nerd
Like Dinos for Ponies
A few weeks back I made this big stink about writing more frequently and yet since that time I have wound up writing less than ever.
I haven’t cooked anything new.
I’m still in the office a million hours a week.
And now I’ve taken on a second job, albeit a small one at one night a week, as a Quiz Master.
So, I’m writing today, dammit.
I’m trying to find meaning and balance in my life. I say “meaning”, maybe that’s a bit harsh. I am an adult now, which is easy to claim on the basis of age, but much harder to grasp in terms of…everything else. I have no children because they are expensive. Also, they smell, but I could probably get over that. I do not feel settled in my career because when you’re a child there is only the want to be. To be an astronaut, a veterinarian, a doctor, a teacher, a lion wrangler, something definitive, something viewed as great, and you’re blissfully unaware in youth of the lesser positions, such office administration, personal assisting, the horrible world that is retail, etc. You think everything is fair, that you work 8:30am to 5pm, at which point you’re allowed to have a life and holidays off. And for working those hours you earn enough cash to afford said life, a vacation once a year, medical bills, the surprise of a car breaking down. The world has changed, however. And I am cranky for it.
Where am I going with this? I don’t know. Maybe the world hasn’t changed.
Adulthood – Something I’ve sparred with more than once on here. It’s hard to view one’s self as a true adult as I base my idea of an adult on my parents, who I viewed most while a child in the 1980’s. Also, at its core my life is one of learning, of being excited for art, history, the beauty, destruction, and evolution of our past. This blurs the lines of being an adult personally because one is supposed to let go of the loves you have as a child as you grow into maturity. As a child I loved learning, I loved museums. And I will not let go of those.
Speaking of cores, we all have an inner voice within us. If we didn’t we wouldn’t be able to read silently. Boom. Inner voice. As we grow, mature, and learn this inner voices matures with us, is us, defines our rationals and decision making processes. Every once in a while, however, my inner voice isn’t me.
That sounds bizarre and creepy. Scratch that.
What I mean to say is that every once in a while my inner child speaks for my inner voice.
This morning I read an article about a new “Alien Horned” dinosaur discovered in Canada recently. It’s called an “Alien” based on it’s scientific name (Xenoceratops), Xeno of course being latin for Alien. Yeah, no, stop thinking Scientology. I mean, their use of Xenu isn’t exactly wrong, but it’s also not real. Dinosaurs were real (unless of course that offends you, but if it does then you probably wouldn’t be reading my blog).
The point is the new dino didn’t look all that different. He’s instantly recognizable as a close relation to the Triceratops.
Ole’ Xeno himself. (Photo Credit Yahoo News)
So, I see the headline of a new dinosaur discovery and I can’t click fast enough out of childlike wonder and excitement, only for my eyes to rest on a rather familiar-though-slightly-different face. And my inner child’s inner voice takes over and says to me:
“That’s not new. That’s the dinosaur I’d ride like a horse if I lived back then.”
And that’s my first thought on this matter. Not “My, a new relation of a classic. How interesting!”, not “A new discovery! How delightful!”, not “Oh, joy, something new! The World as we know it is astounding!” Nope.
My first thought is that this is boring, because I would ride a triceratops and all of his or her kin like wild ponies of the Cretaceous Period.
WHY is that my first thought looking at poor Xeno Horn over here? First of all, no I wouldn’t have. In the improbable event of finding myself stuck back a few dozens of millions of years ago in the Earth’s beginnings, I would not be saddling up great monsters. Trampled to death? Maybe. Stung by a giant, horrifying insect of yore and left for dead? Most likely. Tour around on a Xenoceratops? Absolutely not. Not only did my inner child hop a ride on a Jules Verne or H.G. Wells premise, but I also came up with the girliest, most childish thought:
Big beast. I ride. He my friend. I call him “Friendy”.
I say “girliest” because though I spent much of my youth working on farms just so I could ride horses, I would have much rather had a dinosaur or pterosaur as a trusty stead; ponies were just practice. This was me at my girliest.
I love history, I respect history, I learn from history. Apparently, however, I will not grow out of my periodic inner child no matter how immature she may forever be.
I don’t think I mind this, though. It’s that childishness that keeps me enthusiastic over the interesting things I love, and I find that joy to be easily contagious to those around me. Maybe it will even make me a good parent, if ever I decide to embark on that experience. I know it certainly made my father a good dad, albeit a pretty corny one.
Crap I Love (and Don’t Need) Right Now: Sustainability, Bitters, & Blaak
I love stuff – it’s the most American thing about me! Here’s what I want right now:
I’m all for local and sustainable, but I’m also all for meat. Ethically, I love leather goods and would hate anything get needlessly disposed of, so I really eat steak to reduce waste. And that’s why I love this reusable, washable, canvas lunch bag: It’s got a of a butcher’s pig diagram. Give more meaning to your ham & swiss sammie while doing something good for the planet!
Available through Etsy store GirlsCanTell
Bitter Old Man! A guaranteed way to literally charm the pants off me is to make fantastic cocktails, and Bitters, Old Mengives everyone a leg up. With flavors like Roasted Macadamia and recipes named things like “Gangsta Lee’n”, Bitters makes every foodie home body the booze connoisseur. I can’t wait to get my hands on some Krangostura, named for the Ninja Turtle antagonist. With hints of clove, mace, molasses, and orange and lemon peels, I’m looking forward to a bit of gin, ice, and maybe – maybe – a splash of club soda and slice of cucumber. Remember: Just a little dab ‘il do ya. Sweet, sweet sip of the close of summer.
Flavors available at BittersOldMen.com
It’s Coming! (What’s coming?) Blaak! (…What?) BLAAK! Beekman 1802, aka the Fabulous Beekman Boys, are the fine purveyors of Blaak, a once yearly cheese coated in ash and aged in a cave for four months. A semi-hard cheese mixed of both sheep’s and cow’s milk, Blaak’s unique, but mild flavor has earned quite the fan base. While I got on the waiting list a couple of weeks ago, it was announced yesterday that the waiting list had reached close to 1000 people, so be sure to get on it quick if you want your own hunk of tangy heaven. At $48 this cheese isn’t cheap, but it comes as an entire 2lb. wheel, so it can easily be shared amongst a couple friends. There’s a number of things on their site that I can’t wait to get my hands on, and I already know their whipped Rosemary honey will be a stocking stuffer for some of my dearest loved ones.
Blaak Cheese and other fine products available at Beekman1802.com
Pop fo’ Yo’ Mutha – Prometheus & Moonrise Kingdom clips + More!
Let’s do this.
* I love the accepted awkwardness that is Zach Gallifianakis. Here he is talking with one of my favorite women in the world, Tina Fey. Open your heart, be one with the Uncomfortable.
*There are never enough Geek periphinalia shops!…Okay, maybe there are, but The Novo Geek strives to make useful geek tools. As they state, “..no mugs with faces on them!” Need a journal? How about one from the Galactica, with weird corners and all? Going out and need some fancy new accouterments? How about a discrete and classy Star Trek tie? I wouldn’t recommend a red one, though… They only take on a few creative products a month, good design and excellent userability. It’s a fantastic concept and something that I hope continues successfully.
* Cover Browser is a relatively new (to me) site that allows you to flip through over 450,000 comic book covers. May I recommend not doing this at work. It will suck up the rest of your afternoon with awesomeness and totes get you in trouble with the boss.
* Speaking of Comic Books, Comic Book Resources has a list of the highest grossing comic book movies of all time. Good for these movies to make millions upon millions upon millions of dollars!…next to not a single cent of which actually went to the creators of these characters or their families. You make me fucking sick, Hollywood. No, I haven’t seen the Avengers. Thanks for asking.
* Even in the future, people get sick. Fantasy always maintains a bit of reality in the terms of health needs and Blastr has compiled a list of the top nurses that have gotten us all hot and bothered throughout time. Me? Well, Rory Williams can give me a sponge bath any day he wants. [Blastr]
* Artist Agan Harahap has created a photo series imagining what it would have been like if Spiderman was a participant in World War II. Well, obviously it would have ended a lot sooner saving millions of lives, and Hitler would have been captured alive rather than committing suicide like a coward in an underground bunker. It also would have probably been known as World War Awesome. [Flickr]
* What’s awesome? Star Wars! What’s delicious? Pancakes! What’s deliciously awesome?! STAR WARS PANCAKES!
Photo Credit WalYou
* Simply cannot wait for Wes Anderson’s newest flick, Moonrise Kingdom. An new Making-Of featurette has been released to wet our appetites even more. This will be a great year for movies.
* While we’re doing featurettes, let’s talk the newest release from Prometheus, shall we? Their newest gift to fans shows what’s believed to be the origins of life. Prepared to be surprised. Let’s watch! [Blastr]
Poptastic 4 U: Hunger Games, CumberbaTch, Hobbit News, & More
I’m poppish and I know it.
*Ugh, new Hunger Games. I can’t wait for this movie. I am a nerd for this movie. I already have tickets to a showing (no, not midnight – I’m nerdy, but I’m also old). A spot aired on TV last night and, being a fan of the book, I have immediate reservations about it. Yes, I’m one of those asses that has problems when a movie doesn’t follow the book, i.e. the opening 4 seconds of this new trailer. Still excited, though. I’m mostly faux indignant. I do love the newest clip I’ve posted below the District 12 focused trailer.
*Speaking of The Hunger Games, a new report shows that even though the movie based on the young adult novel of the same name doesn’t come out for another three weeks, it may already be more popular that Twilight. I’m assuming it’s because The Hunger Games isn’t crap. …Did I mention I already have my tickets? [Blastr]
* Do I care about Top Chef? Not really. You see, living in Austin means I have access to more restaurants, and tattoo parlors, per capita than any other American city. I’ve been lucky enough to go to Uchiko a number of times. Their social hour is fantastic, the $6 Ham & Eggs of katsu pork belly served with yolk custard and espelette is amazing. This doesn’t even touch on their fish caramel sauce and maguro sashimi paired with goat cheese, fuji apple, pumpkin seed oil, and black pepper. It’s an incredible delight to sit there for hours tasting a million different things that you never dreamed were possible. So it was no surprise to me that Uchikos head creator, Paul Qui, won Top Chef recently. He may have “…felt pressure to win”, but that’s probably because everyone in Austin expected him to do so. [TV Guide]
*Wish there was a way for those Girl Scout Cookies to stick to your ass even faster? Well, yearn no more: You can soon get Girl Scout Cookie CHOCOLATE BARS! How about a Thin Mint Crunch Bar? No? Well, personally I’m holding out hope for a Samoa Reese’s cup. I’d call it a Katie Cookie FatAss Chunk. It would be awesome! Apparently the Thin Mint Crunch will be available in June. And who’s spreading this rumor, you might wonder? Why none other than the Girl Scouts of America themselves! [HuffingtonPost]
* You can take the Lindsey Lohan out of a train wreck, but you can’t take the train wreck out of the Lohan. I think that’s just about the nicest way I could word that. And, just for the record, I loved Mean Girls. In an attempt to ‘slum it’, Matt Lauer interviewed Lohan on the Today show. And in an attempt at a ‘come back’, Lohan…tried to have a coherent conversation. Ugh. It’s rough to watch and her hair only adds to the sad situation she’s in. [BuzzFeed]
* I want to live in Middle Earth the same way I want to work at Hogwarts. I’ll happily take being employed at a museum while living in New Zealand in exchange for that which does not exist. And this has absolutely nothing to do with Peter Jackson’s newest video production diary entry about The Hobbit! Is it me or is Andy Serkis getting kind of hot? Jackson is currently working on Part II of The Hobbit, no spoilers of which we’re able to see in the video. Many of the dwarves discuss their experiences and you get to see Hobbiton, which is beautiful beyond imagination, but you don’t really want to read me talking about it – you’d much rather watch it, right? See below.
* It’s about damn time: Johnny Depp is finally working on The Lone Ranger. The film will be coming to us from Walt Disney Studios and also stars – surprise, surprise – Helena Bonham Carter. I know: because we’ve all wondered what it would be like to see Depp and Bonham Carter in a film together and now we’ll finally get the chance. Depp will be Tonto to Armie Hammer’s John Reid, and Ranger will hit theaters in May 2013. [USAToday]
* Global warming is upon us. Our presidential candidates are an all new low of human scum. It is a leap year and the year the Mayans believed the world would end. But more than anything else, 2012 will be known as The Year of the CumberbaTch. He was Sherlock, he will be Smaug, and he’s currently portraying the new Star Trek villain. That’s not to mention War Horse and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, both of which were up for Academy Awards. No, there’s nothing that Brit can’t do apparently. Oh, wait. He can’t keep his mouth shut. In a recent interview with MTV, CumberbaTch notes that he couldn’t stop giggling while on The Hobbit set. He’s just such good besties with Martin Freeman, who portrays both Watson and Bilbo, that his pal’s hobbit get up kept causing the confident Englishman to burst into laughter. Very mature. A brief excerpt of the interview is below. [MTV]
* COMIC CON BADGES GO ON SALE THIS WEEKEND! Every year I get soooo excited for this. And every year I don’t go. I’ve never been to a Con and I feel sad and pathetic for it. I don’t know if I even truly want to go to SDCC at this point; it’s massively popular meaning there are too many people for too small a space, Hollywood has stepped in to make it less Comic-focussed and more Con-the-people-esque. Maybe I’ll drag my ass to Dragon Con one day, but I will always dream of SDCC before and after. Doesn’t really seem fair to DC, huh? [LATimes]
* Artist/Genius Igor Kieryluk decided to take it upon himself to imagine what the characters of Batman would look like if they were active during the Renaissance. Just check out Two Face below. [BuzzFeed]
Photo credit BuzzFeed
* Yet another ‘Worst Idea Ever’ is coming out of that stink pit known as Hollywood. A remake of National Lampoon’s Vacation is heading back to the big screen in the form of a remake. I couldn’t care less about this, so I’m ending it here: LAME. [DenOfGeek]
* Speaking of Hollywood, Netflix’s contract with Starz is coming to and end. Roughly translated this means that you have one week left to watch anything in your queue that’s a Starz feature. More than 800 titles will be soon to leave Netflix, so get off your ass and…and go sit on it, to watch some good family fun before it’s unavailable. Starz and Netflix were unable to reach a deal regarding pricing. Awesome. [SlashFilm]
* I once made my father an apron of questionable taste, as ironed onto it were the words “Heil to the Chef”. But aprons don’t have to just be plain or funny. They can also be hot as hell, as proven by Etsy store Nerd Alert. Love2Right came up with fantastically themed aprons including Harry Potter, Portal, and Super Heroes – oh, so many Super Heroes! My personal favorites are Wolverine and the Link aprons, but the S-Mart one is pretty great, too! By far the best thing about these aprons? They’re super affordable! [GeeksAreSexy]
* I have to tell you: Rush Limbaugh is an idiot. I’ve written about it, sure, but let it be know he is a stupid, stupid man. Birth control has nothing to do with prostitution, is not prostitution, and a man who confuses the two has no place in any role of authority or power. Just the latest news in his long term goal of proving himself a Class-A Moron. [BuzzFeed]
* And, finally, Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie trailer has finally hit the web. Both the new trailer AND the original 1984 movie in its entirety are below. Enjoy.
On the Twelfth Day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
On the twelfth day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
Twelve Korean Kids Singing David Bowie’s Space Oddity.
Check out the Previous Geekmas Post for days 1 through 11!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter, @ChicGeekDaily !
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
On the Eleventh Day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
On the Eleventh Day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
Eleven Science Fiction Religious Sermons! [Blastr]
Check out the Previous Geekmas Post for days 1 through 10 and check back tomorrow for more!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter, @ChicGeekDaily !
Hobbit Afterglow: 21 Jump Street, SNL, Batman & More!
I am slightly sad we didn’t see a glimmer of Smaug even though I knew full well he wouldn’t be in the first part of the Hobbit. That being said, I don’t want to admit to the amount of times I’ve watched that trailer…and have subsequently gotten my coworkers to do the same.
On to Pop Bytes!
* Daniel Radcliffe, also known as Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year, will be hosting SNL in January. The musical guest will be Lana Del Rey. I have no idea who that is. Radcliffe is the first of the Holy Harry Potter trifecta to host the legendary skit show. Emma Watson of now modeling and acting fame has a fairly good chance for a future spot given her blossoming career. Not sure the same could be said for the rough looking ginger one at this point… [NYDailyNews]
* 1 million Avengers = No time for Diddlin’! Okay, there aren’t 1 million Avengers, but there are quite a few and when you write a script that pays specific attention to each that leaves little time for love makin’ on the side, according to writer Joss Whedon. So if you were planning on seeing the Black Widow and Hawk Eye get it on, keep dreaming. [Blastr]
* The trailer for 21 Jump Street is now online, though unlike the Hobbit trailer, I’m not sure too many people will be chomping at the bit to view it. Or watching it more than once. I too enjoyed the television show. When I was eleven.
* While we’re still working off that Hobbit mountain high, let me point out that Google Maps has a Middle Earth easter egg. If you haven’t already typed “Let it snow” into a google search bar, you should hop on that bandwagon, too. [BuzzFeed]
* Can’t get enough Batman buzz? Well, a new trailer has been released to help ease – or worsen – your addiction. [Apple Trailers]
* His belly shakes like a bowl of jelly. His beard is as white as the snow. He’s got a twinkle in his eye and a button red nose. And, apparently, Santa also has a boner for suuuuuuuuper slutty teenage girls. I guess it also burns when he pees now, huh? [BuzzFeed]
* A replicator would be great, but just working on the Enterprise for the United Federation of Planets would be tops!…But, then, I’d still probably be an admin, and I bet even in space that post ain’t a glamorous one. With the iPad 2 we’re all ready ahead of the tablets that the Starfleet crew used and Apple is bringing us closer to holographic messages day by day. Still, there are other awesome gadgets we thought we’d have by now that just aren’t a reality. [Tecca]
* Speaking of Star Trek, the 398,000th rumor to hit the news is that the sequel will have a little Capt. Pike action in it. There have been so many even “confirmed” rumors that have been squashed at this point. Though I’d be thrilled for his inclusion, I will take this with a grain of salt. [Blastr]
* And, finally, Spoke Art has released Star Wars ninja prints. And I want them all! [MTV Geek]
On the Nineth Day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
On the 9th Day of Geekmas, Chic Geek Daily Gave to Thee…
Nine Chic Geek Chick Gifts! [Blastr]
Please check out Yesterday’s 12 Days of Geekmas Post for days 1 through 8, each filled with Geektastic delights!
Also, be sure to follow me on twitter, @ChicGeekDaily !
On the Third Day of Geekmas…
Yea, gifts!
On the third day of Geekmas, Chic Geek recommended to thee…
Three Maru’s in the mirror. Watch out – He’ll cut you!
Be sure to check in later for another Chic Geek Daily post and come back tomorrow for the fourth day of Geekmas!
* Following from yesterday’s Pop Bytes Post…
On the First Day of Geekmas Chic Geek endorsed to thee…
One Bird singing the Mario Brothers Theme.
On the Second Day of Geekmas Chic Geek endorsed to thee…
Two Wookie mating calls done on TV.
For the Pop Day of Xmas GeekFat Gave to Thee…
* Holiday cheer for everyone: Telemarketers and robo-calls will now have access to your cell phone number. Awesome! I love paying for the calls I hate to get. [MSNBC]
To help you get over the complete loss of privacy, I give you a parrot singing the Mario Bros theme song.
* As if I didn’t need yet another reason to get a PS3 stat, there is now a Doctor Who video game coming out! In what can only be called the utmost of teases, the BBC and Supermassive Games hint at a Doctor Who video game with almost no details. And it’s completely enough to send me into a Time and Relative Dimensions in Space tizzy! [ToplessRobot]
*In A Touch of Evil, director Alex Prager depicts various well known actors and actresses as evil, violent characters. Many really (and creepily) give these little vignettes their all. And, based on usual celebrity events, it’s exactly how I would expect them to act when getting kicked off a plane. [NewYorkTimes]
* NPR’s MonkeySee has compiled a list of the unhappiest commentators you’ll find in the year end best-of lists on the internet. And every type listed is rather accurate. I know which one I am, which one are you? Yeah, you are. Yes, you are. Embrace the self loathing. One of us. One of us. [NPR MonkeySee]
*An incredibly dedicated fan created a stop motion, shot for shot remake of the opening 6 minutes of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
* Doctor Who topped the iTunes charts for Most Popular TV Shows of 2011. It’s the first time in iTunes history that virgin nerds have gained such popularity. [Blastr]
* That’s dedication! To complete her look for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Rooney Mara pierced her nipples. Let me just repeat that: the chick that dumped Jessie Eisenberg’s character at the beginning of The Social Network pierced her nipples to truly get in touch the role of Lisbeth Salander. In other news, the dolphin from Dolphin Tale was not an amputee prior to filming. [Inquistr]
* The Rock of Ages trailer has hit the internet. I know nothing about this movie other than it’s based on the Broadway show, but apparently it’s gonna be epic. Everyone, but your mom is in this and Tom Cruise has a crazy chest tattoo. Not being as dedicated as Mara, however, the tatt is not the real deal. Cruise worked extra hard at this role after missing out on his true calling, playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, an opportunity stolen by the equally closeted John Travolta. Did I say ‘closeted’? I meant talented. Sure I did.
* Simon Pegg, author of Nerd Do Well and overall cinema greatness, is as much a geek as he his a human. This makes Pegg quite possibly the most excited person alive for the upcoming Star Trek sequel, especially since he’ll be reprising his role as Scotty. But should he really have let it slip that Khan is not in the sequel script? [Blastr]
* Karl Frisch of the Cagle Post wrote a fantastic article on the 12 Days of Republican Christmas. All are fantastically dead on, and this write up is as funny as it is depressingly true. How can other nations not see our entire government as a laughing stock right now? Granted we’re not the only nation with issues, but our entire government needs to take a giant Xanax/Prilosec combo pill and face some harsh realities. [Cagle Post]
…But this whole 12 Days of Republican Crap has got me thinking. What about the 12 days of Absurdly Geek? Well, I’m starting them here and now. And since I missed the start of the 12 days (that would have been yesterday, Mr. Mathematician), I owe your two today. I’m not saying you’re getting two; I’m just acknowledging a debt.
On the First Day of Christmas GeekFat endorsed to thee…
Nothing. Because I wasn’t on the ball.
On the Second Day of Christmas GeekFat endorsed to thee…
Two Wookie mating calls done on TV.
Check back tomorrow for more and feel free to follow on Twitter, @ChicGeekDaily .
The Nerdy Foodie 