Haven’t we seen enough COG soldiers die already? Carmine 3.0 deserves to avenge his brothers’ deaths, and kick some major ass. I’ve sent my 80 spacebucks to Microsoft which will then be converted back to cash and some amount of it sent to Child’s Play. In return my vote to “Save Carmine” has been cast and my avatar received a cool t-shirt (shown above) to show his support for Carmine as well. Do your part! Grab this t-shirt for your avatar, and/or this t-shirt for yourself, and keep our fearless Carmine alive through Gears of War 3!
All proceeds go to Child’s Play, a charity set up by gamers, to help support children’s hospitals around the world. This is really a great way to engage a gaming community. It gives gamers the ability to choose a plot point in a popular game, makes them feel good about donating, raises money for children’s hospitals, and also raises awareness of Child’s Play. As the father of two preemies, I know how it feels to see babies and children fight for their lives. Children’s hospitals are incredible places, and they need everyone’s support. Lives, young and old, are touched forever in these hospitals, and even the little things, like a furry bedside companion or cozy knit hat, make a huge difference. So the least you can do is buy your avatar a t-shirt for 80 MSP, but please consider making an extra donation to Child’s Play as well.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Photo of the Week – 7/25/10
We just got back from a weekend vacation away from the kids. We went to Door County, WI. which is famous for their wine. One of our stops was Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market where we tasted wines and picked cherries. Erika took some great photos of our buckets of cherries. I’m sure she’ll post more this week but I really like the one she posted already. The colors are so rich and vibrant.
See Untitled at Flickr.
The Fall of Reach
I’ve had all the Halo books on my Amazon wishlist for a while now, but none of those wishes have come true. That is, until my wife ran into The Fall of Reach at Goodwill a few months back and we promptly bought it. I finally got around to cracking the book open Saturday morning while Erika was out and I literally could not put it down. I spent the majority of my free time this weekend reading that book and I finished it last night in bed.
This is a great little novel if you’re a Halo fan. I’ve (obviously) played through all the games but, like most games, the Halo series fails to explain the history of the conflict. A lot of the characters you meet in the games have very colorful histories, and perhaps the most surprising to me, was Captain Keyes. Even Master Chief, the hero of the series, known for being the silent type and nearly void of personality, has a lot of secrets in his past. There is one other character who has some very interesting twists, but I’m not going to spoil that one. Lets just say he/she only looks sweet and innocent in the game.
If you’re a Halo fan, The Fall of Reach is a must-read, especially before Halo: Reach comes out this September. There are so many details in the book that clear up the story lines in the games. It makes me want to play through all the games again now that I know more of the back-story.
If you’re not a Halo fan… you should be. I’d honestly recommend playing at least Halo: Combat Evolved before reading the book. The book is good but I don’t think it would be as interesting to someone who doesn’t already know the characters and the ending. I could be wrong. It’s hard to judge this book on it’s own without taking the games into context as well.
If I’ve piqued your interest, head over to Amazon and pick it up! There are many other Halo books available as well and I will be digging into those soon (I might opt for the audio-books to make my two hour daily commutes more interesting). Now, time to fire up Halo CE!
Photo of the Week – 7/18/10
Another late one! I’ve been so engrossed in The Fall of Reach this weekend so this slipped my mind. Anyway, this week I chose a very nice shot Erika took of a statue in a graveyard. It’s a strikingly beautiful scene with the sun shining through the trees. The aged and mossy statue looks so peaceful.
See Untitled at Flickr.
Photo of the Week – 7/11/10
Last Sunday was Independence Day so we set off some fireworks at the lake. Erika captured me getting the next round of fireworks ready while a very bright firework was going off. The result is pretty stunning and it really preserves this memory well. Very nice shot Erika!
See Sparks in July at Flickr.