Star Trek Pez: For the Nerd Who Can't Wait for Into Darkness
Currently, Star Trek: The Next Generation is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the TNG Collectors' Edition Pez set is available at many fine retailers such as Rite-Aid and, potentially, Walgreens. But if you do a little digging, you can still find the Star Trek Pez dispensers for the Original Series. They're a little pricier, since they're out of production, but that's only...logical. Amazon
A Dusty Delorean: For the Nerd Who Knows Everything Was Better Back in the Day
I have the Back to the Future: Part II edition at home, and I can attest that this is a pretty neat tribute to the films. The car itself is about a foot long, with push button-activated lights and sounds, including a teensy flux capacitor inside the cabin that actually fluxes. Or, lights up. This new Back to the Future: Part III edition is fitted with railroad wheels, steampunkish stylings, and a healthy patina of Old West dust.
Entertainment Earth
Cuddle-thulhu: For the Nerd Who Just Needs a Good Hug
Got a case of "the Mondays"? What could cheer you up better than Cthulhu, the Crawling Chaos himself, the Thing that Should Not Be, in cuddly plush hand-puppet form? That's what I thought: nothing. Not even a shipful of Norwegian saliors' souls. Entertainment Earth
The intrepid Dr. Newhouse-Bailey is on a perilous quest to win a Delorean from author Ernest Cline.
I finally broke down and bought Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (I know I should have done it earlier) when it was announced that he hid a code in the text to unlock the first of three gates in a competition for a Delorean (complete with Flux Capacitor). You can read about the contest here or watch the video below.
Pictured, from left to right: Virtual Delorean, Pure Nerd Joy.
With the proper motivation, I made the purchase at my local comic book store and couldn’t have been happier. I was left with a text that pulled on my nostalgic heartstrings with nerdy pop-culture reference after nerdy pop-culture reference. Take those away, you are still left with a gripping tale that all should read. It is a text that once you begin reading, you will be hard-pressed to put it down.
This is not, however, a review of the book. Just buy it already.
The competition is a series of trials to clear three gates (just like the book!). Gunters (book reference) attempt to clear these tasks with the first to complete all three deemed the winner. Ernest took his Delorean to San Diego Comic Con and is currently wrapping up a book tour. You can read all about it at www.ernestcline.com.
Despite its appearance, this gate does not lead to the secret hideout of David Lo Pan. Or does it...?
After reading the book, I went through the text and decoded the first gate. When the first gate opened I was left with a downloadable Atari rom called “The Stacks”. Similar to “Pitfall”, I completed the game and found the Easter Egg that granted access to the second gate.
The second gate was a Sims-style game called “The Ultimate Collector.” It is a Facebook app in which you buy and sell wares from your local mall, garage sales, conventions, etc. There were dozens of quests to achieve including five from Ready Player One that would unlock a virtual Delorean to place at your garage sale.
This game quickly became the bane of my existence as I sorted through bins and bins of stuff searching for the right lunch box, video game and movie poster. I am proud to say I completed the task without spending any of my own money, but it was a chore.
Over 1,000 gunters (read the book already!) cleared the first gate and 290 have been verified for clearing the second gate. The deadline to complete the second gate is midnight on July 31. At that time the third gate will be open and the first to complete it will walk away with their very own Delorean. The way I figure it I have a better than 1:1,000 chance in winning the car. I doubt I will ever have odds this good again. Wish me luck!
