The First Kid On My Block....

Aside from a little thing called Wondercon, and news about silly things like movies or TV, there was something more important happening at the Apple store in San Francisco...



Way back in the 40's you'd expect this crowd to get the latest shipment of nylons. Now, it's the iPad, Apple's newest invention that will change computers forever. From the early reviews, they may be right. It's a big iTouch, but imagine surfing the net, typing, and everything you can do with an iPhone with this iPad. It's even got a non-speaking part on Modern Family, for crying out loud.
While I am tempted, I'll stick with my laptop, and see if the Windows-verse has anything similar I hear Hewlett-Packard will pretty soon, and it will include what the iPad doesn't have, like an USB port, a webcam, and a less silly name.

Still, the iPad is the Breakthrough of the Hour...until iPad 2 has what it doesn't have now. or now, this man has the most famous new toy in the world, and the first to get it that day.



He says he can't wait to get it home and try it. At least for now, Christmas came in April for Apple fans. For more demanding computer nerds, it may come when Windows has its own version, with the webcam and USB ports.

Wondercon: Never Been To A Protest Before

Just after I arrived at Wondercon this past weekend, I saw this guy...



I had heard of these guys. They think one of the most famous video game developers is hiding somewhere and Encom, the company he made, won't look for him. In fact, Alan Bradley, who knows more about the bottom line than being online, has been living on Flynn's success. He's supposed to be at a press conference at the Embarcadero near the Hyatt Regency.

Then, this started to circulate...



A protest meeting at the Hyatt Regency, instead of some abandoned complex? Well, I'll tag along.
Actually, this was part of a secret pan to tell the world about Flynn, and how he can be saved from the evil Encom...or worse.
However, anyone who knows more about the plot of Tron Legacy says it's a bit trickier than that. In fact, Bradley's announcement that Space Paranoids will be going online just like XBox Live means gaming is about to take a whole new dimension....by affecting ours.

So, here's some of the pictures before the event started...





Bradley himself, who looks a lot like Bruce Boxlietner...



The announcement of Space Paranoids online...



Then...things take a sudden turn...



The protest group, Flynn Lives, takes the stage, saying Encom should spend its money on finding him, while his son is doing just that. Both will have a big surprise in store...



And to paraphrase Billy Bragg, Join the struggle while you may, the next revolution is just a website away...



That was followed by someone jumping out of a company helicopter, which I didn't get a good picture of. He landed, and there's word it could have been Flynn's son. Again, everyone is unaware where Flynn really is..but his son will find out--and how.
The "protesters" got some cool swag for their trouble, and may get more. Those who have registered with Flynnlives.com have recorded the fact there were at the protest, and plan to do more things for Flynn. After all, July in San Diego is perfect protest weather.
As for me, I applied for a fake Encom pass. Who knows when it may come in handy.
The footage of the press conference, of course, will be part of the movie. I probably won't since I had a Warner Brothers bag with me. Can't have that in a Disney movie.

Will Sacramento Ever Host NCAA Basketball Again?

Last September, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said on his blog that Arco Arena was no longer considered an ideal place to hold NCAA basketball regional playoffs. Compared to some of the newer NBA arena that are hosting such games, this may have been inevitable. The city is finally getting closer to building a new arena near downtown, which is bound to bring the NCAA back.

That being said, it's too bad the NCAA women's basketball regionals didn't attract more of a crowd, considered they'll be the last playoff games that will be played at Arco for some time. After all, Stanford's there, and that should have brought in more fans. However, look at this....



Only the lower sections were available, while the men's games three years before sold out all of the seats. Sure, for 20 bucks you get a fantastic view of the action that you'd never get if you were watching the Kings play. I just think the whole arena should have sold out. Heck, when the arena hosted the NCAA women's volleyball final, that sold out.
Still Arco is a basic, generic arena back when you could do well with such buildings. Now, it's all about the luxury suites, bells, whistles, sports bars and such. They're about as important to an arena as a floor. You should see the concession stands around and inside AT&T Park, or stand outside Staples Center. That proves my point.
So, Arco Arena II not only has to have more seats and luxury boxes, but a mall, too. The important thing, of course, is that it gets built, period. The unspeakable phrase, "Las Vegas Kings", isn't heard much these days. Once ground is broken next year, hopefully, it never will be heard again. However, we will hear from college basketball fans from out of town...a lot.

Now, here's some of my faves...



This was not shown on TV, because there were many signs anyway. This teaches me to think fan signs can cover the stands as much as in the WWE. Sorry, Knights of Good.



You know, those shirts should be plugging a horror movie. According to Georgia's basketball team, it was...namely them getting clobbered by Stanford



I can't recall Stanford's band playing the National Anthem anywhere. That's why I called this the "ultimate in bi-partisanship".



One of the few good action shots I got.



Knitting during a basketball game? Baseball, sure, but....Well, they were waiting for the second game, Xavier vs. Gonzaga



Maybe we should fear the Tree, but it should be in an ESPN ad



I doubt she is taking my picture

I hardly ever come to Arco because I don't usually have a reason. I just hope if we do get a new arena near the rail yards, I'll have a reason

The Battle For Comic-Con's Future

Well, the fight to house Comic-Con has reached "Keep the Colts in Baltimore" levels.
Facebook is already in the fight thanks to two new pages: one who wants the event to move to Anaheim in 2013, and one who wants the place to stay. There is another that has less fans but the only difference is that it has no exclamation point. I guess that proves the importance of a catchy title in your Facebook page.

So far, the Anaheim page has more people making clear arguments for a move. They claim it's bigger, close to Disneyland, and there are more hotel rooms that won't rip your wallet to shreds. I've never been there, although I will soon. The best thing about San Diego is that there are a lot of places to go and eat in between panels. There's also a CVS and a Ralph's. It was great for me when I first went to Comic-Con, but not when it's getting so crowded.
Those who favor keeping Comic-Con in San Diego rely on tradition. It's been around for 40 years. It's more iconic that the Padres, but not as much as the Chargers. Besides, there's light rail. Anaheim doesn't have that.

I see this as a city hoping to attract a sports franchise who isn't happy with its stadium anymore. I've seen this before with the Raiders going to Los Angeles for a few years, the Colts leaving Baltimore, the Rams leaving L-A, and the Kings leaving Kansas City for Sacramento. Currently, Comic-Con has had to rely on a new hotel for some of its events. Hall H isn't enough anymore, and...well...waiting for panels that attract a modest following is becoming too much like waiting in line at Disneyland for anything.

San Diego officials are aware of the problem. They have asked nearby hotels to add more available space while they try to get the center expanded...and that may be easier said that done. They know Comic-Con means Ewoks, Zombies, Slayers and such in bars and restaurants..and that also means money. They want Comic-Con to stay in San Diego.
But, as Walter O'Malley decided Ebbets Field was just too small and antiquated for his Dodgers more than 50 years ago, Comic-Con officials may look at the San Diego Convention Center the same way. Besides, while San Diego may try to expand its facilities, just moving will get that extra space immediately. Thus, we may have to practice saying Anaheim Comic-Con in 2013.

Personally, I think moving to the Los Angeles Convention Center would be a perfect compromise. It's also big, and you can use the subway, which is better than you think, to get there. It also widens the number of convenient hotel spaces a lot...and who wouldn't like to use the Nokia Theater as the new Hall H? Maybe by 2013they can also add a few fast food places, too.

We may know for sure just after Wondercon ends next week. At least the Moscone Center in San Francisco is still big enough for that event.

It's More Than Training A Dragon In 3-D

I'm a sucker for free movie passes, even movies in 3-D and Imax.
That's why I decided to skip the second half of St. Mary's vs. Villanova and take in a preview of How To Train Your Dragon at the local Imax in Sacramento. All I knew about it is that it involves a bunch of Vikings who had their own version of the Olympics. At least, that's what they did during the Olympics coverage.

Actually, it's an adaptation of a kid's book, with some changes to make it more epic and prone to 3-D wonder. It's why the ads include one critic saying some of the 3-D imagery is just like Avatar.
The story is about Hiccup, a young boy who's also the disappointing son of a Viking chief. The tribe has been battling dragons for centuries because they steal livestock and burn their homes. They're very familiar with the types of dragons, but not about the mysterious Nightfury, who's fast and deadly.
Somehow Hiccup brings a Nightfury down, and looks for him the next day. He's supposed to kill the dragon to prove himself. He's also surprised to learn the Nightfuly can't fly because its tail has been injured. Hiccup decides making a friend out of this dragon is a better idea. This is what makes the movie something special. Also, Toothless, the Nightfury, is actually kind of cute.

Hiccup undergoes training in dragon killing with the local teens, including Astrid (who serves as the romantic interest). The tribe becomes interested in Hiccup after he finds ways to fight dragons without a weapon. Astrid is interested, too, but mostly out of jealousy. She soon learns the truth about Hiccup and Toothless...and even why the dragons have been attacking the village for so long. Let's just say they have a bigger problem than the Vikings do.

The voice talent is pretty good, especially Gerard Butler as Stoick, Huccup's dad, and Craig Ferguson as Gobber. Other notables include America Ferrera, Kristen Wiig, Johan Hill and McLovin himself, Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Animation is getting even more attention thanks to 3-D. While Up is still the gold standard in 3-D animation, we will get stiff competition from Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me this summer. How To Train Your Dragon is a good effort, especially with the Hiccup/Toothless angle. It's not enough to make podcast king Adam Carolla like dragon movies, which he never has, but I'd like to see what he thinks of this movie when he takes his kids to see it...and he's bound to do that.