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http://geekbabyclothes.com/top-activity-cubes-toddler-activity-centers-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-activity-cubes-toddler-activity-centers-more

Activate your child’s motor skills with our list of the best activity cubes, toddler activity centers, busy boards, and more!

How many of you remember playing with a bead maze activity cube at the doctor’s office? It seemed those delightful toys were a waiting room staple of every pediatrician or dentist I had the “pleasure” to visit. There’s just something so satisfying about pushing wooden beads along a twisting wire rollercoaster. All this time, I thought activity cubes were nothing more than toys, but it turns out they offer so much more, especially for babies and toddlers!

See, activity cubes, activity centers, and busy boards are great ways to develop your little one’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as well as improve critical thinking and teach cause and effect. Certainly, there are many kinds of activity cubes on the market, so we did the work and found the ones that struck the right balance between cost and features. For the most part, our goal was to stick with non-electronics, but we couldn’t help ourselves and also threw in a few items that require batteries. We’re all geeks here at GeekBaby, after all.

It’s crucial to develop your child’s fine motor skills, but just as important are their gross motor skills, and swings are proven to strengthen a child’s balance and coordination. So, for the perfect compliment to an activity cube, check out our list of the best baby/toddler swings indoors or out!

All right then, let’s do this. Read on for fifteen cute, cool, geeky activity toys for your baby.

Wooden Activity Cubes

Wooden Activity Centers

Travel Activity Cubes

Busy Boards

Unique Activity Toys

The post Top Activity Cubes, Toddler Activity Centers, & More appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2022/02/12/nfl-championship-game-pick-updates-and-super-bowl-prediction/

Hi everyone! Today I want to discuss about the Championship games from 2 weeks ago! So, let’s get started! I predicted that the Chiefs would beat the Bengals 34-31, but the final score was 27-24 Bengals over the Chiefs in overtime and in a close game. The Chiefs were playing pretty good in the first half as they got up to a 21-3 lead on the Bengals, but in the second half, the Bengals have started to turn it up and started scoring some touchdowns. The Chiefs made some key mistakes such as throwing a key interception to allow the Bengals to score a touchdown on a short field. The game went into overtime tied at 24 and the Chiefs won the coin toss and they elected to receive. The Chiefs however could not go down the field and score a touchdown as Patrick Mahomes threw a crucial interception and that allowed the Bengals to have a chance to win the game. The Bengals kicked a game-winning filed to win the game and they are surprisingly going to the Super Bowl. And what I found out to be interesting is that if the Chiefs scored a touchdown again in overtime like they did against the Bills, then the NFL would have changed the overtime rules. Seems to be kind of funny huh? But yeah, don’t ever sleep on the Bengals.

I predicted that the 49ers would beat the Rams 30-24, but the final score was 20-17 Rams over the 49ers in a close game. These teams were fighting fire with fire pretty much all game long. The Rams were up 7-0 for a moment, but the 49ers answered right back by scoring a touchdown to tie the game at 7 a peace. Later in the second half, the 49ers were starting to pour it on the Rams by scoring a touchdown and kicking the field goal to make them go up 17-7 on the Rams. However, after the 49ers scored their second touchdown, a defensive lineman Aaron Donald was livid and told his defense that he wants to have that Super Bowl ring. And then after that, that changed the game quite a bit because they were able to come back from being down 10 and the Rams kicked a potential game-winning field goal to make them go up 20-17 over the 49ers. But the main difference was that Jimmy Garopollo threw a crucial interception to end the game and the Rams are now in the Super Bowl after knocking the 49ers out at the last second. The Rams may have ended their frustrations against the 49ers as they always been having their number. It is pretty hard to beat your divisional rivalry 3 times in a row.

So typically, I went 0-2 on Championship games which is unfortunate for me because I have been getting some picks correct every time. And now, I am going to talk about the last game of the season, the Super Bowl between the Bengals and the Rams in Los Angles! So, let’s get started, shall we?! So, these teams have not been in the Super Bowl for a long time especially the Bengals. The Bengals have not been to the Super Bowl since 1988 and the Rams have not been to the Super Bowl since 2018 when they lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots. The Bengals have not won the Super Bowl at all in NFL history. The Rams have won the Super Bowl one time when Kurt Warner was with the Rams long time ago. The key to this game I think it is going to be a major factor is the Rams defensive linemen such as Aaron Donald and Von Miller against the Bengals offensive linemen because if the Rams defense keeps making Joe Burrow uncomfortable, then the Rams will win, but if the Bengals shut down those defensive players and protect the quarterback, then the Bengals do have a shot at winning the Super Bowl. But they also have to stop the Rams offense which is explosive. The injury reports will obviously play the factor of the game as well. The Bengals do need to not let wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr get open every time because it will be a long day for them if they keep letting it happen. The Rams will need to play lights out by not messing around like the Chiefs did. But when the Bengals start to get going, they are hard to stop and it reflects on the defense and you saw it against the Chiefs. Even if the Rams do get up on the Bengals, you still should not sleep on the Bengals because they can come out of nowhere. Now the Rams do think that they have a shot against them, but that does not mean that they will beat them. The second half is going to have an awesome performance as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem will come perform to sing and it will be a blast! I can’t wait for the half time show! I think this game should be a very close game. I actually think the Bengals will beat the Rams and be Super Bowl Champions for the first time 25-21. Because I think they just got the best quarterback, good enough defense and they can run the ball which they need to do to slow down the Rams pass rush. Aaron Donald and Von Miller might disappear again as the Bengals offense will eventually find a way to block them. They could have a hard time blocking them, but not too much. Of course these players can move around to find the right spot to disrupt Joe Burrow and bat balls up in the air and picking it off. Joe Burrow can also take the rush pressure much better than Stafford and he can just give it to Jamar Chase who has been a real threat to opponents no matter who tries to cover him and the Rams might have to double team him, but the problem is that other receivers might get open. Joe Burrow has been sacked about 9 times and I don’t even think that he got sacked at all against the Chiefs. You get sacked 9 times and yet you still won it?! That is just remarkable! So, I think this is why I may pick the Bengals to win the Super Bowl.

So, what do you guys think about the Super Bowl predictions?! I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions or concerns down below!

Stay tuned for NFL updates.

The post NFL Championship Game Pick Updates and Super Bowl Prediction! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/first-impressions-of-rogue-command/

When I was growing up, my parents religiously followed the ERSB Rating System such that when I was 12, any game that was Rated T for Teen was completely off table for even a conversation because it was intended for 13+ year olds. Unwilling to wait, I had to write a two-page petition explaining why I should be able to purchase and play Age of Mythology, a game that deeply spoke to me mostly, because I was a preteen nerd and most of all loved mythology. The ability to create an empire inspired by various mythological heroes and monsters was too good to pass up. And as such, Real Time Strategy Games hold a special place in my heart as a byproduct of having to endeavor in such a way to be able to play that one. This meant that when I saw “Roguelike RTS” I knew I had to try it Rouge Command.

You may be wondering how do you combine RTS and Roguelikes, and that answer is by starting with the RTS framework and layering in roguelike elements to spice. Each level starts out with your Engineer placed somewhere in a procedurally generated map. You step up your first refinery, start mining crystals, and then eventually build a small army that you then send to destroy the enemy base. You’re on a timer, so there is an impetus to be efficient with your time and resources. However, with the different action elements with units and buildings having skills that can be activated in real time, there are various slow time toggles that you can adjust so you can make sure you have a full state of the board. After completing the area, you’re offered a variety of rewards ranging from Cards that represent new units and their corresponding structures, upgrades, and the ilk that help prepare your expedition crew for the next area.

Since Rouge Command was still just a demo, the drafting feature wasn’t fully implemented yet, so the first couple runs had similar rhythms but enough previews to be tantalized by what will come later. Furthermore, the pathing commonly associated with roguelikes was completely unavailable, but the familiar branching tree map in the preview definitely gave some classic FTL vibes which I won’t ever be mad about.

The amount of modularity is really neat as one of the available upgrades was “Upon death, unit has a chance to spawn two bomber units” that you were then able to put on the cheap trash Robo-Micro and a different Hack reduced the cost by a third. This meant that amassing a large swarm of this Robo-Micros was enough to overwhelm the enemy settlement, because each time they killed the cheap unit small bombs would proceed to wreck havoc. The endless deluge was enough to progress.

Rouge Command still had some micromanage-y aspects of the game that took a second to get the hang off even with the comprehensive hotkeys, and there weren’t always enough visual indicators that I successfully activated one of my units skills, but the microcosm of the experience was enjoyable. The lo-fi sci-fi aesthetic worked for me, the sound design was very satisfying with all of the beeps, boops, and explosions. And while I didn’t get far enough to leverage some of the more bombastic units or figure out how to wrap the environment entirely in my favor, the mere possibility is intriguing.

Rogue Command is functionally an RTS game with some light roguelike elements, but the framework of a roguelike does allow for some neat moments and decisions that aren’t in other RTSs. While we’ll have to wait until the full game to fully see the concept realized, the demo has promise, and I’ll be circling around once the full release happens.

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The post First Impressions of ‘Rogue Command’ appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/celeste-oconnor-and-ernie-hudson-aint-afraid-of-no-ghosts/

When I signed on to Zoom to speak with Ghostbusters: Afterlife star and OG Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson and costar Celeste O’Connor, Hudson remarked excitedly, “There are Black girl nerds?” I assured him there were a lot of us, and we loved him in the movie. 

We’re living in an age where fandom is no longer defined by one race or gender. Black fans, female fans, and fans of every background are being recognized, and we’re starting to see more diversity in projects that historically excluded us. 

“How I got the role was kind of a funny story,” Celeste O’Connor explained about booking the role of Lucky, a teenager who works at the local diner. Lucky gains the attention of Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and somehow gets corralled into the plan of Phoebe (McKenna Grace) to save the day. “I got the audition and it was just a mysterious Sony film. The role just said, ‘Teen Girl.’ I was in school at the time, and I had an exam I had to study for. I messaged my agents if it was okay to pass on it, and they were like, ‘No, you should really do this!’” O’Connor’s agents were usually fine with the actor turning down a role, especially for school. O’Connor was attending the prestigious Johns Hopkins University pursuing a medical degree. When their agents asked them to drop their studies for this role, they knew this had to be a big deal. 

“I was like…okay!” O’Connor continued. “I came home from the library and sent in the tape and then you know, amazingly, they loved it. I did a couple of rounds of auditions, and then I went to LA to meet Jason [Reitman, the director] and Finn. Then from there, well you know, we made magic happen.” 

I asked Hudson how he got involved with this reboot. 

“I see it more as a continuation,” he explained as we tried to find the best phrase for what the movie was. Was it a reboot? A sequel? “The movie five years ago with the ladies, I think they tried to put it in another universe. It was confusing to the fans because it wasn’t an extension. But this directly connects. One of the grandchildren is from the family of one of the Ghostbusters. I think that made it easier to connect. I was happy with the way Jason Reitman wrote and put it together.”

My first foray into Ghostbusters was the 2016 film starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. I was a little too young when the first movies came out and they scared me, so being older I was able to appreciate the campy nature of the film. While the 2016 version was plagued with criticism, I’m thankful for it because it introduced me to the franchise.  

O’Connor also remembers being scared of the original films when their father brought them home. After getting the part, though, they rewatched the originals and then rewatched them again in May with their friends. Ghostbusters: Afterlife has an interesting cast, full of young ones to watch. O’Connor fits right in as films like Selah and the Spades and the upcoming The In Between have helped them carve a niche as a current young actor on the rise. 

Personally, O’Connor wants to use their platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion. “I love having jobs, but at the same time I think there’s a real need for representation both in front of and behind the camera,” they said. 

Jason Reitman is the son of the original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman. He’s created a story in which the estranged family of Egon Spengler (played by the late, great Harold Ramis) moves back to a small town where they’ve inherited Spengler’s house after he passes. As the family begin to uncover his secrets, they discover there’s much more to his story than just being a deadbeat dad. 

Using revolutionary technology, Reitman was able to recreate scenes using Ramis’ likeness. I asked Hudson how he felt about the tribute. 

“I’ve yet to meet someone who said they either didn’t cry or they didn’t want to cry when the old Ghostbusters show up. The tribute to Harold was emotional, and I think the fans had so much love for him. To see that moment in the movie, it just kind of made things right,” Hudson explained. He was also happy to see that Winston was still treated with respect. 

Hudson went on to say, “Winston has a moment that gives him dimension that I feel was missing from the first films. I was very very happy. I love the new family, but I was also happy they took a moment and said, ‘Let’s acknowledge this,’ because I think it’s what the fans have been wanting.”

Ghostbusters is an iconic piece of American cinema, and it continues to grow and evolve. I asked Hudson what he’d like the next generations of audiences to take away from the film. He answered thoughtfully, “Ghosts are primal. No matter what age, we all have to say goodbye at some point. But I grew up in a house that believed in ghosts, so it was about facing those fears. It’s scary because you have to face it, but there’s something to facing those fears. That’s what it’s really all about. Some horror movies are so outrageous, but [Ghostbusters] is personal. You don’t have to be afraid, you can laugh.” 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is currently available on Blu-ray and VOD.