The Literacy Club

The Literacy Club

by Colleen Guzman

If you have been watching our show Geek Out SA you know that I am a teacher, so literacy is a topic that I feel strongly about. I love reading, my parents always read, and they shared books with me. I read to all three of my sons and now they are avid readers too. As a teacher I understand the importance of literacy and what it can lead to not only in a person's life as they move towards a future and a career but also as a way to use their imagination, leave this world, live for a moment in another one, and even relieve stress. I believe in the power of literacy, so I was extremely excited when we were contacted by The Literacy Club.

                                                                                                               The Literacy Club is an organization in California that is run by some very wonderful people; Jean and Doug Chadwick. We first met Doug through our shared love of tabletop gaming and creating tabletop games, then our relationship flourished as we discussed our desire to bring the gaming community together and to help the general communities around us. Doug told us about the project that he and Jean are champions of because they also believe in the power of literacy and the ability for books to be a safe place for children who may not feel like they have a safe place. Doug and Jean have built and installed over 30 libraries in the Los Angeles and Cleveland area; many of these libraries are in police stations where children can certainly use the safety and peace that books can provide. 

The Literacy Club does important work for the community and I would like to share some of their information with you:

The Literacy Club’s mission is to OPTIMIZE the future of our children by Cultivating Community and Knowledge through reading & education. 

Our focus is to ELIMINATE THE BOOK DESERTS by creating and distributing book filled small portable libraries which are located within the inner-city communities.  We work with community leaders and law enforcement organizations to identity the key locations to inspire and optimize!

I bet now you are asking yourself how can I get The Literacy Club to help me with my community. Here is some information on about how they can help you:

 The Literacy Club works diligently partnering with organizations raising funds to build the libraries and stock them with books.  However, funding may not always be available through The Literacy Club and in those instances we look to the organization(s) inquiring about a library to facilitate direct funding.

RLarge Custom Library:  $1600 and up (depending on size & theme)

(Includes:  Library Unit, Registration, 500+ Books)

RStandard House Library:  $1100 (custom themed) 

Approximate Dimensions (H 6’ x W 32” x D 2’)

(Includes:  Library Unit, Registration, 400+ Books)

RSmall Library:  $450 and up (depending on size & theme)

(Includes:  Library Unit, Registration, 50+ Books, Installation)

RSeating area and extra books available for an additional cost (Pricing various depending space and needs)

Book Drives

   If you engage the people at the location to bring in their age appropriate gently used books it creates a real sense of stewardship and pride for your library. 

  RAge appropriate

  RNew and gently used 

     Pick a Date to Unveil/Install & Promotion -  It’s important to get the word out about your library!   

  ïFind a date that works for all parties and of course when you can invite the children of the community to participate

ïEngaging the press (written or TV), press releases, local councilpersons, local businesses, etc. helps to create excitement around the library, it’s importance and value.

ïUse Social Media to create excitement

      Vincent and I have gotten a library donated to Geek Out SA thanks to The Literacy Club and they are sending us numerous Superhero books to use to fill our library. I will be writing a continuation to this blog to show you the progress on our library (not shown in this blog posts because it is a super secret project) and the books we receive once we receive them. We are excited to be a part of this initiative to encourage literacy and we hope that many more people will participate as well.

For more information visit The Literacy Club Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/achanceforchildren.chadwickslittlefreelibraries/?fref=ts

Here are some examples of some of the libraries that Doug has built:

The Lunar Chronicles

The Lunar Chronicles

by Colleen Guzman

So we finally received the fourth book and what I thought was the final book in The Lunar Chronicles series. I read the book slowly, savoring every moment before I had to let the characters go forever. I can't express how much I loved this book series, how creative it is, how it takes those tales of smitten princesses and gives them a modern twist. In this post I am simply going to give you a short synopsis of each book in hopes that you will pick it up and read it too.

Cinder is the first book in the series. In this book we are introduced to our main character Cinder. We find ourselves entrenched in the life of a cyborg who is not treated very well by, you guessed it, her evil step mother and one of her sisters. In this version of the Cinderella story we find that Cinder does have one sister who loves her although that ends up being a relationship that harms her more than helps her. Cinder also has a robot friend Iko who keeps her company and loves her when no one else seems capable of it. We also have our beloved Prince Charming in Prince Kai. If you think the similarities end there then you will be surprised to read about the ball scene as well. This story has several familiar story themes that will help you feel connected to it and yet it has enough newness that you don't feel like you are just reading the same old story.

Next we are introduced to Scarlet who is not really a princess at all but is the fabled Little Red Riding Hood. This little red obviously lives with her grandmother on a farm in France where they grow some amazing tomatoes. Of course in the midst of all that is going on Scarlet meets the big bad Wolf, who turns out to be more like the huntsman than you would have thought. We find that Scarlet is actually the ferocious one and she is the one to be reckoned with even thought she too has a huge capacity for love and loyalty. 

Next we move into space to a far away maiden who is being held captive and made to work for evil, even though she is unaware. Cress is being held captive in a satellite by the evil queen's top minion who loves her in a strange way. In Cress we find our beloved Rapunzel, so sheltered from the world even though she has watched the world through the monitor feed on board her home, she has never left and so she has never been able to truly explore the world or have any human interaction. When she does finally gain some human interaction she struggles with the reality of it all and she trips over herself and often hides within herself. Her love interest is a dashing, yet devious and downright criminal captain who inadvertently endears himself to her even though he himself feels he has no redeemable qualities.

Finally we move to the end of our saga. The princesses and their princes have all come together and they are prepared to thwart the evil queen, but the task will not be so easy. They must push through a series of incredible maneuvers and try to outwit the queen at her own mad game. In the end we meet princess Winter who is kind and loving to all people and especially to animals. As is expected we have finally met our Snow White. This poor snow White however is so kind and gentle that she ends up being quite broken, although perhaps not as broken as she would seem. We hope that she will become less broken, that she will rise up and find her own strength and that she herself will overthrow the evil queen who has tormented her for her entire life. Your stomach is in knots each time they try a section of their plan because nothing can go right. You scream at them to make better choices to do things differently, to just think ahead, be cautious and daring and please just listen to you. In the end, well in the end is something that you have to find out for yourself.  In the end you will have to say goodbye to these characters you have fallen so in love with and that you hold so dear. Perhaps in the end they will all live happily ever after.

I am sure that people who read this will have something to say about the typical love story that happens in each story, that the Disney view of girl meets boy, girl instantly falls madly in love with boy, and boy carries her off in his dreamy arms is not the view of love that young people should have. I on the other hand enjoy that aspect of the stories because it does take me back to those Disney days. I realize that love is not like that in fact love is difficult and painful and harmful at times but isn't that what makes book and stories so great is the fact that you can read them and be in a nicer place, a different place, an unrealistic place. I love the fiction of it all. I love that Cinder is a cyborg, that Cress is trapped in a satellite, that Wolf is a bio-engineered super soldier, that Levana the evil queen is from the Moon, that she has special mental powers and that Winter is loosing her mind because she refuses to use her powers. If we can have all of this in one book series then why can't we have the fiction of instant love, of undying romance? I say we can that we must that it is okay for fairy tales to have these elements because they are fairy tales and real life is tough enough so why should fiction be too? 

I grabbed these character renditions from the internet because they spoke to me the most and seemed to really almost get the characters the way I saw them in my mind. If you love fairy tales you will love these books and it looks like she is writing more so I will surely be reading more. Good job Marissa Meyer, thanks for the entertainment.

DEADPOOL FTW

DEADPOOL FTW

by Colleen Guzman

You've been waiting for it since you saw a glimpse of the glistening Ryan Reynolds in X-Men, you knew it could eventually come to past, you waited with baited breath and yet the studio continued to tease you never quite admitting they had us all pegged all along and were just waiting until we were ripe to throw all of our money at them.

There is nothing that speaks to us more than the antics of Deadpool. There is a sick little puppy inside of us that wishes to jump out vulgarities wagging and no f's given about what comes out of our mouths, no matter how witty and cutting it might be. We long to wear the hood and walk around letting people have it both verbally and physically. I mean seriously how can one man have such accuracy, athleticism and still manage to cut such a witty jibe. There cannot be such crass perfection without a price being paid.

One of the things I truly enjoyed about the Deadpool movie was that no matter how many times I had seen previews the scenes still made me laugh so hard I cried because they had simply shown us a glimpse of the wit and sarcasm but they had so much more to give. You think the avocado having sex with older avocado line was the punchline of the joke,well it wasn't there was more and it was even better.

I won't be giving out any spoilers in this review because I think that is just awful and to spoil this movie is just cruel. I will say that I have not read any of the comics so my view of this is simply from this movie and the perspective that was given by the cast and directors/producers of this particular film. I can say as someone who watches movies perpetually and truly enjoys comic based films, I loved this film. I laughed so hard I cried, I moved my fists in the midst of the fights, I cringed at the excess of blood and guts and I triumphed when Deadpool said things that I could only wish to say.

Overall I think this film brings perspective to what a hero might be because it makes you re-exam your ideas of what a hero is. This film also has action scenes that put you on the edge of your seat and it has love that you aren't even expecting. I assumed it would be a fun film but I had no idea going in that I would be so pleased coming out. I will be sure to watch this film numerous times and I will even pay to see it again in the theater. You should go see it too, you'll be glad you did.

PAX South Review

PAX South Review

by Colleen Guzman

           If you have been reading my blog or watching the show you may know a few things about me by now. The first thing you might know is that although I love video games as a concept I am terrible at playing video games. I was given the Alice in Wonderland game for my birthday one year and I tried for two days to get past the first jump. My son's offered to make the leap for me but I knew that if I couldn't do that simple task then I would never be able to play the rest of the game. After that second day I never tried to play it again. So as a preface I have a love - hate relationship with video games. The second thing you might know about me is that I am still not sure how I feel about conventions as a concept. I have previously explained my confusion with media based conventions like current comic conventions, however I truly enjoy gaming conventions so there is a confusion that resides in me each time I attend a convention. Also, I have a chip on my shoulder for large goliath type companies that tend to squash the little guy. With all this being said I hope you have a better understanding of where I come from as I review PAX South.

When you first walk through the entrance to PAX South you are bombarded with an array of lights and sounds, but rather than being frightened and confused you are filled with awe and wonder. Your eyes travel naturally from each gaming area to the other. The large companies have enormous setups filled with movie theater sized screens, banners and lights hanging from the ceilings and all around their areas, gaming areas where accomplished players can come to compete and places where gaming commentators are set up to give the audience a play-by-play. The areas are so large it is like being in a full immersion arena. Once you leave one gaming area there is another one right by it that is just as spectacular, engaging and inviting. Attendees can flow from one substantial gaming arena to another and if they are paying attention they will notice that as you move further into the convention area the gaming areas are becoming smaller and smaller until they reach the areas that look like a normal vendor area for any type of media convention, but even these areas are inviting and full of potential to play a game or purchase some form of gaming paraphernalia. It all seems like Disneyland for gamers.

When I was initially asked to attend PAX South I was concerned that I would hate the convention. I have been less than thrilled with some recent convention experiences and I have never understood why my sons watch hours and hours of gaming commentary. Why would you want to watch someone else play a game when you could simply play the game yourself? So I assumed going into this that this would be another let down of a convention that I would not understand but I was extremely wrong. I loved this convention. I was in awe of the set-up and more than anything else I loved the fact that there was a reason for people to be there because there were so many things for people to do there. So many of the vendor areas had gaming spaces, even the small vendors had at least one place where people could play their games. There were panels, chill out areas where a person could just sit and relax and play their hand-held games. It seemed to be so worth the money. 

Then it happened, I had an epiphany that made this convention worth more than the money to me. I came to understand why my sons watch hours and hours of people playing games. I had forgotten how I used to watch all of them play games that I was incapable of playing just because I wanted to see what it was like and what would happen to the story and in each new level. As I walked around the convention I watched players watching other players on enormous screens and then I began to watch the players playing and I truly understood the magnificence of watching a truly talented player go through a level and accomplish all of the things you wish you had the talent to accomplish, to see them move the story further along than you ever could or to see them make it through something faster than you thought humanly possible.  This convention opened my eyes to the wonder that is watching championship players play. I am probably never going to sit and watch hours of game play but I sure do understand the compulsion much better than I ever have. 

I know this review is getting lengthy but I do have to discuss one more thing because it touches on something very near and dear to my heart. I love tabletop gaming and I was so excited to see the huge area that was dedicated to it. As a tabletop gaming convention organizer I was both frightened and intimidated by the sheer volume of gaming space that was available and the number of gamers who attended the convention. On the other hand the tabletop gamer in me enjoyed the attention it was getting. I will say though that this area of the convention was the only space that seemed to really need some work and almost seemed like a very large afterthought. while the video gaming side had gigantic arenas with pipe and drape and lighting and pizzazz the tabletop gaming area was all metal tables, bright glaring lighting and huge gaming areas where all types of gaming were smashed together. Anyone who has spent any length of time playing tabletop games knows that certain games require certain things like quieter spaces for role playing games so players can hear one another, or special table sizes for miniatures gaming. So all in all I was thrilled to see a tabletop gaming area but I really do feel that it needs to be worked on. 

PAX South was a spectacular event filled with so many events and things that attendees can participate in that it would be difficult for anyone who enjoys gaming to have a bad time there. I enjoyed the convention much more than I ever imagine I would and I am actually looking forward to attending again next year. In fact I feel that there is bound to be new things to do, events to participate in and things to see next year so it will surely be worth the time and money. One final thought I have is to the revenue and exposure it has brought to my city. I love San Antonio, I am so fond of the small town, friendly feel this city has while still having all of the big cities amenities. I am so proud of our city and I am glad that PAX South chose San Antonio as their southern destination. I hope this partnership continues for many years and is profitable for the city and brings us much needed exposure. I also wouldn't hate to see PAX do well even though I would hate for them to crush our small, local tabletop gaming convention GaMExpo. I hope we can all co-exist here and do well in the long run.

I hope more people in San Antonio and the surrounding areas can attend next year. If you were not sure if it was worth it, it is. So come on out in 2017 see what's new in gaming and support what is up and coming.

Geek Out SA!!! 

A gift for Geeky Love

A gift for Geeky Love

by Colleen Guzman

Those of you who watch the show know by now that Vincent and I are both incorrigible geeks. We are also husband and wife. We love all of our geeky hobbies and we love each other so last year I thought what better way to show my Valentine's Day love then by dragging out this holiday. I ended up having a good time and Vince really felt special. I personally wouldn't do this every single year because I think it looses some of it's spark when repeated often but I think every few years or so this idea is nice.

I want to share with you what I did last year in case you like it and would like to use the idea as I did or tweak it for your loved one.

The first thing I did was to extend the holiday from one day into fourteen days. I decided I would give Vincent one small gift every day from February 1st - February 13th and then on the 14th I would still give him a fairly large gift. I also thought that the gifts would be more fun if I put them in different places, at various times so he was never sure when or where the gift would be. For example, one day it was in his gym bag, another day on his computer keyboard, another day it was on his pillow and so on. He really liked that and in fact one day he didn't get his gift until right before bed and the next day he admitted that he had been a bit disappointed because he thought I had forgotten him that day.

Each gift is very small and should be less than $5.00 unless your budget can allow for more. I kept these gifts under $5.00 which is pretty easy with all the dollar stores or dollar sections at various stores. The key though is not just the gift but tying the gift into a Valentine's Day type saying almost like one you would see on a conversation heart. (sorry I was trying to hide the gifts in our room so the pictures aren't great)

I added a little Valentine flair by printing the sayings on pink paper and putting a little picture on each one. Then I simply taped the saying to the gift. I also put some snacks in the gift mix so he could have a little something to snack on and not just have toys and things as gifts. 

The little sayings then go with the gift. For example, on the dried apple slices the paper said, "you are the apple of my eye." You can really play with these sayings and personalize them for the geek in your life. You can even make them sound like they come from characters from their favorite geeky movie or show. (I am thinking Yoda would be easy to replicate.) I am sure you could even google sayings and go from there.

I really enjoyed this craft and I think the next year a Star Wars movie is coming out I may have to go all out Star Wars for him. Stay tuned and I'll bring you more when I decide how I'm going to do that.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Terror Expo San Antonio 2016

Terror Expo

Terror Expo was held Friday January 22 - Sunday January 24 at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center. The Expo was put on by the Billy Madison Show, Armando Montelongo and the organizers who bring Alamo City Comic Con to San Antonio.

Terror Expo was heralded as San Antonio's premier horror themed convention, and this show was supposed to be "tailor made for horror fans." It is necessary for conventions, expos and shows to advertise themselves well, however these statements brought some consternation to those who have brought horror conventions to San Antonio in the past. Sometimes it is difficult to work for a long time, with shallow pockets to try to bring events to San Antonio and then to feel trivialized when some big fish swim in and do what you have been working to do for years. All feelings aside though, I personally feel that in a city the size of San Antonio there is plenty of room for several horror conventions and with a certain amount of variation they can all be successful on their own levels.

I was only able to attend the convention on Sunday but I did have enough time there to make some personal observations. Please be aware that my observations are my own, they are based on my experiences and are opinion based. Also going into this let me say that I have been to numerous conventions and in all honesty I am beginning to be quite over many of these events due to the nature of their make up.

I thought that for a first year event the expo was able to draw a decent amount of people, which may have to do with the celebrities who were there. As usual the event was saturated with celebrities who sit in their little areas, bored to death, simply waiting for some rube to show up and pay them money for their signature and a chance to get a photo with them. I personally find this to be appalling but I guess people have to make their millions of dollars somehow, even if the poor person they are taking the funds from have worked about 6 hours in a minimum wage job just to pay for the pleasure of meeting them. But I digress. Let's just say there were lots and lots of celebrities, some current, some "B" or "D" list celebrities and some only vaguely connected to the horror genre.

One thing that confuses me about these conventions,expos,shows, whatever is the lack of things to do. I personally feel that if you go to an event that is horror based you should get to experience horror type things, like a miniature haunted house, a band that plays creepy music from scary movies, places to watch scary movies, a place to get make up done so you look like you are from a scary movie, a place to practice your horror movie scream, a zombie live action role playing game, etc., etc. I just feel like these place should have things for you to do, I don't understand paying money to go to a place where you pay more money to meet people with over inflated egos, to get strange photos that look like you went to Sears in the 1970's and got a family photo with a celebrity, or to walk around and buy POP figures, or things you could easily find on Amazon.

One thing I really do like about conventions is getting to cosplay. I really enjoyed some of the cosplay that was there at Terror Expo this year and I hope that really gets ramped up next year, maybe they could get some of the haunted houses to send people or maybe Sea World or Fiesta Texas to advertise their Halloween events.

All in all I think it was a decent first year media convention. I am not sure it needed it's own convention maybe it could just be the horror corner at Alamo City Comic Con since it was pretty much the same thing just some different celebrities, in fact there was even a themed car there so it felt pretty mush like the same thing. If you like media conventions then this is definitely the place for you. If you want to pay to meet celebrities this is the event for you. If you want to see some panels of actors talking about their lives, shows and how cool they are then this is the place for you. I think there were things people enjoyed and there is room to grow. If you are curious about it then check it out next year, but until then keep the lights on and check under the bed.

Agent Carter

Agent Carter

I haven't ever been the type of girl who thought about girl power. In fact, I was actually the type of girl who wanted to be a boy because I thought boys were tougher, rougher, meaner, stronger and just plain cooler. I still occasionally have these delusions but more and more I find that I am noticing and valuing the strength in myself as a woman and in so many other women. I have also noticed that I am increasingly enamored with strong female characters on screen. One female character that I am becoming increasingly fond of is Agent Carter.

One of the things I love about Agent Carter is her knowledge that she is supremely capable of everything she sets her mind to, that she is highly qualified, she can do anything the men can do and that no matter what they think of her she is the best person for the job.  I like the way she is beginning to be more vocal about the knowledge that she is highly capable of doing her job, but I also appreciate that they are staying true to the feelings of the time period and that the majority of the men still discount her worth or take credit for her actions. I especially enjoyed this week's interactions between her and Dottie and Jack. Dottie is another strong female character, albeit evil or misguided she is still strong and a force to be reckoned with. I was almost surprised by Peggy's ambush of Dottie but I saw it coming when they showed the bank patrons. I was actually surprised, although I shouldn't have been, when Jack took Peggy off the interrogation and sent her away. I was not surprised but I was tickled when Dottie gave Jack some of the medicine he deserved. I really enjoyed this week's episode of Agent Carter and I am looking forward to more.

There were other things I enjoyed that I will discuss next Tuesday on the shoe, but I must bring up one more thing before I end this post. I absolutely, positively, adore the outfits they choose for Peggy Carter and I must admit that I check out her fabulous shoes during every wardrobe change. I love the styles of that time period and I love the way they recreate them in the show. The picture collage are pictures I snapped of Peggy's loveliness during the course of the show.

I am excited to see another episode next week and to see how the story progresses.