Sony Playstation Unveils PS Vita at E3

Tonight kicks off the Oscars of the video game industry, E3, the Electonic Entertainment Expo. I was fortunate to attend the Sony Playstation Press Conference where they unveiled their latest games and gaming products. The show included an appearance by L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant who was on-hand to demonstrate the new motion sensor product while playing himself in the new 2K NBA basketball game. The star of the show was the brand's next generation portable device called PlayStation Vita which will go on sale this holiday season at $249 with Wi Fi or $299 for 3G Wifi. This device is amazing - touch screen playing, rear touch pad, front and rear cameras and analog mini "joysticks."

Now, I like games, but since having my son, we haven't had time to play anything. And, although I like graphics and design, I do not prefer shooter games since having my child. However, what makes this conference so amazing is the glimpse it provides into next generation technology. For example, more than two-thirds of the new video games were presented in 3D. Sony even launched a new 3D display at the press event. They also talked about how easily you can move from your PS Vita portable to your Play Station console, literally showing game continuation that was as simple as turning on a TV screen. The future of the well-connected home is here, and as usual, the gaming world is leading the charge.

Pasadena Police Provide Quite a Show

When I heard there would be an open house at the Pasadena Police Heliport, I assumed it would be like any other affair. Parked police cars, a helicopter, etc. Boy was I wrong. The Pasadena Police Airborne unit put on quite a show - in fact, it was an experience. Sure they had about % helicopters parked for viewing, but they also had police cars, police motorcycles, swat mobiles and their K9 unit. They also were barbecuing hot dogs free to the public. But the really amazing part of the day was the dramatized swat team reenactment. Two cop cars and a swat team of about 12 reenacted a typical felony traffic stop. Yes, the reenactment included the swat team telling two men in a car in front of them to put their hands out the window and give up. They, of course did not, so the swat team through a fake bomb-type thing. The driver of the car emerged from the car, but began to shoot back (fake bullets that appeared to be nerf-like). The swat team fired a few as well, then took the man into custody. At that time a helicopter pulled into the field and out popped the k9 unit! The dog ran behind the police cars and arrived just in time! The second criminal opened the car door and tried to run, but the police k9 unit caught him and brought him down. It was the most exciting reenactment I've ever seen and the most fascinating police open house that I've ever been to. What an amazing day. Pasadena Police, sign me up for more open houses in the future!

I miss the old El Cholo

My family's favorite Pasadena restaurant, El Cholo, moved from it's old location on Raymond to the El Paseo shopping center and I'm afraid that something was lost in the move - the chef. My family loves El Cholo, but we've been to the new restaurant and the food is just not the same. The guacamole and margaritas are still delicious as are their basic combos - the one taco, one enchilada types. But my wife loves their enchilada suizas. She's tried it twice in the new place and found the chicken is rubbery and the sauce resembles something closer to a frozen alfredo sauce you buy in the grocery store - not the creamy flavorful sauce of the past. This is just one example. I've tried other plates like carnitas and they don't taste the same either - as if they are using less quality meats. We're not sure what happened, but we're hoping they'll find their way back to the deliciousness of before!!

Lots of Fun to be had in Pasadena this weekend!

Hi everyone,

Wanted to hop online to share a couple cool things that are happening in Pasadena today and this week:

The 102nd Annual Dog Show sponsored by the Kennel Club of Pasadena, Sunday, June 5, 2010, at Brookside Park in Pasadena. There are 150 different breeds competing including several new breeds approved for admission to AKC this year. Take little ones and pet lovers - they'll love it!

Saturday, June 4 - the Pasadena Police Air Operations division are having an open house from 11-2. Complete with snacks and helicopters, SWAT and k9 demonstrations! Location is at the Benedict Heliport - 2175 Yucca Lane, Altadena 91001. Call 626-744-4606 with questions.

Okay, so after all of that activity, I bet you'll be hungry! Well, this week Old Pasadena is celebrating Old Pasadena Restaurant Week. More than 20 of Old Pasadena's finest restaurants have joined together to offer you several delicious options for three-course lunch and dinner menus at one great fixed price and the good news is that 10% of event proceeds will benefit Union Station Homeless Services, celebrating 37 years of helping those in need. Click here for information on participating restaurants - I bet your favorite is included.

Have a great weekend!

World's Greatest TV Dad

I think the dad of today has evolved over the years. The dads of the good old days ran the house while the wife stayed at home and took care of the kids, cooked, etc. Mom's and Dad's have come a long way. Today, you have stay at home dads and families where both parents work and split the duties down the middle.

I'd like to say that I'm a modern dad and try to do a little bit of everything. Spend some time with my son, do some cooking, and relax when I have the time. I think a great dad is a dad that can do it all. Run a household, change a diaper, cook a meal and do what needs to be done to run a tight ship. Certainly, we have all had some influencers in our lives, from real dads to the ones on TV.

We have all grown up watching TV sitcoms and relating to some shows and laughing at others. But when it comes to Dad's on tv, there certainly are some ones not to forget. It's great, because there is a contest right now to decide who The World's Greatest Dad is. Man of the House.Com is having this contest and it is great!

It is in bracket format like the NCAA tournament and it pairs up two dads from tv and people vote on the winner. There are some old favorite dad's from The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prarie, Family Ties, Eight is Enough and more. There even some recent dads like Homer Simpson, and the dads from: Friday Night Lights, Modern Family, and Castle.

Who will win? I have made my first round of picks and am looking forward to see who will advance in this tournament. Make your vote count!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Go Karts!

Last weekend we took my 4 year old son to go bowling. We went to a new place and there happened to be a Go Kart place next door, so we walked in to see what they had to offer. It was your typical place that had mini golf and go karts, etc. We were going to turn around and go bowling, but we saw the dual seat go karts and my son was interested.

I opened my big mouth and asked him if he wanted to ride it, not thinking that he was too small or anything. At first, he wasn't sure. It was really loud and he thought it would be cool, but didn't know what to expect. Then after a conversation with my wife about safety, I decided to tell him that he was too small and that we would do it when he was older. The exact moment that I told him he could NOT do it, was when he said that he wanted to do it! Of course, when you tell a kid he can't do it, he wants to try it. Amazing. At that point, my wife said, well we have to do it now!

So, we did the go karts, I drove with him riding shot gun and my wife followed in a single behind us. At first he covered his ears and held on tight, but after the first lap, he was hootin' and hollerin' and wanted more! After the race, he wanted to do it again and I could see the adrenaline junkie wanted more.

We went again yesterday and he loved it. It was really cool to show him something new like that and see him go through the different emotions. I think my timid son might be breaking out of his shell and he may become a speed demon, with me behind the wheel of course.

The Green Lantern!

When I was a kid, I loved super hero's. Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, The Green Lantern. Yes, the Green Lantern was a cool one, especially if you like the color green. I can't wait to see the movie coming out, and to no surprise, Mattel has come out with some very cool toys!

I gave this one to my 4 year old boy and he said, "Papa, he has a big hand." Amazing how observant 4 year olds are. Funny how he started pounding things with it. I think it was the barbaric caveman in him coming out.

I must say, that my favorite Green Lantern toy was this disc shooter. I had to demo it for my boy to show him how it worked. At first he was a little unsure due to the flashing colors and sounds. But after I loaded it and started shooting things in his room down with the discs he had to have it! He pointed it at me and wanted to fire, but luckily I told him to only aim at his toys.
We spent at least an hour playing with this toy, taking turns knocking down targets and shooting things down. A very good boy thing to do. If he was a bit older, I would get two of these and have a shoot out. We would have to do it on the sly so my wife wouldn't find out though. Good times!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel and received Green Lantern toys to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.