The Shaker of Salt

~ A pinch of this and a dash of that ~

DESTINY 2 Game Announcement And Game Trailer

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I just received Some exciting news I wanted to pass on to my gaming friends:

“Bungie and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), announced Destiny 2, the sequel to the internationally acclaimed Destiny, a first-person action game that takes the player on an epic journey to defend humanity from annihilation.

The official Destiny 2 reveal trailer, “Rally the Troops,” debuted a character-driven glimpse at Destiny 2’s story today. Additionally, the first hands-on gameplay reveal livestream will be broadcast around the world on May 18. The broadcast will showcase a variety of fun, action-oriented activities within Destiny 2, and will highlight the brand-new, epic adventure waiting for players. With a fresh start for all players right from the opening cinematic, Destiny 2 will expand across the globe with a worldwide release on September 8. Destiny 2 will be available on PlayStation®4 systems with additional, timed exclusive* content, Xbox One(PlayStation®Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription, respectively, required for significant features), and for the first time inDestiny’s history, a new platform to enjoy this universe will be offered. Destiny 2 is coming to PC!

Destiny 2

In Destiny 2, the last safe city on Earth has fallen and lays in ruins, occupied by a powerful new enemy and his elite army, the Red Legion. Every player creates their own character called a “Guardian,” humanity’s chosen protectors. As a Guardian in Destiny 2, players must master new abilities and weapons to reunite the city’s forces, stand together and fight back to reclaim their home. The official Destiny 2 reveal trailer, “Rally the Troops,” shows two of the Vanguard, leaders of the Guardians, inspiring the people of the last city in an impassioned (and occasionally sarcastic) call to arms. In Destiny 2 players will answer this call, embarking on a fresh story filled with new destinations around our solar system to explore, and an expansive amount of activities to discover. There is something for almost every type of gamer in Destiny 2, including gameplay for solo, cooperative and competitive players set within a vast, evolving and exciting universe.

 

Destiny 2 is currently Rating Pending (RP) by the ESRB and will be available at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The product line-up will also feature the Destiny 2 – Game + Expansion Pass Bundle at $89.99 SRP, the Destiny 2 – Digital Deluxe Edition featuring premium digital content at $99.99 SRP, the Limited Edition at $99.99 SRP, and the Collector’s Edition, featuring a fully-wearable Destiny 2 – Frontier Bag, Expansion Pass, premium digital content and a Cabal-themed Collector’s Box for $249.99 SRP.

 

For more game information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels on Facebook and @DestinyTheGame on Instagram and Twitter. The community can interact directly with the developers atwww.Bungie.net, Facebook, @Bungie on Twitter, and www.Twitch.tv/Bungie on Twitch.

 

About Bungie

Bungie is an independent, employee-owned game development studio dedicated to creating hopeful worlds that inspire passionate player communities. For more than two-and-a-half decades that purpose has led to the creation of some of the industry’s most celebrated gaming franchises, including Marathon, Myth, Halo, and Destiny. Today, Bungie is focused on developing the next highly-anticipated release in the Destiny universe, Destiny 2.

 

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company.  More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

Awesome Gifts For Kids & Adults Alike

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There is no better feeling than watching the kids play with a present they love. That is until they never stop playing with it and it starts to drive you insane! Even as a parent it’s hard to tolerate the toys that kids play with nowadays because they are so annoying. Thankfully, there is a solution. Yes, thank your lucky stars because you can buy kid’s gifts that don’t send you up the wall. In fact, you might even enjoy them with any luck. Here are the best toys for kids and adults.

Computer Console

Kids love playing computer games, so much so that it disturbs plenty of parents. But, there is nothing wrong with a computer console as long as they use it in moderation. After all, wouldn’t you have liked to spend your childhood pretending to be a sports star or an officer of the law? Of course you would because every little boy or girl enjoys a virtual experience. Before you splash out, you should make sure you have everything from top computer monitors for gaming to a Wifi connection. If you have any questions, Google has the answers. At least, the geeks that create the gaming forums do!

Toy Drone

Nope, drones aren’t only for the military. In 2017, it’s easy enough to get your hands on a toy drone that is military standard. And, as long as you and the kids don’t spy on the neighbors, you’ll have fun. After all, there is something about a toy drone that makes life enjoyable. Maybe it’s the feeling of being a pilot, or the novelty of operating a drone. Whatever the reason, you and kids won’t be able to stop playing from morning until night. For the best experience, take them to the park where there is lots of free space and they can show off to the other kids.


Drone make Awesome gifts

Source

 

3Doodler Pen

Kids love to doodle and so do adults, but doodles are usually only on paper. To bring them to life, you have to be an artist, a painter or a sculptor, don’t you? No, not with the 3Doodler because it’s 3D printing pen that creates real life doodles. All you have to do is press the button on the side and construct whatever you want. Kids can’t get enough for obvious reasons, but adults will succumb to the novelty, too. And, when you’ve had enough, the kids can play with it without making a sound. Ah, bliss!

Water Gun

Who doesn’t enjoy a good water fight? People with zero sense of humor, that’s who! On a sunny day, there is no better way to spend the day than to have a mega water war with the kids. Water fights involve the entire community, so they are inclusive, plus they are non-combative. Let’s face it – no one will get hurt in a water fight. And, for all the parents out there, you get to act like a kid again.

Sometimes, there is nothing better than being a child for a day.

 

New Teaser Trailer For Disney·Pixar’s COCO

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Disney·Pixar’s COCO

Disney•Pixar’s COCO opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017

This new trailer was released for Disney•Pixar’s COCO.  As I have mentioned before we are huge fans of the Disney•Pixar movies, and we can’t wait to see this one.

“Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”)”

Check out the Trailer:

DIY Harry Potter Party Invitations Step By Step Guide

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Harry Potter Party Invitations

I recently found myself in need of Harry Potter Invitations. My grandson is a huge Harry Potter fan. When he told us he wanted that as the theme for his 10th Birthday Party we went all out. Though I saw many invitations online, I decided to make my own. I wanted to make them look as much as the Hogwarts acceptance letter as I could.

Harry Potter Invitations Step 1 Letterhead:

The first step was finding the Hogwarts emblem. This was easy all I had to do was was a search on Google and shrink it to desired size.

Next I used the font 4 Privet Drive for the letterhead. Under the Hogwarts emblem I wrote: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with size 14. Next line: HEADMASTER ALBUS DUMBLEDORE size 8. Next Line: ORDER OF MERLIN, FIRST CLASS. GRAND SORC., CHF. WARLOCK,
SUPREME MUGWUMP ,INTERNATIONAL. CONFED. OF WIZARDS size 8.

End result of the letterhead:

Harry Potter invitation Letterhead

Harry Potter Invitations Step 2 Letter body:

For the body of the letter I used the font  Magik size 18. I wrote

Dear
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
We will be having a special pre-term Birthday celebration
in honor of our newest (Age) year old Headboy,
(Name).
Please Join us on (Date).
at (Address).
If you must contact by muggle phone dial (Name & Phone)
or muggle email (Email).
Wizard’s and Witch’s work robes and hats are optional.
Yours Sincerely,

End result of the letter body:

Harry Potter In

Harry Potter Invitations Step 3 The signature :

This step is easy. Just add Minerva McGonagall in the Dear Mr. Potter font size 26. Next line write Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore, D.Wiz, X.j.(sorc.), S,of Mag.Q.  in Garamond size 11.

End result of the Signature:

Aging Paper:

After printing them I used a paper towel that had been dipped in a mixture of coffee grounds and water. Set them in an oven set at 250 degrees for 5 minutes. You can use a lighter and scorch the edges of the paper if you choose. We then rolled them and tied them with a ribbon to look like a scroll.

The finished product

Google Chromecast From Best Buy

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Google ChromecastMusic plays a big part of our daily lives in this house. That’s why I was excited to find a new device that makes listening to our favorite tunes even more fun. The Google Chromecast Audio from Best Buy makes it easy to stream not only your favorite music, but, Sports, Movies and Tv Shows.

Google Chromecast

Set Up

Set up was easy.  It took less then 5 minutes. All you do is plug the power and audio cable in to Chromecast Audio. Plug the Chromecast into the speaker and plug the power cord into the wall. So easy the kiddos hooked it up. Pair it with your electronic device and you’re ready to stream though WiFi. The connection is much clearer and reliable then your bluetooth connection. This also makes the sound quality much better.

Do you like to entertain? If so this is perfect.  Set it to guest mode and your guests can send their playlists through it. This means no more hurrying to download the tunes your friends enjoy.

Now you can easily send synchronous music to every room in your house. Simply group Chromecast Audio devices together so you can listen to the same song on multiple speakers.

GOOGLE CHROMECAST AUDIO

Entertainment at your fingertips

“Select from more than 200,000 shows and movies, more than 30,000,000 songs and radio stations, sports and games with thousands of apps to choose from, including Netflix, HBO GO and Hulu Plus”

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Beauty And The Beast: The Final Trailer

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I was excited to see Disney’s new Beauty And The Beast movie, and then I saw the final trailer and became even more excited. I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

“Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.”

If your as excited about the movie as I am you can follow along though it’s social media site:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyBeautyAndTheBeast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneystudios

Instagram: https://instagram.com/disneystudios

Beauty And The Beast will be released March 17th, 17

Why I March: Women Of India

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#IWillGoOut Women’s March in India                                                         Photo courtesy of Durga Bhamidipati

Women Of India

Imagine needing to go to the store, but being fearful that you will be harassed, or worse, on your way. Imagine not being able to sit outside to enjoy the evening because of your sex. Women of India have dealt with this for some time. India has been long known for the unfair treatment of women. Throughout history females have been considered a burden. Girls are often either aborted or killed. The ones who survive face discrimination, violence and prejudice. Nearly four out of five women in India have faced public harassment ranging from staring, insults and wolf-whistling to being followed, groped or even raped, said a survey by the charity ActionAid UK.

In the past few years women are speaking out. They are standing up for their rights. On January, 21st some of these brave women, and some men, took to the streets in solidarity and protest. The #IWillGoOut started in response to a “mass molestation” in Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve. Though there were over 1500 police the men there outnumbered them. Women were molested and groped. Karnataka Home Minister claims it happened because Indian women ‘copy westerners in mindset and dress’.

Though the #IWillGoOut march took place on the 21st, and wasn’t part of the massive global Women’s March, both had the common goal of standing up for women’s rights.

Why I March

As mentioned previously  I will be sharing stories from the women who marched and why they did. I read a post from Durga Bhamidipati of India and felt I needed to reach out to her and see why she chose to march. This was her response:

“It’s a shame that we have to fight for simple things which are rightfully ours. Just be ourselves, be human beings. Not judged by what we wear, where we go, what we do. In this day and age everything is advancing at a breakneck speed but women’s condition seem to get stuck in 14th century. We hope our children and their children don’t need fight this kind of fights. It’s all about simple survival. We are in much better position than many other women. We were able to come onto the roads. Let’s say we are doing for the other women who can’t help themselves.”

She then shared with me these words from two other marchers:

Mridula Das wanted to say, ‘To voice my dissent. To show solidarity. This public space is equally everyone’s. Then be it women, men, children, or transgender…. everybody’s fundamental right to freedom and safety’

Another marcher, Natasha Ramarathnam:  “When you are out on the streets, alone, you feel unsafe, exposed. You may be going about some totally legitimate business, but after a certain time, you feel almost furtive about being out. Simple pleasures like taking a walk after dark in an unknown city to soak in the atmosphere are denied you. That needs to change. Because it’s not healthy to lock half of humankind away. By extension, even in the workplace, you are put on the defensive. Even male subordinates have physically invaded my space when they want to make a point. That’s what we marched for ‘

I want to thank these brave women for sharing their stories with me.

Women’s March: Why I March

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The Women’s March

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you have heard about the Women’s March. What started as a grassroots movement, ended up with 408 marches in the U.S. and 168 in 81 other countries. When I first started thinking about writing about the march, I began looking around to see what friends and family were saying. I saw great things posted from those who marched, about how empowered they felt, and what an amazing experience it was. I also saw many people stating that they didn’t understand the march, after all don’t women in this country know how lucky they are?

Why did women march?

This got me thinking. There were marches in other countries, if we are so fortunate here, why were other countries standing behind us? Didn’t they see how much better we, as women in America, have it then they do? As I thought about this I realized that maybe it is the fact that American women are more fortunate when it comes to rights that gives women in other countries hope, as they dream to someday have the freedom that we do have.

As long as we are fighting to move forward, there is hope for them to also. Every step back is more than just a step back for us, it is a step back for women everywhere. Every great step that we have taken forward in this county has stated because someone stood up and said I am not going to take this. This is why I have decided to talk to some of those who marched, not just in this country, but, some of the brave women who marched around the world. I want them to share in their own words the reasons they decided to march. If you marched and want to share why you did please tell me in the comments below.

 

MOANA Sing-Along Version In Theaters January 27

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Moana Sing-Along

If you’re as much of a fan of the Disney’s animated hit film Moana as we are your going to love this. The movie will return to movie theaters nationwide as MOANA Sing-Along version on January 27th 2017.  This version will be the full length fill with on-screen lyrics. Therefore making singing along to the songs perfectly acceptable.

From the press release:

““Moana” audiences were swept away by the film’s original songs and score from a dynamic team that includes Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”), Mark Mancina (“Tarzan,” Broadway’s “The Lion King”) and Opetaia Foa‘i (founder and lead singer of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka).

The sing-along version of “Moana” includes the full feature film with on-screen lyrics, so audiences can belt out the words to their favorite songs, such as the Golden Globe®-nominated “How Far I’ll Go.” Moviegoers can check local listings for showtimes and theaters; the sing-along run will vary by location.

Audiences can soon enjoy the original theatrical version of the film at home and packed with a variety of bonus extras when “Moana” arrives on Digital HD/3D and Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) on Feb. 21, and on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital SD, DVD and On-Demand on March 7.”

Peanuts StoryGIF app by Zoobe: Express Yourself

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Peanuts StoryGIF

Peanuts StoryGIF app

As a Peanuts fan, I am so excited to tell you about the Peanuts StoryGIF app by Zoobe.  My family loves the Peanut, as you can see in the picture of my nephew. This is why I was so excited to discover this new app.

The lunch of the new Peanuts StoryGIF app for iOS and Android is a joint effort with Zoobe Message Entertainment and the peanuts. Released in Dec, this app allows users to share their love of Peanuts with socially shareable text-ready animations featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus and more loveable characters from the iconic 66 year old property.  

 

“Fans can choose from over 100 snarky-sweet Chuck & Friends images to create customizable, short movie messages for friends and family.  The Zoobe Peanuts StoryGIF works both from the home screen and inside the new iOS10 Messages app.” 

“The Peanuts brand is a classic, with adorable characters and storylines,” said Naz Amarchi-Cuevas, CEO Zoobe.  “We know that fans are choosing to communicate via snack-sized text messaging, and pairing this experience with a top brand such as Peanuts allows us to entertain and delight.”

Peanuts, Peanuts Winter and Peanuts New Years StoryGIF-packs just launched, Zoobe plans to add additional celebration-themed content for key times.  The Zoobe Peanuts StoryGIF app is available for both  iOS and Android for $.99.  You can find the info HERE.

 

Additional Information:                                                             

Homepage: http://www.zoobe.com/                                          

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zoobe   

About Zoobe:
Zoobe is the leading character voice-messaging app that works for both iOS and Android. It enables 3D animated characters to perform their user’s voice messages and then creates easy-to-share video clips. Zoobe’s StoryGIF Apps are snack-size, socially shareable, text-ready animations featuring today’s most iconic characters.
PEANUTS Worldwide
The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a joint venture owned 80% by Iconix Brand Group, Inc. and 20% by members of the Charles M. Schulz family.