Purpur Columns
    • Purpur slabs
    • Purpur blocks
  • Chorus root: A chorus generator that can only be placed in the end. Can not float.
  • Magma Block: A glowing brick that deals fire damage.
  • Skulker box: a block that can hold stuff.
  • Bone brick: A brick made of bone.
  • Red Nether Brick: Now in red!
  • Nether Wart Block: It looks like blood.
  • End Column: 4 bricks all in one! (Some call it fashion, I call it waste of blocks)
  • Observer: An observer is placed against a block, observing the block. 

The following can now be placed:

  • Ender Dragon Skull.
  • End Crystal.

Using this information, go forth, craft great things, and have a Happy Halloween!

The Mighty Splitter Beast!

Attention, heroes! The mighty Splitter Beast has broken out from underground! It has picked up a street lamp and preceding to come towards us! We have sent EVO and FURNO, equipped with a flame sword, micro blaster, and laser lasso to take down this monster. But it can split into two, causing a double trouble, two-ton titanic beatdown!

LEGO® 44021 Splitter Beast V. FURNO and EVO is second LEGO® HERO Factory Invasion from BELOW set. I bought it off Amazon for $27.90. I’m here to tell you why to buy it and why I really enjoy it. I think it is totally worth the price but you have to get it fast! Here’s why:

This set, and all other HERO Factory sets are Taken off LEGO.com. Stores are getting rid of their limited stocks. On Amazon there is only 2 left in stock! That is why if you want it, get it soon.

Here are some cool things about this set:

  • The beast can split in two peices.
  • The small beast has poseable limbs when on the main beast’s head.
  • Not only is this the only set with two beasts, but the blue head is the only beast with an overbite.
  • EVO comes with a LEGO® Holo-pad.
  • The heros have all-new robot limbs.
  • The big beast has rare “beast feat”.

So now you have the facts. It’s your choice whether or not you get it. I just gave you my input.

img_20160804_124248787

Fun around the Lego site

Misfortune's Keep(Edited)

Do you like playing with Legos and want more bricktastic action? There is lots of special features, games and videos that I’m going to lay out to you right here right now. This post will tell you my favorite things and why I like them.

1:Watch product videos and mini movies. For almost every product there is a product video. The product animations using the pieces that you get in the sets. Plus it has a descriptions of all the moving pieces. My favorite is set number 70605 Misfortune’s Keep. It has hidden cannons, disc shooters and the pirate jet taking off from the launchpad. It also has four-armed djinn Nadakhan possessing the soul of famed teacher Sensi Wu. 

2:Play different games of different types. There are many games, some I haven’t tried, that go along with the lego stories. My favorite is called Skybound. The evil Djinn Nadakhan is stealing parts of NINJAGO Island to rebuild his realm of Djinjago in the sky. Playing as Jay you must battle him and his gang of SKY PIRATES to rescue Zane, Nya, Lloyd, Cole and Kai to take back the stolen lands and rebuild NINJAGO.

3:Watch short stories on Lego city made by  other kids. On Lego city you can watch Fan Created Videos made by other kids. They make it using the LEGO Movie Maker app. These use Stop Motion Animation to animate the app.

4:Look at the cool sets available. On the Lego site there is information and images for every set. Click on Products, choose an image, look on the top, and click products again. There are so many products to look at. You can also look at Lego sets on Amazon.

I hope this post has filled you in on the fun you can have on Lego.com. I hope you can have as much fun as I always do. 

 

10daysbutton 

This is part of the 10 Days of Nerdy Fun!!! Make sure you hop over to see what other great post of nerdy fun that will be shared!