I am a Whovian – loud and proud! I have spent a considerable amount of time waiting for a strange Doctor and his lovely blue police box to appear in my yard. I anticipate snow so I can try out my latest plans for a life-size Tardis out of snow (I even have plans to make it appear bigger on the inside). With all my love for Doctor Who, it was only natural that I should take my love to the kitchen. While fish fingers and custard could be quite tasty, I’m in a cookie state of mind. What could be more Whovian than a batch of Jammie Dodgers?

Jammie Dodgers with an assortment of mini leaf Sugar Cookies

Jammie Dodgers are traditionally a shortbread cookie filled with jam. If you are already familiar with Linzer cookies, you’re on the right path. Hmm, I thought. I can make shortbread cookies and jam is a breeze to whip up. The Angels sing and a star is born!

I will warn you up front, I have taken a few liberties here. The shortbread cookie recipe is actually a family recipe. Big thanks to my Aunt Linda for sharing her Sugar Cookie recipe with me . . . and now, with you! I selected her recipe because it is not one of those overly-sweet-put-you-in-a-sugar-coma recipes. It has just a hint of sugar, enough salt to tingle the tastebuds and will hold up to spreading; a perfect compliment to a fruit jam. As far as jam is concerned, fresh is best. I am including a quick and easy jam recipe below. If making jam just isn’t your thing, don’t sweat the small stuff – store bought jam will work wonders in a pinch.

TO MAKE THE COOKIES, you will need:

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Table Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Shortening
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
Confectioners/Icing Sugar, for dusting

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Grease cookie sheets.
2.) In a large bowl, mix together Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Sugar.
3.) Cut Shortening into the dry ingredients. The mixture should begin to resemble sand.
4.) In a measuring cup, beat Milk, Vanilla and Eggs with a fork to blend.
5.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold until the dough begins to come together. The dough will still be loose.
6.) Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with Confectioners/Icing Sugar. Knead the dough until the mixture comes together completely and will hold shape.
7.) With a rolling pin dusted with Confectioners/Icing Sugar, roll dough out to approximately 1/8″ in width. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out individual cookies from the rolled dough.
8.) Place cookies on the greased sheet. Bake until just firm to the touch, approximately 10 minutes.
9.) Allow cookies to cool on the sheet pan approximately 5 minutes. Move cookies to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 40 cookies, but remember sandwich cookies require 2 cookies
Note: Using Confectioners/Icing Sugar to dust surface and rolling pin allows the cookies to retain a bit of sweetness. The recipe has a large flour to sugar ratio, so using flour to dust your surface and rolling pin results in bland cookies.

TO MAKE THE JAM, you will need:

Ingredients
2 cups of Fruit, prepared*
1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
1 1/4 oz Envelope Unflavored Gelatin

*To prepare, remove pits, stones, cores, seeds and peel where necessary. Cut bigger fruits into slices or smaller pieces to allow the fruit to break down more quickly and at a consistent rate.

Directions
1.)  Add fruit to a medium pot and place over medium-low heat. Bring fruit to a slow simmer, stirring regularly, approximately 15 minutes. The fruit will begin to break down and provide juice.
2.) Add Confectioners Sugar and stir to integrate completely. Continue cooking fruit mixture approximately 5 minutes. The fruit should be equal parts fruit pieces and juice. If you have a great volume of juice, that is okay.
3.) Using a fork or masher, mash the fruit. Do not completely destroy the fruit, you want pieces of fruit to run throughout the jam.
4.) Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with Gelatin. Stir with a fork to dissolve the gelatin completely.
5.) Set the jam mixture aside and allow to cool completely. As the mixture cools, it will gel together. Alternately, now would be a good time to put the jam mixture into jars and save for later.

TO ASSEMBLE JAMMIE DODGERS:

1.) Take a Sugar Cookie, flat side up.
2.) Spread a generous amount of jam on the flat side of the cookie.
3.) Top with another Sugar Cookie, flat side facing jam.
4.) Dust with Confectioners/Icing Sugar, if desired

These sandwich cookies are even better with your warm beverage of choice. Snuggle up on the couch with a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, a couple of Jammie Dodgers and watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Enjoy!

FRIDAY

10 am – True Blood with Actors

11:30 am – Warehouse 13

1 pm – Buffy/Angel

2:30 pm – Eureka

5:30 pm – Simon & Kaylee

7 pm – Buffy & Dr. Horrible

8:30 pm – Violent Video Games

10 pm & on – Stargate Party

SATURDAY

10 am – 21 Days to a Novel

11:30 am – Legend of the Seeker

2:30pm – Farscape

4 pm – Firefly

7 pm – Browncoats: Redemption Screening

10 pm – Browncoat Shindig

11:30 pm – Bedlam Bards Live

SUNDAY

10 am – Buffy/Angel

11:30 am – Scapecast Podcast

2:30 pm – Data from Data

4 pm – Farscape

5:30 pm – The Signal Podcast

7 pm – To V or Not to V (Back-up Panel: Being Human)

10 pm – BSG/Caprica

MONDAY

10 am – Whedonverse

11:30 am – BSG

1 pm – Red Dwarf

4 pm – Eureka

I realize there are some panels I have listed on multiple days. This is just a contingency plan. The one constant at fan conventions is lines. I am prepared to stand in lines for up to 2 hours for the big panels I must see. If I miss a panel the first time around, here’s hoping I see it another day. Of course I will not make it to all these panels. In addition to the geekery, I have friends to see, more friends to make and at some point a gal has to eat. Nonetheless, if I had my way and if the Con Gods are on my side, maybe, just maybe I’ll get my wish.

Here is where you come in. Over the last week, I invited you to submit playlist recommedations – upbeat songs that will keep me singing and dancing in my driver’s seat. I’ve posted below most of the songs that make up the final playlist, in no particular order. There is some new music represented; however, the majority of the song selections include a healthy dose of nostalgia. I’m pretty sure there are some selections I should be embarrassed by. Nonetheless, I stand by my playlist. Love it or hate it, I hope you find at least one song to make you dance.

Big hugs to @dawnsister, @aboynamedart & @kelleyclark for contributing to the playlist! I received some excellent suggestions and was very excited to fall in love with some new bands/artists!

Dragon*Con 2010 Playlist

God is Not Great – George Hrab (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

When I Was Your Age – George Hrab (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

Wild Wild West – The Escape Club

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor – Drowning Pool

Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm

Bullet with Butterfly Wings – The Smashing Pumpkins

Voodoo – Godsmack

I Want to do Bad Things With You – Jace Everrett

Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) – Offspring

Dream On – Aerosmith

Why Don’t You Get a Job? – Offspring

Love the Way You Lie – Eminen ft. Rhianna

Not Ready to Make Nice – Dixie Chicks

Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield

Rollin’ – Limp Bizkit

Money Money Money – ABBA

Heartbreaker – Pat Benetar

Invincible – Pat Benetar

Hold My Hand – Hootie & the Blowfish (Thanks to @dawnsister)

Only Wanna Be With You – Hootie & the Blowfish (Thanks to @dawnsister)

Small Town – John Cougar Mellencamp (Thanks to @dawnsister)

All I Want to do is Make Love to You – Heart

Alone – Heart

Sweet Dreams – The Eurythmics

Black Velvet – Alanna Myles

Come to My Window – Melissa Ethridge

Mary Jane’s Last Dance – Tom Petty

The Garden – Mirah

R.O.C.K in the USA – John Cougar Mellencamp (Thanks to @dawnsister)

Somebody to Love – Queen

Don’t Stop Me Now  - Queen

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

The Freshmen – The Verve Pipe

Bound For the Floor – Local H

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something

Bawitdaba – Kid Rock

The Beautiful People – Marilyn Manson

On Our Own – Bobby Brown (that’s for you, @Browncoats359 )

Shadows (Dave Rubato Mix) – Midnight Juggernaughts (Thanks to @aboynamedart)

Mujer Latina – Thalia

Mas – Kinky (Thanks to @aboynamedart)

The Laws Have Changed – The New Pornographers (Thanks to @aboynamedart)

That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings

Somebody Told Me – The Killers

Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Watching You – Rogue Traders (Thanks to @aboynamedart)

I Want to be Sedated – The Ramones

Magic Dance – David Bowie (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

Happiness Burns – Two Hours Traffic (Thanks to @dawnsister)

Firefly Theme – Sonny Rhodes ( @kelleyclark, I keep this one on my cell, GPS, MP3 & all my computers )

*JoCo Looks Back – Jonathan Coulton (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

*Ready For This? – Tim Minchin (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

I Am a Paleantologist – They Might Be Giants (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

Electric Car – They Might Be Giants (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

*Flood – They Might Be Giants (Thanks to @kelleyclark)

Walk Now – Orbital (Thanks to @aboynamedart)

Are We Here? – Orbital (Thanks to @dawnsister)

Macho Man – Village People

In the Navy – Village People

Steam – Ty Herndon

Wait a Minute – The Pussycat Dolls

Buttons – The Pussycat Dolls

*The Adventures of the O.C. Supertons – The O.C. Supertones

*Supertones Strike Back – The O.C. Supertones

The Impression That I Get – The Mighty Mighty BossTones

All the Things She Said – t.A.T.u.

Roadtrip – Stomach Monkey

Slave to the Habit – Shane Minor

Ordinary Love – Shane Minor

Forgive – Rebecca Lynn Howard

I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic! At the Disco

Morris Brown – Outkast

Someday – Nickelback

Figured You Out – Nickelback

Take Me to Your Leader – Newsboys

Cup O’ Tea – Newsboys

Breakfast – Newsboys

*Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Soundtrack

Move to Bremerton – Mxpx

Chick Magnet – Mxpx

The Devil in Miss Jones – Mike Ness

Crime Don’t Pay – Mike Ness

I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe

How Far – Martina McBride

*Got to Fly – Marian Call

One Step Closer – Linkin Park

Rollin’ – Limp Bizkit

My Way – Limp Bizkit

Cowboy – Kid Rock

Boogie Shoes – K.C. & the Sunshine Band

I’m Your Boogie Man – K.C. & the Sunshine Band

*Greatest Hits – JoDee Messina

*The Insyderz Present Skallelujah – Insyderz

Crawling in the Dark – Hoobastank

Runaway – Hoobastank

Faith Builder – Gimerstick

Stupify – Disturbed

Down With a Sickness – Disturbed

Without Me – Eminem

Mercy – Duffy

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves – Cher

Half-Breed – Cher

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – Cher

Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls

Toxic – Britney Spears

Circus – Britney Spears

If You Seek Amy – Britney Spears

Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) – Big & Rich

My brother, at the young and healthy age of 27, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As one would imagine, my family and I were shocked and astounded.  Even the doctors were hesitant to confirm such an unlikely diagnosis. Nonetheless, after countless tests and scans, there it is. The Big C in the corner, casting it’s shadow on an otherwise carefree youngin’.

Kevin "KP" Phillips

He was lucky in a way. He qualified for an international clinical trial. This trial uses a combination chemotherapy treatment, including Abraxane and Gemzar. While Gemzar is routinely used in treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, Abraxane is approved for the treatment of breast cancer. Together, the success in stabilizing or regression of pancreatic cancer has been promising.

He has more than hope! After 8 weeks of treatment, his latest test results and scans showed the cancerous tumors have reduced in size by 10%. Where he was barely able to eat a fist-size portion of food, he has regained his appetite and gained back 11 of the 20+ pounds he had lost during the initial weeks of treatment. The debilitating pain, which often relagated him to hours sitting in a hot shower, has all but subsided.

His general good health and young age pay a significant part in fighting the disease and bolstering his immune system. Perhaps more important, is his mellow attitude and consistent positive outlook. He has always been the laid-back sort and always up for a good time – characteristic which have always made him popular. With the blow to his health, the many friends he has made over the years have come out in droves to show their support. United, they make up Team KP – family and friends who share a genuine love and friendship for my brother and have vowed to stand with him in his fight. Check out Team KP on Facebook.

Half the Federici clan: (from left to right) Jessa Phillips, Kevin Phillips, Arlene Phillips, Teresa O'Doherty, Candice Phillips, Priscilla Federici, Joseph Federici, Jake O'Doherty & Audrey Federici

To date, there is no cure for pancreatic cancer. Sadly, this means my brother will always need treatment. Recently, Team KP hosted a fundraiser to help my brother with the considerable medical costs. Held at Williker’s in Shrewsbury, MA hundreds of family and friends came out to enjoy great food, listen to some great music and win lots of fantastic prizes, ranging from gift certificates to local establishments to tickets to sporting events and vacation packages. All tolled, the event raised more than $15,000.00! Read the press coverage at Community Advocate and TheDailyWestborough.com

Kevin, his girlfriend Teresa O'Doherty and her son Jake

If you would like to stay up to date on my brother and the progress of his treatment, visit his blog on Caring Bridge. If you are interested in helping financially, a fund has been set up at Sovereign Bank. You can walk in to any Sovereign Bank to donate or you can mail a check directly to his fund.

Kevin J Phillips Fund – Acct #38604896274

Mail donations to:
Sovereign Bank
Attn: Tim Alves
486 Lincoln Street
Worcester MA 01405

There will be more opportunities to contribute. There are Team KP wristbands, tanks, t-shirts and key chains. Check back here to find out how you can get your hands on these products and more in the near future.

While we may not have met, save for a tweet lost in the data stream of the world wide web, I consider you friend. I have had the great pleasure of meeting a number of you and cementing our friendship offline, and still more of you have made it a point to show caring and concern. I cannot express how truly appreciative I am to know each of you. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support.

Courtesy of Granite State Comicon

If you are a geek living in New England, I hope you made your way to the Radisson in Manchester, NH on Sunday for the Granite State Comicon (also known as GraniteCon). GraniteCon markets itself as one of the premier comic conventions in New England. Find out if a 1 day convention can deliver all the nerdery many have come to expect from a convention experience.

Courtesy of Double Midnight Comics & Collectibles

GraniteCon is sponsored by Double Midnight Comics & Collectibles, a comic and gaming store also located in Manchester, NH. Known as much for their welcoming embrace of gamers as for their massive collection of comics, Double Midnight Comics has made one thing abundantly clear – they listen to their geeks! GraniteCon seems to be a reflection of that.

When you arrive at the convention space and exchange your paltry $7.00 for admission (free if you come in cosplay) to a full day of comic immersion, you are immediately thrust into the Dealer’s Hall/Artist’s Alley/Tournament Space. Let us be honest, this is where you would be spending most of your time. The variety of Dealers is what you would expect – plenty of comics at bargain prices, the signed memorabilia you are all too eager to break into the piggy bank for and making an appearance as the official drink of GraniteCon, Gamer Soda.

One of the wonderful things about this convention is the variety. Double Midnight Comics understands that fans do not limit their interest to the trades, but are just as passionate about indie comics and artists. Among the artists were some names you may know: Cliff Rathburn (The Walking Dead Colorist), Talent Caldwell (Fathom, Wildcats & Supergirl Artist), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash Creator & Wildcats Artist) and Eric Basaldua (Top Cow – Witchblade & Magdalena Artist). Also represented were artists you may not be aware of, such as Angela Costello-Nieves, Art O’Callaghan, Blair Shedd (oneGemini Studios – IDW’s Doctor Who Artist), Don Higgins (Dark Magic & Donuts) & Silver Circle (Animated Independent Movie) who hosted a Scream Contest for a chance to lend your voice to a scene in their movie.

Courtesy of 501st New England Garrison

Courtesy of Ghostbusters of New Hampshire

Perhaps you attend conventions to critique cosplay. With the lure of free admission, there was plenty of cosplay to admire. Capitalizing on attendee participation, GraniteCon hosted a Cosplay Contest judged by the members of Human Sushi Cosplay. Even if you are too shy to invite the attention cosplay garners, you could have your picture taken with a cosplayer. The 501st New England Garrison was on hand with R2D2 and the Ghostbusters of New Hampshire took Vigo out of his crate for pictures with attendees.

Most fans pride themselves on knowing more than others, so what is a convention without panels? The 501st New England Garrison took over the panel room with a screening of Star Wars Builders. The 501st is well-known for their extreme prop builds. Star Wars Builders is a documentary which chronicles their hard work as they build a self-propelled Dewback and Landspeeder.

If you have ever been to a fan convention, you know you can always count on a zombie presence. Adam Miller and Rich Woodall (Art Directors) of the comic anthology, Zombie Bomb!, along with John Herman (Director & Writer) & Bryan White (Writer & Host) of the webseries How to Survive the Strange shared the spotlight to talk about their projects and our fascination with the walking dead. Zombie Bomb! brings together more than 200 writers and artists to create great zombie stories in a series of comics. You can purchase the first installment from Terminal Press. How to Survive the Strange is a comedic series that provides practical tips on surviving the impending apocalypse. View the first episode now on howtosurvivethestrange.com with new episodes available twice a month.

Making a special appearance, Michael Dougherty, Director of the fan film Browncoats: Redemption, indulged fans with a panel. Browncoats: Redemption is a feature-length film which takes place in the world created by Joss Whedon in his television series Firefly and motion picture Serenity. Browncoats: Redemption picks up the story after the events of Serenity. The completed film will be available on dvd and the proceeds will be donated to charity. Sponsored by the SciFi Saturday Night podcast and accompanied by some New England Browncoats, Michael shared stories about making the film. Due to technical difficulties, the audience was rewarded with 7 minutes of never before seen footage of a fight scene featured in the film. Browncoats: Redemption will be released Labor Day weekend. Visit the website to learn more and view trailers.

According to their official twitter feed (@dmcomics), GraniteCon is not their first forray into events: “We’ve been running shows since 2003 but they’ve been taking off in the past few years. . . ” The event was fun and a great experience. Personally, I would have liked more panels and a bigger gaming presence, but it was definitely promising. I look forward to seeing how GraniteCon will continue to grow and develop. One thing is certain, GraniteCon has earned a place in my convention schedule.

Courtesy of Anime Boston

For those of you unfamiliar with anime, it is best characterized as japanese animation or comics. Please realize that is only the most broad explanation. There are many different sub-categories that make up the anime genre and it is not strictly created in Japan.

I have seen enough anime to know I enjoy it. I appreciate it as an art form. However, I would hardly consider myself a fan. Many friends have encouraged me to explore the genre over the years. What better way to educate myself than to spend three days immersed at a convention? As luck would have it, Anime Boston was in town.

Taking over the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel April 2-4, more than 17,000 people lined up to attended panels, cosplay or watch anime. While Anime Boston organizers claim the majority of attendees tend to fall within the ages of 16-24, walking around the convention hall you will see fans of all ages.  I found myself surprised by the variety of different people in attendance – age, sex, race, and geek status were irrelevant.

Anime Boston is a fantastic convention! One of the things they do well is providing a wonderful selection of events. Of course this convention is full of panels. Panels such as Modern Mythology: Anime and Video Games or Androgyny/Homosexuality in Japan appeal to the more intellectual fans who enjoy anime for its thematic elements. Perhaps you are an artist or writer. You can attend panels like Web Comics to Publishing or How not to write Fiction, fan and otherwise for ideas on sharpening your skills. Conversations with Tom Wayland and similar panels give you an opportunity to hear firsthand from successful industry guests.

This is an anime convention, so maybe you would like to see some anime. There are viewings aplenty. Attend one of the humorous clip panels such as You DON’T Survive the Anime Apocalypse, where panelists will show a selection of clips from anime television series or movies to drive home the point. For the record, the panelists are right. If you prefer to watch your anime without commentary, visit one of the many video rooms where you can settle into the dark and watch all day . . .  all three days. While I did not spend a lot of time in the video rooms, they are one of the aspects of the convention I truly appreciated. At every convention, there is a point when attendees have time to kill – you did not make it into the panel you wanted to attend, or you are waiting for friends. Pop into one of the video rooms and catch up on a series you enjoy or expose yourself to a new franchise.

Let us suppose you attend conventions to participate. The most prevalent expression is cosplay. So don that costume and come on down. Knowing how passionate fans are, Anime Boston rewards cosplayers with events especially for them. Panels such a Cosplay on a Dime and Lolita Fashion: Style for the Frilly Masses serve as a how-to experience. Join other cosplayers for a game of Anime Squares or Cosplay Chess. You may even meet your mate at the Cosplay Dating Game. Dances? Oh yes, there were dances. You can even take center stage in the Karaoke room. The main event was the Masquerade held on Saturday. Cosplayers came with prepared skits or choreography and entertained the crowd. The craftmanship of the costumes was inspiring and the skits were great fun. Here are a couple of the performances from the Masquerade. You can find more performances on my YouTube channel.

Anime Boston is a wonderful convention. Whether you are a die-hard fan or someone just testing the waters, attend this convention. The video rooms alone are worth it. However, I encourage your to attend a few panels, see some performances and generally admire the impressive quality of the costumes.

On a personal note, Anime Boston has definitely sparked my interest in anime and I excited to see more. If there is a particular show, movie or comic you feel I need to check out, be sure to leave me a comment. Tell me a little about the anime you are suggesting and what you enjoy about it.

The crowning achievement in the GTX 400 series is the GTX 480, which boasts as many transistors as 4 Intel Quad-core i7 processors and 2x the performance of the previous GTX 200 series graphics cards. Game releases that will be optimized for 3D Vision include Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Need for Speed Shift, Metro 2033, Mafia 2 and Just Cause 2. The folks at NVIDIA are proud of this latest improvement and are happy to make gaming for the PC more enjoyable for gamers who like to blow things up. With such a large presence at PAX East, they coined this year’s motto: CRANK THAT S#!T UP!

To prove they are more than hype, NVIDIA shared game demos for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Metro 2033 and Need for Speed, as well as World of Warcraft, to show off the 3D Vision technology. The GPUs will also ship with two built-in games to allow consumers to see what the graphics processor is capable of. Supersonic Sled allows players to set up and destroy a train test track. Zoom in and out of the landscape; create obstacles or shoot things with chickens; players can even view the track construct in a blueprint mode. Also shipping with the GPU is Design Garage, which allows players to create custom cars. Design Garage will show off the astounding detail and accuracy the GTX 400 series cards provide. The GeForce GTX 400 series GPUs will be available for purchase in mid-April 2010. Visit the NVIDIA website for more information about the GeForce GTX 400 series GPU.

The 1-1/2 hour line to play the demo, clearly made Red Dead Redemption the most anticipated game of PAX East. The third person western shooter from Rockstar Games looks to redeem the disappointment players felt with Red Dead Revolver. Immediately players will be drawn in by complete and expansive landscapes. The beautiful landscapes come fully inhabited with wildlife such as coyotes, rabbits, horses and bears, all of which you can hunt, but be warned, they can hunt you too. One of the new features is Deadeye, letting the player slow time and mark targets to improve accuracy and create adrenaline-pumping shoot-outs. Look for Red Dead Redemption to be released May 18, 2010 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Another game with a large presence was Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from Ubisoft. I know what you are thinking . . . another video game/film tie-in. No need for concern, the game has no ties to the upcoming movie release. The third person adventure is reminiscent of the original Prince of Persia game and combines aspects from original game players will appreciate, such as acrobatics and classic wall-run movement, with a more powerful gaming engine and the ability to control nature for some interesting game-play. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is scheduled for release May 18, 2010 on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii.

Perhaps war games are more your speed. Atomic Games has you in mind. With roots in creating military simulations, the company looks to put you into the action with Breach. A first person, multi-player shooter where you play as an elite member of a CIA field team – the kind the government sends in when no one can know. This game uses real world tactics. One of the most exciting features is that just about anything you can use for cover in the game, you can destroy. Shoot through brick to create the perfect sniper position, punch through ceilings to get the drop on enemies, Breach will have you looking at FPS action in a whole new way. Breach will be available exclusively for download on Xbox Live Arcade beginning July 1, 2010.

One of the things the Penny Arcade crew feels is important is giving independent game developers a voice. One way they help is by sponsoring the Indie Showcase. Indie game developers get space on the exhibit floor to demo their games as a way to get their games in your hands. With enough people talking about their games, the hope is the interest and the demand will grow.

One such game is Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley from Twisted Pixels. Have you ever wanted to play the superhero in a comic book? Here’s your chance. Accompanied by your snarky costume and your lovely sidekick, you will fight and shoot villains as they threaten the peace of your city. Wreak havoc on hordes of ladies as you make your way to face off against your arch-nemesis, Brad. Comic Jumper brings back a bit of nostalgia, is funny and fun to play.

Shank is another indie game that everyone, including myself, is excited for. Developed by Klei Entertainment, this is a no-holds barred, 2D, side-scrolling bloodbath. Parents, I do not recommend this game for children. If you like a hack-and-slash game, this is for you. There is not a whole lot of information out there about the lead character, but here is what you need to know. He has a score to settle, there are a lot of guys he has to kill and he is very good at killing. As far as the weaponry goes, he has pistols, a chainsaw and knives. Truly, you do not need any more, you can create more than enough damage to quench your blood thirst. The game-play is gory and fantastic. The art is simple, yet gorgeous. Shank proves you do not need over the top graphics to make a good game. Unfortunately, I did not get a released date, but keep your eyes out for Shank to be released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC.

There were, of course, many more games that graced the exhibit hall. This article is only a quick overview of the games I got to experience hands-on. One thing is sure, no matter what kind of gamer you are, there is a game being developed for you. So far, 2010 has me excited to spark up my console and upgrade my gaming PC.

Who better to open the inaugural PAX East event than a man recognized throughout the gaming community as an Ambassador of Geekdom, Wil Wheaton. Best known to mainstream audiences as an actor and writer, Wheaton has been a gamer most of his life. As he began his speech, he recounted some of the gross misrepresentations faced when politicians and the media demonized games and the gaming industry. He also highlighted the industry’s triumph as gamers refused to sit and be silent.

In his keynote, Wheaton helmed a trip down memory lane, detailing the many faces of  games as they have evolved over the years. Sharing his own love affair with games, he emphasized the importance gaming plays beyond entertainment.

“Game are important. Games matter. PAX is where we come together to celebrate that.”

Many players are met with confusion and ridicule when outed to friends and family members that do not play, particularly those of us over the age of 25. Those that do not play games, do not understand the appeal. They do not see how the imagination is sparked, how critical thinking skills can be honed and emotional bonds can be formed simply by sitting in front of a gaming table, or console, or PC. We become the Freaks, the Geeks and the Outcasts to the “normal” people.

Wheaton’s keynote was a call to arms, a call to be inspired. His words fostered pride in our identity as gamers and strengthened the bond that players attending PAX events will share always.

“When you create something together, you are building bonds with your fellow gamers that could last you entire lives.”

Never have I heard the passion felt by gamers and the virtues of games so well extolled. For that, I thank you Wil Wheaton.

With reports coming in of attendance in excess of 50,000 gamers, not all of us could squeeze into the Main Theater for the keynote. Thanks to YouTube user Cheshyr, everyone can watch Wil Wheaton’s keynote (10 minutes at a time).

For more information about PAX East, check out the website.

If you do not currently read Wil Wheaton’s blog, do yourself a favor and go!

Season 6, Episode 7: Dr. Linus -

March 10, 2010

John, Erin, Chad, Niel, Kecia, Stefani, Jess and I as we discuss this week’s episode. Tune in to get our thoughts on Ben Linus’ character revelations, continuing relationship development,  as well as parallels between the happenings on the island and the flash sideways. We’ll also share a few of our theories on where the show will take the audience in future episodes.

Check out LOSTblog at www.lostblog.com – a must for any LOST fan! Stop by the LOSTblog Shop at www.cafepress.com/LOSTblog for all your fan goodies!