Love Letter to the Community
Aug 20, 9:00 am
Well I am now 9 months pregnant and my kiddo’s launch date is fast approaching. I have really enjoyed being pregnant and I’m not in a hurry for this baby to be born, mostly because he is really easy to take care of right where he is. On the other hand, I cant wait to see and meet this little one who has been wiggling around in my tummy for months.
Some of you may or may not know that for the last 3 and a half months I have been by myself. Rigney has been in Pittsburgh and Florida filming the movie I Am Number Four. Normally I go with him and get a job on set but because I’m pregnant I was not able to go. There were benefits to staying home. I was able to go to E3 and Comic Con as well as a number of other fun LA events that I wouldn’t want to have missed. But to tell you the truth, being pregnant all by yourself sucks!
It has not been easy in fact I found it extremely challenging both physically and emotionally. One of the things that has helped me get through this pregnancy and these last months has been the overwhelming love and support from this community. You all have no idea how much you have blessed me. I am so grateful and thankful for all of you.
As I look around my house I am reminded of how awesome our community is. I am surrounded by all the cards and gifts a lot of you sent us. Your generosity and thoughtfulness means more to me than you will ever know. Rigney comes home in a few days and I can’t wait to show him everything and share with him all you have done for us.
I have been in full nesting mode lately. I have every thing set up and we are totally ready for the baby to come. I’m in the home stretch; he could spawn any day now.
Recently a few of my really close friends threw me a beautiful baby shower. At the shower we had set up a game to guess the due date. Everyone at the shower who brought a gift was able to pick a day in order to win a grand prize. I thought I would extend this game to those of you in the community who sent cards and gifts to us. And to those of you who participated in the badass online baby shower Gypsyfly threw for me on TinyChat. You all have earned your spot in eligibility for the grand prize as well.
Now I have not forgotten about the rest of you, I have a separate calendar for your guesses. While the prize may not be so grand I will have something cool for the winner if you guess correctly. It’s free to guess, so give it your best shot. Here is how the game will go.
Pick your Calendar
Baby Shower Participant’s
Free to Guess Calendar
(I will add the two calendar’s to the thread attached to this blog. That way I can update them with everyone’s picks)
Pick a day
Make sure you note AM or PM and I will add your name and pick to your respective calendar. You can pick two days if you want.
Here are some baby facts that may help you in your pick.
My due date is Sept. 3rd
I’m 37-weeks but the baby is the size of a 38-week baby.
He already weighs a little over 7 lbs
I have not experienced any pre-labor or false labor pains.
Rigney doesn’t get home until Sunday August 22, so the baby isn’t allowed to come before that.
Aug 20, 9:00 am
Well I am now 9 months pregnant and my kiddo’s launch date is fast approaching. I have really enjoyed being pregnant and I’m not in a hurry for this baby to be born, mostly because he is really easy to take care of right where he is. On the other hand, I cant wait to see and meet this little one who has been wiggling around in my tummy for months.
Some of you may or may not know that for the last 3 and a half months I have been by myself. Rigney has been in Pittsburgh and Florida filming the movie I Am Number Four. Normally I go with him and get a job on set but because I’m pregnant I was not able to go. There were benefits to staying home. I was able to go to E3 and Comic Con as well as a number of other fun LA events that I wouldn’t want to have missed. But to tell you the truth, being pregnant all by yourself sucks!
It has not been easy in fact I found it extremely challenging both physically and emotionally. One of the things that has helped me get through this pregnancy and these last months has been the overwhelming love and support from this community. You all have no idea how much you have blessed me. I am so grateful and thankful for all of you.
As I look around my house I am reminded of how awesome our community is. I am surrounded by all the cards and gifts a lot of you sent us. Your generosity and thoughtfulness means more to me than you will ever know. Rigney comes home in a few days and I can’t wait to show him everything and share with him all you have done for us.
I have been in full nesting mode lately. I have every thing set up and we are totally ready for the baby to come. I’m in the home stretch; he could spawn any day now.
Recently a few of my really close friends threw me a beautiful baby shower. At the shower we had set up a game to guess the due date. Everyone at the shower who brought a gift was able to pick a day in order to win a grand prize. I thought I would extend this game to those of you in the community who sent cards and gifts to us. And to those of you who participated in the badass online baby shower Gypsyfly threw for me on TinyChat. You all have earned your spot in eligibility for the grand prize as well.
Now I have not forgotten about the rest of you, I have a separate calendar for your guesses. While the prize may not be so grand I will have something cool for the winner if you guess correctly. It’s free to guess, so give it your best shot. Here is how the game will go.
Pick your Calendar
Baby Shower Participant’s
Free to Guess Calendar
(I will add the two calendar’s to the thread attached to this blog. That way I can update them with everyone’s picks)
Pick a day
Make sure you note AM or PM and I will add your name and pick to your respective calendar. You can pick two days if you want.
Here are some baby facts that may help you in your pick.
My due date is Sept. 3rd
I’m 37-weeks but the baby is the size of a 38-week baby.
He already weighs a little over 7 lbs
I have not experienced any pre-labor or false labor pains.
Rigney doesn’t get home until Sunday August 22, so the baby isn’t allowed to come before that.
Frag Dolls at Comic Con
Jul 16, 8:00 am
Jul 16, 8:00 am
It’s that time of year again y’all!! Comic Con is upon us. Next week people from all over will gather together in San Diego to celebrate their fandom in the world of comic books, super heros, movies, television and of course, video games. Like always the Frag Dolls will be there, here is a look at our schedule and some of the cool things we have going on.
A Name By Any Other Name
Jul 09, 9:00 am
I have been thinking a lot about names lately. In less than 2 months I will be bringing someone into this world and giving him a name he will have to live with for the rest of his life. Picking a really good one for someone you have never met is hard.
This has got me thinking about all the different types of names we have. Names we’re born with, names we give our self, screen names, nicknames, gamer tags and names we marry into.
Some names are cooler than others. People put a lot of thought and creativity into choosing a name. Then there are those that let others choose for them, weather it be a nickname they embrace, a family name that is passed down or an auto gamertag generated by their xbox but most names have some sort of meaning behind them. What is it about names that make the good ones, good ones?
With gamertags it’s easy to tell a good one from a bad one. Some people have zero creativity or maybe it’s just they don’t care. I love seeing really clever gamertags. Occasionally I’ll come across a really brilliant gamertag, I always have room on my friends list for them.
We just added two new girls to our Frag Doll roster. I love the names they have chosen for themselves. It was cool seeing them going through that process. It was only a year ago I was searching for my own name, adding another persona to the list of names I currently go by.
I love all of my names, Anne-Marie, Spectra, emericanbabe and GIJoesGrlfriend. These names represent different facets of my life, some I have chosen and some I was given.
Some people pick such great gamertags or screen names for themselves that it’s hard to call them by their real names. It’s like their given name doesn’t fit as well as the name they gave themselves.
Why is it that you can give yourself a gamertag but you can’t really give yourself a nickname? People who try to give themselves nicknames always come off looking like total lame-o’s.
Some people grow up not liking the name they were given. They either change it when they get older or they come to terms with it. I know I will eventually find the right name for my son. I can’t guarantee he will like it. I can only hope that when he meets people and he tells them his name that he feels empowered by our choice.
Jul 09, 9:00 am
I have been thinking a lot about names lately. In less than 2 months I will be bringing someone into this world and giving him a name he will have to live with for the rest of his life. Picking a really good one for someone you have never met is hard.
This has got me thinking about all the different types of names we have. Names we’re born with, names we give our self, screen names, nicknames, gamer tags and names we marry into.
Some names are cooler than others. People put a lot of thought and creativity into choosing a name. Then there are those that let others choose for them, weather it be a nickname they embrace, a family name that is passed down or an auto gamertag generated by their xbox but most names have some sort of meaning behind them. What is it about names that make the good ones, good ones?
With gamertags it’s easy to tell a good one from a bad one. Some people have zero creativity or maybe it’s just they don’t care. I love seeing really clever gamertags. Occasionally I’ll come across a really brilliant gamertag, I always have room on my friends list for them.
We just added two new girls to our Frag Doll roster. I love the names they have chosen for themselves. It was cool seeing them going through that process. It was only a year ago I was searching for my own name, adding another persona to the list of names I currently go by.
I love all of my names, Anne-Marie, Spectra, emericanbabe and GIJoesGrlfriend. These names represent different facets of my life, some I have chosen and some I was given.
Some people pick such great gamertags or screen names for themselves that it’s hard to call them by their real names. It’s like their given name doesn’t fit as well as the name they gave themselves.
Why is it that you can give yourself a gamertag but you can’t really give yourself a nickname? People who try to give themselves nicknames always come off looking like total lame-o’s.
Some people grow up not liking the name they were given. They either change it when they get older or they come to terms with it. I know I will eventually find the right name for my son. I can’t guarantee he will like it. I can only hope that when he meets people and he tells them his name that he feels empowered by our choice.
Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Naughty Psycho
Jul 02, 10:00 am
Genre: Action Arcade
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: Artificial Mind & Movement
Publisher: 505 Games
# of Players: 1 player, 4 online
ESRB Rating: T-Teen
Release Date: In stores now!
I have been waiting for this game for a long time. It was one of the games I was hoping to check out at E3 but thought I would never have the time to find. Because like most games at E3 this year it was shown by appointment only and behind closed doors. But lucky for me, I had a friend with access to the area where it was being shown. He was kind enough to get me in to see this game where I was able to chat briefly with lead designer Ashley Pannell as he ran me through the demo.
In the Demo, Chubby (one of the other bears) is running an election to be Mayor of the Island. His main election manifesto is that he will kill and remove Naughty from the Island. All the other bears think this is a great idea and Naughty obviously gets really upset about it and has to go out and deal with them.
Naughty Bear isn’t your everyday action game it’s full of demented teddy bear’s engaged in ruthless scuffles where the naughtier you are the greater the reward. It’s sadistic and I love it!
The main character Naughty Bear is a misunderstood character. He lives on an island surrounded by cute and cuddly bears. At first glance this place looks like a wholesome teddy bear picnic where everything appears to be nice and friendly. But you will soon discover that this is not the case. Naughty has to kill or be killed. This game is about being as naughty as you can. The other bears on the map are running completely unscripted AI, which means anything can happen and you’re never going to have the same bear coming at you the same way.
There are over 250 different ways to be naughty and being naughty will build score multipliers. It is really up to the player to go out and discover new ways to be naughty to keep your multipliers as high as you can.
There are 28 levels to work through, each opening up a new arsenal of terrifying items and ways for you to inflict your naughtiness and rip or scare the stuffing out of your fluffy victims. The game offers a range of different multiplayer modes where you can see how your naughtiness levels stack up against others. There are also a number of hidden party items and bear uniforms throughout the game to find and collect.
I am looking forward to exploring my naughty side. I cant wait to scare the stuffing out of some little bears and see what kind of evil deeds I can inflict upon the cute and cuddly inhabitants of the Island of Perfection.
Jul 02, 10:00 am
Genre: Action Arcade
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: Artificial Mind & Movement
Publisher: 505 Games
# of Players: 1 player, 4 online
ESRB Rating: T-Teen
Release Date: In stores now!
Naughty Bear is an action video game featuring a unique blend of comic mischief and shamefully bad behavior. Gamers will become Naughty Bear, a grisly psychopath slicing a path of manipulation and terror across a cartoon world of otherwise blissful teddy bears on the Island of Perfection. The other bears have gotten away with blaming Naughty Bear for everything that has gone wrong on the island - until now. Naughty is hell bent on manipulating and terrorizing every bear that crosses his path. When Naughty Bear gets his revenge on all things cute and fluffy, the happy, bear-filled Island of Perfection will never be the same.
I have been waiting for this game for a long time. It was one of the games I was hoping to check out at E3 but thought I would never have the time to find. Because like most games at E3 this year it was shown by appointment only and behind closed doors. But lucky for me, I had a friend with access to the area where it was being shown. He was kind enough to get me in to see this game where I was able to chat briefly with lead designer Ashley Pannell as he ran me through the demo.
In the Demo, Chubby (one of the other bears) is running an election to be Mayor of the Island. His main election manifesto is that he will kill and remove Naughty from the Island. All the other bears think this is a great idea and Naughty obviously gets really upset about it and has to go out and deal with them.
Naughty Bear isn’t your everyday action game it’s full of demented teddy bear’s engaged in ruthless scuffles where the naughtier you are the greater the reward. It’s sadistic and I love it!
The main character Naughty Bear is a misunderstood character. He lives on an island surrounded by cute and cuddly bears. At first glance this place looks like a wholesome teddy bear picnic where everything appears to be nice and friendly. But you will soon discover that this is not the case. Naughty has to kill or be killed. This game is about being as naughty as you can. The other bears on the map are running completely unscripted AI, which means anything can happen and you’re never going to have the same bear coming at you the same way.
There are over 250 different ways to be naughty and being naughty will build score multipliers. It is really up to the player to go out and discover new ways to be naughty to keep your multipliers as high as you can.
There are 28 levels to work through, each opening up a new arsenal of terrifying items and ways for you to inflict your naughtiness and rip or scare the stuffing out of your fluffy victims. The game offers a range of different multiplayer modes where you can see how your naughtiness levels stack up against others. There are also a number of hidden party items and bear uniforms throughout the game to find and collect.
I am looking forward to exploring my naughty side. I cant wait to scare the stuffing out of some little bears and see what kind of evil deeds I can inflict upon the cute and cuddly inhabitants of the Island of Perfection.
Driver is Back!
Jun 17, 4:48 am
One of the hottest games here at E3 is Ubisoft’s Driver: San Francisco. I have been looking forward to this game since I got a sneak peak at it a few weeks ago at a prior event. I have been counting the days until I would be able to play it again, here at E3. Well, I’ve finally had the opportunity to take this game for a spin and let me tell you, Driver is BACK and it’s better then ever!
The game is being developed by Ubisoft Reflections, under the direction of Martin Edmondson. As the founder of Ubisoft Reflections, Martin is once again behind the wheel of the franchise he helped develop. (He oversaw the first 3 Driver games)
It has been great spending all day with Martin and his creative team, playing with them and picking their brains about this new game. Here is what I’ve learned.
The game has returned to its roots and this time around, it’s all about the driving. The story picks up after the events of Driv3r. You are put right into the fast paced action as John Tanner (veteran policeman and expert driver). Along with his partner Tobias Jones, you are on a manhunt to track down Tanner’s arch nemesis, Jericho. The game is set entirely in San Francisco and the intense Hollywood-style car chases will have you driving over 200 miles of open road through this iconic city.
Not only does this game pay tribute to beautiful San Francisco, but to some of Hollywood’s most memorable cars. This will be the first Driver game to have over 100 licensed vehicles that are fully destructible.
The most intriguing aspect of this game is an innovative dynamic element they’ve introduced called SHIFT. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in any other driving game and it is wicked cool.
* SHIFT is the ability to leave the car you are currently driving and see above all the cars on the street, allowing you to pick any other vehicle around you to seamlessly and instantaneously SHIFT into and drive.
* There are different levels or upgrades for your ability to SHIFT. When you leave your car your POV will give you a view of the surrounding streets. Upgrade to the next level of SHIFT and you’ll be given a view of the city blocks, SHIFT to the next level and you can see the city in it’s entirety. Each view gives you options of drivable cars, playable characters, and even missions to SHIFT into.
* It is not an unlimited resource but something you have to earn. Most of the missions are designed with SHIFT in mind.
* You can use SHIFT as a way to implement tactical strategies to take down other cars around you. If you wreck one car you can SHIFT to the next. If you are falling behind, you can SHIFT to a vehicle closer to the action, change directions or SHIFT to a different part of the city.
How does this ability fit into the story? Well, something happens to John Tanner that gives him the ability to SHIFT. The source of Tanner’s ability is nothing super natural but grounded in reality. Although, he doesn’t know or understand what is happening (and is a little freaked out by it) but you, as the player will know and understand what is going on.
Will the game offer Multiplayer? YES!!! Driver: San Francisco will most definitely have multiplayer with a number of different game modes. Can you imagine racing down the streets of San Francisco with your friends all using SHIFT to cause wrecks and jumping from one car to the next? It’s going to be so much fun, I can’t wait.
One of the multiplayer modes we are showing, here at E3, is called Trailblazer. It’s where everyone is chasing a lead car. This car leaves a small trail of light behind it. Each player is trying to catch up to that car, get behind it and stay in that trail of light it’s tail lights are making. When you are in this light, you score points. The first person to 100 points wins.
Release Date:
Fall 2010
Driver will be available on:
Xbox 360
PS3
PC and Mac
Jun 17, 4:48 am
One of the hottest games here at E3 is Ubisoft’s Driver: San Francisco. I have been looking forward to this game since I got a sneak peak at it a few weeks ago at a prior event. I have been counting the days until I would be able to play it again, here at E3. Well, I’ve finally had the opportunity to take this game for a spin and let me tell you, Driver is BACK and it’s better then ever!
The game is being developed by Ubisoft Reflections, under the direction of Martin Edmondson. As the founder of Ubisoft Reflections, Martin is once again behind the wheel of the franchise he helped develop. (He oversaw the first 3 Driver games)
It has been great spending all day with Martin and his creative team, playing with them and picking their brains about this new game. Here is what I’ve learned.
The game has returned to its roots and this time around, it’s all about the driving. The story picks up after the events of Driv3r. You are put right into the fast paced action as John Tanner (veteran policeman and expert driver). Along with his partner Tobias Jones, you are on a manhunt to track down Tanner’s arch nemesis, Jericho. The game is set entirely in San Francisco and the intense Hollywood-style car chases will have you driving over 200 miles of open road through this iconic city.
Not only does this game pay tribute to beautiful San Francisco, but to some of Hollywood’s most memorable cars. This will be the first Driver game to have over 100 licensed vehicles that are fully destructible.
The most intriguing aspect of this game is an innovative dynamic element they’ve introduced called SHIFT. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in any other driving game and it is wicked cool.
* SHIFT is the ability to leave the car you are currently driving and see above all the cars on the street, allowing you to pick any other vehicle around you to seamlessly and instantaneously SHIFT into and drive.
* There are different levels or upgrades for your ability to SHIFT. When you leave your car your POV will give you a view of the surrounding streets. Upgrade to the next level of SHIFT and you’ll be given a view of the city blocks, SHIFT to the next level and you can see the city in it’s entirety. Each view gives you options of drivable cars, playable characters, and even missions to SHIFT into.
* It is not an unlimited resource but something you have to earn. Most of the missions are designed with SHIFT in mind.
* You can use SHIFT as a way to implement tactical strategies to take down other cars around you. If you wreck one car you can SHIFT to the next. If you are falling behind, you can SHIFT to a vehicle closer to the action, change directions or SHIFT to a different part of the city.
How does this ability fit into the story? Well, something happens to John Tanner that gives him the ability to SHIFT. The source of Tanner’s ability is nothing super natural but grounded in reality. Although, he doesn’t know or understand what is happening (and is a little freaked out by it) but you, as the player will know and understand what is going on.
Will the game offer Multiplayer? YES!!! Driver: San Francisco will most definitely have multiplayer with a number of different game modes. Can you imagine racing down the streets of San Francisco with your friends all using SHIFT to cause wrecks and jumping from one car to the next? It’s going to be so much fun, I can’t wait.
One of the multiplayer modes we are showing, here at E3, is called Trailblazer. It’s where everyone is chasing a lead car. This car leaves a small trail of light behind it. Each player is trying to catch up to that car, get behind it and stay in that trail of light it’s tail lights are making. When you are in this light, you score points. The first person to 100 points wins.
With everyone fighting to stay right behind that lead car, (which is a lot harder then it sounds) it makes for some very dynamic online game play. People are wrecking and shifting from one car to the next to stay as close to the action as possible. It gets crazy!
Here are a few of the other things that impress me with this game. The vehicle handling, each car handles differently and the driving feels so smooth. Then there are the graphics, the game runs at 60 FPS and it makes a huge difference. Even though I am looking at an early build, I am blown away by how amazing everything looks.
As far as driving games go I have one or two favorites but I am really picky. There hasn’t been a driving game that has really excited me like this in a long time. I am really looking forward to spending time behind the wheel on the streets of San Francisco. Catch me if you can!
Release Date:
Fall 2010
Driver will be available on:
Xbox 360
PS3
PC and Mac
