Lego Creationary

My kids received this game as a gift for Christmas so we opened it up and have played a few times and to summarize, it's been fun.

The game is essentially Pictionary with Legos. You roll a die and draw a card to see what it is you are going to try to build, and the other players try to guess what you're building. When someone guesses correctly, the person who guessed gets points and the person who built gets points.

There are different ways to play, but since we played with young kids and it was important to keep their attention, we didn't take turns guessing, everyone just shouted when they had an idea. We also set a timer so that if it wasn't guessed after 5 minutes, no one got points and we moved on to the next player.

We had players from age 5 on up to 70+, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. My only concern is that after a few plays you will start to remember what's on the cards and it will make the guessing easier. Also, it is sometimes hard to tell what the card is telling you to build. I had one card that showed two buildings with a pool between them. It could have been a hotel, an apartment complex, or an office building. I decided it was a hotel. It would have been nice to label them, even if this might have added to the production cost. Also, my son pulled one card and had no idea what it was supposed to be. It turns out it was a wall plug, but it was a European one that he's never seen since we live in the US.

Like other Lego games, you're encouraged to change the rules to make the game more fun. There are options included for team vs. team games or couple vs. couple. There are different ways you can organize the guessing, and you can always create your own build items using handwritten notes instead of the included cards. It may also be fun to use other lego pieces from other sets instead of confining yourself to what's in the box.

College Football Playoffs, Round 2

The second round of my hypothetical playoffs would have taken place last weekend. Thanks to the magic of whatifsports.com, these are the results of the simulations I ran.

Arizona 20, Oregon 16
Arizona scores the biggest upset possible, as the #9 seed Arizona beat #1 seed Oregon. While Darron Thomas was able to throw for a respectable 252 yds, he did not record any touchdown passes compared to Nick Foles, who threw for 341 yds and 2 touchdowns. Arizona goes home next week to play in the Insight Bowl against Nebraska.

Nebraska 30, Nevada 14
Nebraska scored two touchdowns in the first two minutes of the second quarter to take control of the game. While Vai Taua rushed for over 100 yds. and a touchdown, it wasn't enough to overcome the Nebraska defense.

Stanford 42, Utah 19
Utah committed four turnovers and Nate Whitaker kicked 5 field goals for Stanford that lead to Stanford's win over Utah. The score was 21-15 Stanford at the end of the 3rd quarter, but Stanford scored three touchdowns in the 4th quarter to put the game away. Andrew Luck finished with 263 yds, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Hawaii 35, Boise St. 21
Hawaii's upset victory over Boise St. means that the two top seeds in the West have been eliminated. Bryant Moniz passed for 386 yds and 2 touchdowns. Boise St. started the game with two touchdowns, before Moniz hit Kealoha Pilares for a 64 yd. score at the end of the first quarter. Alex Green scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and another in the third as Hawaii took control of the game.

TCU 37, Texas Tech 13
TCU's unbeaten streak continued behind the rushing of Ed Wesley. He accumulated 182 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 69 yards. Texas Tech's Taylor Potts was intercepted three times while throwing for only one touchdown.

Missouri 30, LSU 12
Henry Josey had a breakout game for Missouri, running for 91 yards and two touchdowns in their Texas Bowl victory over LSU. LSU was held to only 116 yards rushing with half of that coming on a Michael Ford third quarter run. LSU was kept out of the end zone all day, with all their points coming from Josh Jasper field goals.

Arkansas 38, Oklahoma St. 34
Ryan Mallet threw two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to lead Arkansas over Oklahoma St. Arkansas led 24-17 at halftime, but Oklahoma St. scored two unanswered touchdowns and a field goal to stake a 34-24 lead. The pass to Arkansas's Jarius Wright brought them within 3 and the pass to Austin Tucker gave the Razorbacks the victory.

Oklahoma 27, Texas A&M 26
Cameron Kenney caught a 22 yd. pass from Landry Jones with 11 seconds left to come back and beat Texas A&M. That was one of three touchdown passes by Landry Jones, who threw for 338 yards and no interceptions.

Auburn 45, Notre Dame 23
Notre Dame started the game by posting 10 points in the first 10 minutes, but couldn't contain Auburn as the Tigers followed up with five unanswered touchdowns. Notre Dame was hindered by their quarterback play, with Tommy Rees throwing 4 interceptions and Nate Montana adding one as well.

Michigan St. 24, Ohio St. 23
Due to the Big 10's schedule, these two top ranked teams did not get a chance to meet during the regular season. So they met in the post-season, in a game that wasn't decided until the final few minutes. That's when Dan Conroy kicked a 48 yd field goal to give Michigan St. the victory. Ohio St. had started strong, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game. But Le'Veon Bell was able to score two touchdowns in the second half to get Michigan St. back in the game.

Alabama 48, Miami (OH) 9
Greg McElroy led Alabama in their route of MAC champion Miami by throwing for 286 yards and 4 touchdowns, 3 of them in the first quarter. Mark Ingram contributed 158 yards and a touchdown.

Wisconsin 22, Mississippi St. 7
John Clay led the Badgers with 100 yards and two touchdowns, as Wisconsin ground a win against Mississippi St. Wisconsin only had three plays over 20 yards, but they controlled the ball for 36:47, not giving the Bulldogs any chance to get started. Mississippi St. finished with only 240 yards of total offense.

Florida International 20, Virginia Tech 9
Florida International came out swinging, posting a 17-0 halftime lead. The Panther defense was able to stifle Virginia Tech's attack, not allowing any of Virginia Tech's rushers to get over 50 yards and holding Tyrod Taylor to 176 yards throwing. The Sun Belt champions will stay in Florida for their next game in Tampa against West Virginia.

West Virginia 30, South Carolina 13
West Virginia took advantage of a big second quarter, scoring 17 points to stake a 24-7 halftime lead. Noel Devine led the Mountaineer rushing attack with 215 yards and a touchdown.

Florida St. 24, Connecticut 10
While Connecticut may be more accustomed to the snow than Florida St., it was the Seminoles who took the win on Saturday. Beau Reliford exploded for 116 yards, most of which came on a 87 yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Jordan Todman ran for 152 yards and a touchdown for the Huskies.

Maryland 50, Central Florida 7
Maryland completely dominated the UCF Knights on Saturday scoring 41 of their points in the first half. Danny O'Brien threw for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Da'Rel Scott added 125 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Overall, a pretty exciting weekend of football. There were two big upsets in the west with Arizona beating Oregon and Hawaii beating Boise St. Florida International had the most likely upset with their win over Virginia Tech. Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Michigan St. advanced on game winning plays in the final minutes. Check out the updated bracket here. 2011 kicks off in a great way with the 16 remaining teams looking to advance. What do you think of last week's results, and who do you think will win next week?

Playoff results, round 1

Arizona 52, Tulsa 17
Arizona lit up the scoreboard in their first round win over Tulsa. QB Nick Foles was the player of the game with over 400 yds passing and 6 touchdowns.

Texas Tech 38, Baylor 24
Texas Tech jumped out to a 14 point lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back. Taylor Potts threw for over 300 yds and Detron Lewis ran for over 100 in the Red Raiders' win over Big 12 rival Baylor.

Notre Dame 25, Northern Illinois 14
David Ruffer kicked 4 field goals as Notre Dame beat Northern Illinois to advance to the next round.

Florida International 29, Navy 13
The Sun Belt champions proved they belonged in the playoffs by winning their first round game against Navy. While Navy's defense didn't give up many big plays, Jack Griffin was able to lead the Golden Panthers to victory with 5 field goals.

The updated bracket can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/chadscollegefootballplayoffs/

Comment below and let everyone know who you think would be the winners in the next round. To be honest, I'm more excited about these imaginary playoffs then I am about the real bowl games.

College Football Playoffs, Round 1

If I was in charge of College Football, this weekend would be the first weekend of the playoffs. You can check out the entire bracket I've created in this spreadsheet. This weekend is really just a play-in round, with the 8th and 9th seeds of each region trying to qualify for the real action which would start next weekend. The games for this weekend would include:

Hawaii Bowl
Tulsa vs. Arizona

Armed Forces Bowl
Texas Tech vs. Baylor

BBVA Compass Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois

Military Bowl
Navy vs. Florida International

The winners of these games would have a difficult road ahead, with upcoming match ups with the #1 seeds. But at least they'd get to play another week.

TCU to join the Big East

ESPN story link

It's really not that big of surprise. There had been some rumors recently. TCU needs to be in a BCS conference in order to avoid all the discussions at the end of the year about whether or not they're worthy for a BCS bid. I don't think they want to join the Big 12 because they would have to compete with the other Texas schools for recruits. By joining the Big East, they differentiate themselves from other Texas schools and also gain exposure to the eastern markets. The SEC already has 12 teams, and it's competitive enough already. The Big East needs TCU to be a football marque. With the poor showing their football programs have put on the field this year, they need someone who's going to bring some credibility to the conference, and if Notre Dame won't join as a football member then TCU is a good choice.

I think it's just a matter of time before BYU and Boise St. find BCS conferences to offer them. BYU didn't do well this year, but they're generally a very competitive team. Boise St.'s move to the MWC is an improvement in the competition level, but it still doesn't solve the problem of not being in a BCS conference. I wouldn't be surprised if the Big 12 offered either of those schools or Notre Dame to join to fill the gap left by Nebraska and Colorado. The North and South divisions could be recreated and I bet the Big 12 would find a way to let Notre Dame and/or BYU keep their special TV contracts.

Breaking down the conference races

Here are the different scenarios for who could win or play for each conference championship.

ACC
For the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech is in the championship.
For the Atlantic Division, NC State is in if they beat Maryland, otherwise, it's Florida St.

Big 12
For the North Division, Nebraska is in the championship if they beat Colorado, or if Missouri loses to Kansas. If Nebraska loses and Missouri wins, then Missouri will represent the North.
For the South Division, Oklahoma St. is in if they beat Oklahoma. If Oklahoma wins, then it's a three way tie between OU, OSU, and Texas A&M, assuming A&M beats Texas. Since OU would have beaten OSU, and OSU beat A&M, and A&M beat OU, the tie-breaker goes to the BCS standings, unless two teams are adjacent to each other in the BCS standings. The most likely result is that OU would be the highest ranked, unless A&M gathers a huge number of votes after beating Texas. If A&M is immediately after or higher than OU, then A&M would represent the South.

Big East
Most Big East teams still have two conference games remaining, and because the race is so tight there are lots of different scenarios. Pittsburgh is in the driver's seat, so if they win out, they win the championship. If Pitt loses, then UConn takes over the driver's seat since they have beaten Pitt and West Virginia. West Virginia would need to win out and have Connecticut lose one of their last two games.

Big 10
Three teams are tied for first, and since they did not all play each other, it goes to the BCS standings. Barring radical changes in the voting, and assuming they all win out, Wisconsin goes to the Rose Bowl. If Wisconsin loses then it's Ohio State. If Wisconsin and Ohio St. lose, then it's Michigan State.

Conference USA
For the Eastern division, Central Florida will play in the championship if they beat Memphis. If they lose and Southern Miss. and ECU win, it becomes a three way tie in the East. Central Florida beat ECU, ECU beat Southern Miss., and Southern Miss. beat Central Florida, so the tie breaker goes to the record within the division. Since ECU has the better record within the division (4-1), that means ECU goes to the championship if UCF loses and ECU wins. If UCF and ECU lose, then S. Miss. goes if they win. If all three lose, then it's still UCF.

The Western division is slightly less confusing. If S. Methodist beats ECU, then they will go to the championship game. If S. Methodist loses and Tulsa beats S. Mississippi, then Tulsa goes to the championship. If they both lose, it's S. Methodist.

MAC
In the East, if Ohio beats Kent St., then Ohio plays for the MAC championship. If Ohio loses, Miami will represent the East.

In the West, Northern Illinois has secured their spot in the championship game.

Mountain West
TCU has won the Mountain West Conference. Even if the lose to New Mexico, they're still the champions based on their earlier victory over Utah.

Pac-10
Oregon is in the driver's seat, and can even afford to lose one game. Stanford's only hope of claiming the championship is if Oregon loses their last two games and Stanford beats Oregon St.

SEC
The SEC championship has been set, and it will be South Carolina vs. Auburn. That doesn't mean this week's games are meaningless though, with South Carolina playing in-state rival Clemson and Auburn playing arch-rival Alabama.

Sun Belt
Florida International is in the lead for the Sun Belt championship, and can even afford to lose one of their two remaining games. If they lose two and Troy wins two however, then Troy will be the champion. If Troy loses either of their last two games, then Florida International will be the champion.

WAC
Boise St. will take the WAC championship if they win their remaining two games. However if they stumble, that opens the possibility for Hawaii or Nevada to win the championship. If Boise St. loses their last two games and Hawaii beats New Mexico St., then Hawaii is the champion. If Boise St. loses to Nevada and Hawaii loses to New Mexico St., then Nevada will be the champion if they go on to beat La. Tech.

Lego Games

Recently Lego has branched out into a new area, games. I like games. I try to get my family to play games, and I'm only sometimes successful. But if you add Legos, who can refuse?

We have played several of these games and enjoyed all of them. The first one we tried was the Lava Dragon game. My older son had fun putting it together, and once it was ready we gathered around to play. The game was very easy to learn, and my 5 year old had no trouble following the rules. It seems a simple race to the top, but there is a very interesting mechanic in this game in that the die you use change during the course of the game. Every time it's rolled, a colored tile is added so that the next time that side is rolled, the action is different. This makes it very interesting and exciting to see how the die is changing during the course of the game.

The next one we tried was Magikus. So far, this seems to be the simplest of the games. The kit includes some neat figures, so there's fun to be had even when you're not playing the game. In this game, the players simply collect the ingredients for a magic stew. This is definitely more fun with more players. With only two players it really is just the luck of the roll that decides who wins.

The last one that we've tried is Ramses Pyramid. This also is a race to the top game, but it does have some twists, physically that is. On certain die rolls the player actually twists the different levels of the pyramid, and this can change the path that a player has to take to the top. This game has proven to be the most popular so far, with everyone in the family getting involved. This kit also includes some really neat pieces like mummies and scorpions that are fun outside of the game.

What's great about these games is that just like normal Legos, you can modify and create your own games with these sets. Optional rules are included in each of them, and you're encouraged to make up your own. Even my 5 year old has made up different ways to play Ramses Pyramid, changing the way you win and changing what the symbols on the dice mean. Now when we play he asks, "Do you want to play the normal way or my way?" I do have to remind him that he's not allowed to change the rules in the middle of the game, but overall it has really encouraged the kids to be creative.

My older son actually went to a birthday party where they played several of these games as part of the party. They can generally be done in 30 minutes to an hour, with additional players making the games longer. There are several others that look fun, including a recently released Harry Potter game. Here are the others that are out right now:

Books for my 9 year old boy

My 9 year old is an avid reader. Sure he likes video games and tv too, but he spends most of his time reading. He's also a very advanced reader for his age, which presents a problem. The books that are at his reading level contain content that he is not quite mature enough for. So we've been struggling to find books that are appropriate but still challenging enough to hold his interest.

He's been interested in Harry Potter since the video game came out, so he wanted to read this. My wife and I were a bit hesitant at first, so I did some research online and my wife read the first one before we let him get started. So after reading the first four, in general I would say that they are appropriate for his age, with a few caveats. Obviously, they involve magic and wizards and witches. So if that's a problem for you, avoid these. I would point out that the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia also include many of these story elements, but no one seems to have a problem with that. In the fourth book, a few minor curse words are mentioned (the d word, that also relates to obstructing water:), and my wife tells me this is the case with the fifth book as well. As Harry gets older, there are some subtle hints of his feelings for one of the girls in the school, but it's very subtle and probably went right over my 9 year old's head. I'm not sure how much more there is later. But because of these two issues, I can only wholeheartedly recommend the first three books.

My wife also read "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan, and she deemed it acceptable. My son has gone onto to complete that series as well as the first book in a new series by Rick Riordan, "The Red Pyramid". I'm currently reading "The Red Pyramid", and while there aren't any elements that are horrible, it does have a stronger element of early, awkward teen romance, and several inappropriate uses of "God". These books are based on mythology, so obviously those references are fake, but "God" is often used as an exclamation when things go wrong or when the character is angry, which obviously isn't the way I want the word used.

Being a Star Wars fan, I've also read many of the Star Wars books for kids, and there is really nothing objectionable in them. There are several series. I've read the Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, Boba Fett, and Last of the Jedi series, and I would let my son read any of those. Combined, that's about 45 books, so that should keep him busy for a while. The first one, which he's already read, is "The Rising Force".

But knowing how quickly my son reads, I know that it's only a matter of time before he finishes those. I looked into other series I'd heard or seen, such as the Warriors, Artemis Fowl, or Daniel X, but had issues with those. I then decided to check out christianbook.com to see what they had, and was pleasantly surprised to find many series that I think my son, and maybe even myself, would enjoy. The links below don't take you to christianbook.com, but this way you can see the covers along with the names of many of the series I've found. All of these are the first in a series, and I haven't read them so I can't personally vouch for them, but based on the reviews I've read on the christianbook.com website. I'd be comfortable with my son reading them. Just the fact that christianbook.com lists them assures me that they most likely do not contain content that I would object to.

Safelite Auto Glass Repair

It started raining here a few days ago for the first time in over a month, and that's when we noticed the leak in the roof of our SUV. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the windshield was actually sliding down the front of the cabin. There was about an inch gap between the top of the window and the weather stripping on the SUV.

I've never had to have this kind of work done, and with more rain forecast, repairing it couldn't wait. I heard an ad for Safelite on the radio on my way to work, so I called them that afternoon and they recommended I come to their shop. They told me on the phone that if they could just repair it, it would only cost about $150. But if they had to replace the glass, it would be significantly more.

I arrived at the shop the next morning prepared for the worst. I really didn't want to spend a lot, because the truck is rather old and there are other repairs that need to be made to it. The spacious waiting area was very nice and clean, and included a muted TV and a few toys for the children. The people who worked there were very friendly, and I was relieved to find out that even if the glass had to be replaced, it would only be about $20 more than their $150 quote. They explained that whoever installed the glass (Huffines Ford of Lewisville) had not primed the glue, so it dried out and that is why the windshield was coming off. They also said the work could be finished in 45 minutes. Relaxed, I settled myself in for the wait.

In addition to coffee, a gentleman also brought in warm donuts and kolaches for the customers who were waiting. I was also offered a soft drink or water. There was a crisp newspaper available for reading. It was all very comfortable and nice. I was also pleased to notice the free wifi connection when I started my laptop.

About 45 minutes the technician came back and informed me that my truck was ready. The windshield was cleaned and even the floorboards of the front seat had been vacuumed. They even gave me a free can of window cleaner.

Overall, I was absolutely amazed by the service and friendliness of this staff. If I ever need and auto glass work done again, this is the only place I will call. If you're ever in need of this type of work, be sure to call the Safelite shop in Plano, and they will take good care of you.

Lego Video Games

This is a bundled review, covering several Lego video games all at once. Our family has all of these games, but some are on the PC, some on the Wii, and some on the DS. To summarize, these games are fun. They're fun for my kids, they're fun for me, they're fun for everybody.



There's something about Legos that just makes them cute, so it's hard not to like them. But these are especially cute because of the cut films and actions that are included in these games. Many of these cut films are laugh out loud hilarious, and at the end of each level you are rewarded with a new one.

All of the games have the same mechanics. It's one or two player, and you work cooperatively to get through several side scrolling levels. Along the way you collect studs and try to find pieces of mini-kits. Once you complete a mini-kit, you get bonus studs. These studs can be traded in for more playable characters, weapons, or comical features like mustaches. Once a level is complete, you can replay it with any character you've unlocked. Often, certain areas of the level are only accesible this way, so you need to replay the same level at least a few times in order to find anything. But don't worry, searching around for things and finding new stuff on a previously completed level is part of the fun! You do not lose lives when your Lego character is hit. You simply lose a bunch of studs and then re-generate, so you can continue to play until you finish the level.

One great feature of all these games is the drop-in/drop-out functionality. I don't understand why every game in the world doesn't include this. Basically, a second player can drop in anytime, even in the middle of a level, to help out the first player. And if someone has to go answer the phone or set the table for dinner, that person can drop out while the other player continues.

Some of the games also include some customization features, where you can create your own Lego characters instead of just using the ones that come with the game. This makes for some interesting combinations.

These games are rated E-10+, but I have no problem letting my younger kids play these. There is some very mild violence, punching and shooting, but since all the characters are Legos, they simply fall apart without any blood or gore.

I wholeheartedly recommend all these games, and I encourage you to play them with your kids. You will have fun.

In addition, there are two more coming soon. Another Star Wars themed game coming in October


and a Harry Potter game coming next week!

Stratego

I like games.  I dropped several large hints that for Father's Day, I wanted to get one of the many games listed on my wishlist.  So I was excited to open up this gift:


I know this game has been around forever. I played it when I was a kid, and you probably did too. I was suprised at how much fun it was to play this again though. I haven't even finished the game I started with my son last night, but I enjoyed getting started. I'd like to advance into more complicated games, but this game is a great beginning strategy game.

I also really like the wooden box. It is very solid, and fits better on a bookshelf than than the normal flat box in which games are packaged. The pieces are plastic, and the print on them is somewhat difficult to read, but it may have been the light. The set does come with some neat plastic trays for the pieces. I'm not sure if these are meant just for shipping or for long term storage, but I'm going to be using them for long term storage because they seem so useful. The board is rather thick and appears to be very durable.

So if you are interested in rekindling some childhood memories and getting your child to use their brain a bit, I recommend this game, and specifically this packaging. Usually my son gets very distracted playing board games, but he sat still almost the entire time we were playing last night.