Anyone ever notice how public toilet seats are shaped like the Stargate? Someone should make those paper covers printed with an image of the Stargate around the hole.
Just me, huh? I need a life.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Christmas is coming...
This is a pretty cool jobby for our D&D/RPG geek friends...
Marsbarn's dice bags - and she's got them on sale right now!
I have to admit, I don't have one - unfortunately, I never found anyone willing to play with me growing up and, once grown, admitting I'd never played moved me from geek to dork and still no one was willing to play with me! - but I do have 3 of her crowns in my possession and one absolutely stunning messenger bag that I get enormous compliments on (if you read this, Marsbarn, you should send me some business cards next time round for me to hand out!). The workmanship (workwomanship?) is excellent and I can't recommend her enough.
Buy one of these dice bags - better yet, buy 2 - you won't regret it. Unless you decide to give them away as gifts... then you'll regret losing them to someone else! Hmmm... maybe you should buy 4...
Marsbarn's dice bags - and she's got them on sale right now!
I have to admit, I don't have one - unfortunately, I never found anyone willing to play with me growing up and, once grown, admitting I'd never played moved me from geek to dork and still no one was willing to play with me! - but I do have 3 of her crowns in my possession and one absolutely stunning messenger bag that I get enormous compliments on (if you read this, Marsbarn, you should send me some business cards next time round for me to hand out!). The workmanship (workwomanship?) is excellent and I can't recommend her enough.Buy one of these dice bags - better yet, buy 2 - you won't regret it. Unless you decide to give them away as gifts... then you'll regret losing them to someone else! Hmmm... maybe you should buy 4...
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Official Geek Scoring Sheet Conversation Part 2
Whew! This is going to be fun!
Thanks for all the input you guys! This is turning into a big undertaking, but I am energized by a deep seated *need* to see this through.
Before I get into more brainstorming, I have to share this story.
Last night I was at my inlaw's for dinner and talking to my SIL and I told her a brief story of how this whole Geek Scoring Sheet project came about. Being as how she is a theater geek, I mentioned the funny suggestion kr had about points for keeping costumes around the house that are non-sex-toy costumes... points if you keep it not as a sex toy, but if it occasionally turns into a sex toy you don't lose points. She said "if you are using a costume as a sex toy you should lose geek points, because you're having sex."
:)
And a couple comments back:
kr - I've actually been to an SCA event up here near my house. Last summer they were picking the new King and Queen of the local realm and it was one of the largest gatherings for the SCA from this kingdom. It was interesting to visit, but I was spoiled by having visited a living history village prior to the SCA event, so the lack of historical accuracy at SCA was glaring, and it came across to me to be more like LARPing than portraying a period in history.
marsbarn - LOL!... "folicato" does sound like a sex act done with a loofa. It also sounds like it would be painful.
OK, on to the scoring sheet!
I originally thought I'd have a generic "loot" and "campaign" sort of thing on the front page, but the more I think about it, the more I think that each class of Geek should probably have it's own individual section for Loot, campaigns, etc... as they pertain to that class. This way it'll be easier for Geeks to keep track of which of their classes has the most points, and therefore they can easily distinguish which is their main class, and which is their sub-class. It'll also be easier to keep track of whether or not you've counted particular pieces of loot or particular events.
So therefore... I'm going to do the front page similar to a character sheet, perhaps with space for people to make notes or write out a general description. The front cover will be followed by point sheets broken down by class, and within the class we'll have loot, campaigns, and point categories specific to that class. Each class will tally to show an end point value for that class, then the front page will have a spot which will tally all geek points.
Once I have a more detailed rough draft, we can start to debate about where the levels should be (how many points to reach a level?) and should there be an all around Geek Level, or should levels be class specific... or both?
Example: "I'm a level 5 Sci Fi geek, level 2 Gamer..."
After sorting through all the responses to the first conversation, I've begun to formulate a plan with how to proceed - what I need to start with is a list of classes, get the basic page started for each class, then we can get down into the finer details.
For classes... this is sort of tough. I don't want to leave anybody out, but I think what I need to at least *start* with is a basic list of the most common Geek Categories - those that are universally accepted as being Clearly Geek. Nothing against religion, politics, or sports... but I think being highly knowledgeable in any of those categories is not necessarily Geek. The definition I'm running with in my mind is this one from Wikipedia:
"a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, gaming, etc."
Not to say that religion or politics is not intellectual, but I think they are not peculiar.
So for now I'm sticking with the following classes:
Sci Fi (books/movies/TV)
Comic Book
Gamer
Band/Choir Geek
Theater Geek
Academic Geek
We'll work out a definition for each which will show what is included in which class. As an example, things like physics degrees, creating puzzle challenges for MIT academic contests, being on an NPR quiz show... those would all fall under Academic Geek. I'm thinking computer programming would also be in the Academic category. I considered having a separate category for Computer Geek, but computers are so very nearly universal that it's just not... peculiar enough.
I also agree with the comments about getting points awarded for things you do in your Free Time (therefore, IT guys can't get points for # of computers fixed this week, etc...) although there should be some kind of specified standard point value awarded to those who are in Geek Professions.
Thanks for all the input you guys! This is turning into a big undertaking, but I am energized by a deep seated *need* to see this through.
Before I get into more brainstorming, I have to share this story.
Last night I was at my inlaw's for dinner and talking to my SIL and I told her a brief story of how this whole Geek Scoring Sheet project came about. Being as how she is a theater geek, I mentioned the funny suggestion kr had about points for keeping costumes around the house that are non-sex-toy costumes... points if you keep it not as a sex toy, but if it occasionally turns into a sex toy you don't lose points. She said "if you are using a costume as a sex toy you should lose geek points, because you're having sex."
:)
And a couple comments back:
kr - I've actually been to an SCA event up here near my house. Last summer they were picking the new King and Queen of the local realm and it was one of the largest gatherings for the SCA from this kingdom. It was interesting to visit, but I was spoiled by having visited a living history village prior to the SCA event, so the lack of historical accuracy at SCA was glaring, and it came across to me to be more like LARPing than portraying a period in history.
marsbarn - LOL!... "folicato" does sound like a sex act done with a loofa. It also sounds like it would be painful.
OK, on to the scoring sheet!
I originally thought I'd have a generic "loot" and "campaign" sort of thing on the front page, but the more I think about it, the more I think that each class of Geek should probably have it's own individual section for Loot, campaigns, etc... as they pertain to that class. This way it'll be easier for Geeks to keep track of which of their classes has the most points, and therefore they can easily distinguish which is their main class, and which is their sub-class. It'll also be easier to keep track of whether or not you've counted particular pieces of loot or particular events.
So therefore... I'm going to do the front page similar to a character sheet, perhaps with space for people to make notes or write out a general description. The front cover will be followed by point sheets broken down by class, and within the class we'll have loot, campaigns, and point categories specific to that class. Each class will tally to show an end point value for that class, then the front page will have a spot which will tally all geek points.
Once I have a more detailed rough draft, we can start to debate about where the levels should be (how many points to reach a level?) and should there be an all around Geek Level, or should levels be class specific... or both?
Example: "I'm a level 5 Sci Fi geek, level 2 Gamer..."
After sorting through all the responses to the first conversation, I've begun to formulate a plan with how to proceed - what I need to start with is a list of classes, get the basic page started for each class, then we can get down into the finer details.
For classes... this is sort of tough. I don't want to leave anybody out, but I think what I need to at least *start* with is a basic list of the most common Geek Categories - those that are universally accepted as being Clearly Geek. Nothing against religion, politics, or sports... but I think being highly knowledgeable in any of those categories is not necessarily Geek. The definition I'm running with in my mind is this one from Wikipedia:
"a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, gaming, etc."
Not to say that religion or politics is not intellectual, but I think they are not peculiar.
So for now I'm sticking with the following classes:
Sci Fi (books/movies/TV)
Comic Book
Gamer
Band/Choir Geek
Theater Geek
Academic Geek
We'll work out a definition for each which will show what is included in which class. As an example, things like physics degrees, creating puzzle challenges for MIT academic contests, being on an NPR quiz show... those would all fall under Academic Geek. I'm thinking computer programming would also be in the Academic category. I considered having a separate category for Computer Geek, but computers are so very nearly universal that it's just not... peculiar enough.
I also agree with the comments about getting points awarded for things you do in your Free Time (therefore, IT guys can't get points for # of computers fixed this week, etc...) although there should be some kind of specified standard point value awarded to those who are in Geek Professions.
The Official Geek Scoring Sheet Conversation 1
I'm cross-posting this from my regular blog because I think this is a better home for the ongoing discussion.
Here is the original post, and the original slew of responses:
I bet you all thought I forgot about the Geek Scoring Sheet?!? Well, I didn't... it just takes me a long, long time to get around to fun things.
So I've figured out a good platform to create the score sheet, picked up some software to accomplish this task, and put together a sort of sketch of what will - hopefully - eventually be a fun time waster shiny object for all to enjoy.
What I've done thus far is figured out a basic outline of how it'll be set up and started with a couple basic categories, and figured out how to program the calculations.
Now I need content.
What sort of categories should we have? What should the point value be? And what should the value levels be? (How many points to gain levels?)
Here is the sort of Sketch Version of what I've got so far. I've only programmed the first line under "loot" to calculate point value - so y'all can see how it'll work. Eventually every category will have a point value, you input how many instances/items/etc... you have, and it'll calculate how many points you get... then it'll add the points up for you at the end.
Any input or ideas are greatly appreciated.
---------
11 Comments
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
Yow, that's a big undertaking.
I think what we have to recognize is that there are a lot of different kinds of geeks out there - gamer, music, programmer (ok, they probably also fall into the gamer category), even literary, scifi, etc. And, of course, what makes them geeky might vary, don't you think?
5:39 PM
Anonymous kr said...
that will be So Fabulous :)! I luv it!
I will sadly be so ungeeky ... perhaps if you add vicarious geek points, like I get one point for every geek friend I have ... does the academic geek count? I read the Caltech alumni newsletter from a young age, you see ;) ...
(Seriously, don't worry about that. I'm just having Geek Envy ;). Because I wasn't even a Band Geek, only a Theatre Nerd, and really, that isn't geeky.)
7:49 PM
Blogger Jade said...
@PPG
Ideally, what I'd like to do is have one all inclusive document divided into sections for classes (Sci Fi Geek, Gamer Geek, etc...) with the beginning of the document being sections that pertain to all types of Geeks (hence, the "Loot") So far I've just started with the general Sci Fi nerd. I've gotta figure out how to structure points for things like movies and books...
it's a question of how to measure the points. Do we add points for all the books we own? What about frequency of reading the books? For movies... there's viewing the movies, owning the movies, and then there should be bonus points for having the movie so well memorized you can recite lines - in time with the actors - without having the movie playing in front of you. ;)
For gamers, I'm thinking something like... hours played per week? If they have a regular game there are points, if you are the GM there are more points... something like that. I'll need Gamer input on that point structure though.
And how far into our past do we go? Do we automatically have points for having been a band or theater geek even if we are no longer involved?
@kr - Academic geeks should absolutely fit in, we just need to figure out a point structure - what to academic geeks get points for? Having papers published... subscribing to trade publications...
9:27 PM
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
Ok... yes, points for the books and for frequency of reading - maybe points for being able to quote the books at random. Different points maybe for fiction, non-fiction, and technical reference? Do any kinds of books not count (those trashy novels that, er, aren't mine)? If it's a technical reference, I think you get exponential extra points for more technical references in the same field. Say, a dictionary. Most of us have a dictionary and that's 1 point, say, - if you have three - that should be more than 3 points, don't you think?
Also, I think reference books for fictional places/cultures/languages/etc. should count more, maybe - because it's one thing to own all of Anne McAffrey's dragonriders series because you like the stories but when you get into owning the Pern atlas for reference, that's serious geekdom - ditto for the schmematics of spaceships, episode guides, etc. Also, I think you get extra points if you have books on the creator of your geek arena and their creation of the geek arena (i.e., Tolkien, George Lucas, etc. No, Al Gore probably doesn't count even if he does claim to have invented the internet!) /Actually, if you want to get really into detail - you should find 'experts' in each area and have them put together a list of books ranging from the common to the very esoteric and the point structure would increase as you went to the more intense. I.e., for LOTR from common to esoteric:
Hobbit
LOTR
The Silmarillion
The Children of Hurin
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Leaf by Niggle
The Road Goes Ever On: Songs by Donald Swann
Unfinished Tales: The Lost Lore of Middle Earth
The letters of JRR Tolkien
The Histories of Middle Earth (Vols 1-12)
Helge Fauskanger's Quenya book
(there are more but these are the ones I know I own off the top of my head without going to look)
Movies - heh, absolutely one gets bonus points for being able to recite the movie remotely... ;) and, yeah, viewing, owning, and normal quoting get points too.
I think you go all the way back but if you're still involved that's more pointage.
I think also knowing or learning an artificial language (Klingon, Quenya, etc.) gets points - maybe some for having the translation of certain phrases memorized and more for actually being able to dissect some of the sentence structure, do some rudimentary open-book translation, and mega points for being fluent. (And, no, I'm not fluent in anything but English - but I'm in the first/second category for Sindarin and the second for Quenya.) *Heh, and maybe points for knowing more than one language from the same fictional world?
And absolutely academic geeks count! Extra degrees count, dissertations, published papers, trade publications, etc.
Points for having academic study relating to any of your geek categories (for scifi, any of the sciences would count; for fantasy, sociology/psychology; for gamers, programming, etc.)
Music: variety owned - extra points for owned in multiple formats - # of instruments played (voice counts as an instrument), # of languages sung in, # of groups performing with at any given time.
Hmmm, maybe the percentage of free time each week spent in active geek pursuits? (We can't say hours because some people just have so little free time that it would be fair but, say, you have someone with 1 hour free a week and they spend that hour in geeky pursuits, it should count just as much (and arguably more) than someone who has 15 hours a week free and spends 10 in geeky pursuits.)
And what about websites/bulletin boards/listservs that one regularly visits or has bookmarked pertaining to one's geek arena? Points for those, for sure. With extra points for active participation vs just lurking, etc.
There's so much more but I need to get back to working on my flippin' website right now and would also love to see what others have to offer... you know, we should probably also copy this discussion on Keep the Geek...
Cheers,
PPG
11:39 AM
Anonymous kr said...
Costumes: point for each non-sex-toy costume you keep around the house after age 18 (points if you keep it not as a sex toy. if it sometimes turns out to be a sex toy, that doesn't lose you points). 2 points after age 30, 3 after age 40, maybe stick at 3 after that because people who start adopting costumes after age 40 may be more the granola-discover-yourself types instead of geeks? Double points for homemade, half points for cheesy/incomplete. Extra point for personalized prosthetics (ears, nose).
If there is a religious geek category, I've got that iced (books, time spent, organizations a part of, radio station listened to ... music collection fairly sparse, but I own at least one religious novelty song, so that's gotta be extra points ;) ).
Novelty songs are another geek category--how many do you own? How many can you sing from memory? In exact time? How many of your friends did you warp such that they recognize your obscure novelty song references? Extra points for the song at the end of Boot To The Head, simply because it is so wonderfully ... novel ;), and also for Were Cow, because I've only heard it once and it was HILARIOUS and I want you to sing it to me if you know it ;)!! Extra points if your favorite parts of Electric Company were "Silent E" and "LY," because it turns out they were by Tom Lehrer and whoever thought it was a good idea to ask him to write for a children's program I can't imagine--but I'm glad he did!
Which of course leads right into, all the same type of measurements for CARTOON THEMESONGS. Oh yes, that glorious day when we used up an entire two-period "block" class singing every single one we could ... probably all of the ones anyone our age had ever heard.
Number of individual muppets you can name. Description only, half-points. (My family round-robinned this at the dinner table one night, elimination-style. All seven of us stayed in for a surprisingly long time. I'm pretty sure we got to well over 100 by the end, since we watched the Muppet Show and Sesame Street. We didn't have cable and couldn't watch Fraggle Rock.)
Early academic geekdom: who could sing the Schoolhouse Rock songs? before they bought the re-release albums in the 90s ;)? Who owns those albums? Those videos? The alt-rock Schoolhouse Rock Rocks album ;)? And then of course there's the social-programming Saturday morning shorts, like "how to make a wagon wheel" (snack) and "bean and rice are nice" and my favorite, "the future blob" ("without a job, without a job, I am the future blob!"). Oh, and "Don't drown your food(, in mayo, or ketchup, or goo!)"
Now that I have made my generation run screaming from their computer screens ;), I think I am done.
Except that I think there will need to be the one set of scales for individual geek-skills and one overall score which adds them all up. Maybe called the nyah nyah score, since of course it won't mean anything but I'm sure we'd hold it over each other anyhow ;).
11:42 PM
Anonymous kr said...
oop, politics geeks, too.
I got a personal, only to me email a couple of days ago from a former --oh growl, I can't remember which title, which shows that I'm NOT a political geek--but anyway, someone who was a top state administrator. About politics ;).
Aside from all the obvious points (have you door to door canvassed? are you Andy?), I think anyone who is a Libertarian automatically gets extra points, because Libertarians are (and I can't imagine any of them being offended by this) by definition Political Geeks. Like, maybe they get a whole level ;).
1:09 AM
Blogger Jade said...
Why is it the phrase "what have I gotten myself into?" in my head is invariably accompanied by the phrase "Whee! This is fun!"
I think, to keep things simple, I'll probably divide geek categories into separate pages (in the background design of this great thing, I'm making it in excel and converting it to PDF, then adding the form info - dividing categories by pages will help me manage changes in the future without having to redo the Entire Freaking Document)
Today I'm going to a costuming class, to learn how to design an authentic costume from 1376, at the living history village a little north of me. It's fitting that the Geek Scoring Sheet ideas are floating in my head as I prepare for the class. *grin*
8:57 AM
Anonymous kr said...
hee hee!
'just trying to help ;).
Have fun, though--with the geek scoring and the costume :)!! 1376 is seriously historical, although I suppose mine is two centuries ealier (ignoring the machine sewing). Speaking of which, you'd better hope you don't garner an SCA geek ;).
1:13 PM
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
I expect you to share the information you learn at said costuming class, btw...
5:57 PM
Delete
Anonymous marsbarn said...
What about naming children after geek characters? That surely must be worth some points.
In the book section: knowing an author, seeing them speak, autographed books, being mentioned in their book dedication, knowing them personally before they are hot, owning alternate manuscripts.
Oh, and multi classing. There has to be multi classing.. Could I be a Fantasy/Book/Priestess of Physics Geek? I've been named in a book dedication, named a child after a Tolkien character, and have a degree in Physics.. that has to be worth something.. right?
Can I just add how happy I am that you have undertaken this instead of me? I think its wicked cool, but tremendously glad that these ideas aren't being tossed at me!
As an aside.. the security word (the one that I have to type in to show I'm not a spam robot) is "folicato" which sounds like a sex act done with a luffa to me... Does that sound odd to you?
9:10 PM
Anonymous kr said...
academic geek thought: I've been mulling over the first-round ideas and I think no points for papers published or journals subscribed in one's paid field--only outside of it ;). Then you KNOW you are geeking, when you are doing it for the fun(/because You Cannot Resist the Dark Side of your degree).
Special allowances could be made by petition, for those few people who really stuck with their inner geek through all the soul-numbing years of school and earned degrees and work in their true geek-realm ;).
But there is something here about being paid means no points ... or doing geek things for the money, anyhow, because of course if you are geeking and people decide to pay you, well, you are just a lucky geek, then.
9:12 PM
Here is the original post, and the original slew of responses:
I bet you all thought I forgot about the Geek Scoring Sheet?!? Well, I didn't... it just takes me a long, long time to get around to fun things.
So I've figured out a good platform to create the score sheet, picked up some software to accomplish this task, and put together a sort of sketch of what will - hopefully - eventually be a fun time waster shiny object for all to enjoy.
What I've done thus far is figured out a basic outline of how it'll be set up and started with a couple basic categories, and figured out how to program the calculations.
Now I need content.
What sort of categories should we have? What should the point value be? And what should the value levels be? (How many points to gain levels?)
Here is the sort of Sketch Version of what I've got so far. I've only programmed the first line under "loot" to calculate point value - so y'all can see how it'll work. Eventually every category will have a point value, you input how many instances/items/etc... you have, and it'll calculate how many points you get... then it'll add the points up for you at the end.
Any input or ideas are greatly appreciated.
---------
11 Comments
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
Yow, that's a big undertaking.
I think what we have to recognize is that there are a lot of different kinds of geeks out there - gamer, music, programmer (ok, they probably also fall into the gamer category), even literary, scifi, etc. And, of course, what makes them geeky might vary, don't you think?
5:39 PM
Anonymous kr said...
that will be So Fabulous :)! I luv it!
I will sadly be so ungeeky ... perhaps if you add vicarious geek points, like I get one point for every geek friend I have ... does the academic geek count? I read the Caltech alumni newsletter from a young age, you see ;) ...
(Seriously, don't worry about that. I'm just having Geek Envy ;). Because I wasn't even a Band Geek, only a Theatre Nerd, and really, that isn't geeky.)
7:49 PM
Blogger Jade said...
@PPG
Ideally, what I'd like to do is have one all inclusive document divided into sections for classes (Sci Fi Geek, Gamer Geek, etc...) with the beginning of the document being sections that pertain to all types of Geeks (hence, the "Loot") So far I've just started with the general Sci Fi nerd. I've gotta figure out how to structure points for things like movies and books...
it's a question of how to measure the points. Do we add points for all the books we own? What about frequency of reading the books? For movies... there's viewing the movies, owning the movies, and then there should be bonus points for having the movie so well memorized you can recite lines - in time with the actors - without having the movie playing in front of you. ;)
For gamers, I'm thinking something like... hours played per week? If they have a regular game there are points, if you are the GM there are more points... something like that. I'll need Gamer input on that point structure though.
And how far into our past do we go? Do we automatically have points for having been a band or theater geek even if we are no longer involved?
@kr - Academic geeks should absolutely fit in, we just need to figure out a point structure - what to academic geeks get points for? Having papers published... subscribing to trade publications...
9:27 PM
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
Ok... yes, points for the books and for frequency of reading - maybe points for being able to quote the books at random. Different points maybe for fiction, non-fiction, and technical reference? Do any kinds of books not count (those trashy novels that, er, aren't mine)? If it's a technical reference, I think you get exponential extra points for more technical references in the same field. Say, a dictionary. Most of us have a dictionary and that's 1 point, say, - if you have three - that should be more than 3 points, don't you think?
Also, I think reference books for fictional places/cultures/languages/etc. should count more, maybe - because it's one thing to own all of Anne McAffrey's dragonriders series because you like the stories but when you get into owning the Pern atlas for reference, that's serious geekdom - ditto for the schmematics of spaceships, episode guides, etc. Also, I think you get extra points if you have books on the creator of your geek arena and their creation of the geek arena (i.e., Tolkien, George Lucas, etc. No, Al Gore probably doesn't count even if he does claim to have invented the internet!) /Actually, if you want to get really into detail - you should find 'experts' in each area and have them put together a list of books ranging from the common to the very esoteric and the point structure would increase as you went to the more intense. I.e., for LOTR from common to esoteric:
Hobbit
LOTR
The Silmarillion
The Children of Hurin
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Leaf by Niggle
The Road Goes Ever On: Songs by Donald Swann
Unfinished Tales: The Lost Lore of Middle Earth
The letters of JRR Tolkien
The Histories of Middle Earth (Vols 1-12)
Helge Fauskanger's Quenya book
(there are more but these are the ones I know I own off the top of my head without going to look)
Movies - heh, absolutely one gets bonus points for being able to recite the movie remotely... ;) and, yeah, viewing, owning, and normal quoting get points too.
I think you go all the way back but if you're still involved that's more pointage.
I think also knowing or learning an artificial language (Klingon, Quenya, etc.) gets points - maybe some for having the translation of certain phrases memorized and more for actually being able to dissect some of the sentence structure, do some rudimentary open-book translation, and mega points for being fluent. (And, no, I'm not fluent in anything but English - but I'm in the first/second category for Sindarin and the second for Quenya.) *Heh, and maybe points for knowing more than one language from the same fictional world?
And absolutely academic geeks count! Extra degrees count, dissertations, published papers, trade publications, etc.
Points for having academic study relating to any of your geek categories (for scifi, any of the sciences would count; for fantasy, sociology/psychology; for gamers, programming, etc.)
Music: variety owned - extra points for owned in multiple formats - # of instruments played (voice counts as an instrument), # of languages sung in, # of groups performing with at any given time.
Hmmm, maybe the percentage of free time each week spent in active geek pursuits? (We can't say hours because some people just have so little free time that it would be fair but, say, you have someone with 1 hour free a week and they spend that hour in geeky pursuits, it should count just as much (and arguably more) than someone who has 15 hours a week free and spends 10 in geeky pursuits.)
And what about websites/bulletin boards/listservs that one regularly visits or has bookmarked pertaining to one's geek arena? Points for those, for sure. With extra points for active participation vs just lurking, etc.
There's so much more but I need to get back to working on my flippin' website right now and would also love to see what others have to offer... you know, we should probably also copy this discussion on Keep the Geek...
Cheers,
PPG
11:39 AM
Anonymous kr said...
Costumes: point for each non-sex-toy costume you keep around the house after age 18 (points if you keep it not as a sex toy. if it sometimes turns out to be a sex toy, that doesn't lose you points). 2 points after age 30, 3 after age 40, maybe stick at 3 after that because people who start adopting costumes after age 40 may be more the granola-discover-yourself types instead of geeks? Double points for homemade, half points for cheesy/incomplete. Extra point for personalized prosthetics (ears, nose).
If there is a religious geek category, I've got that iced (books, time spent, organizations a part of, radio station listened to ... music collection fairly sparse, but I own at least one religious novelty song, so that's gotta be extra points ;) ).
Novelty songs are another geek category--how many do you own? How many can you sing from memory? In exact time? How many of your friends did you warp such that they recognize your obscure novelty song references? Extra points for the song at the end of Boot To The Head, simply because it is so wonderfully ... novel ;), and also for Were Cow, because I've only heard it once and it was HILARIOUS and I want you to sing it to me if you know it ;)!! Extra points if your favorite parts of Electric Company were "Silent E" and "LY," because it turns out they were by Tom Lehrer and whoever thought it was a good idea to ask him to write for a children's program I can't imagine--but I'm glad he did!
Which of course leads right into, all the same type of measurements for CARTOON THEMESONGS. Oh yes, that glorious day when we used up an entire two-period "block" class singing every single one we could ... probably all of the ones anyone our age had ever heard.
Number of individual muppets you can name. Description only, half-points. (My family round-robinned this at the dinner table one night, elimination-style. All seven of us stayed in for a surprisingly long time. I'm pretty sure we got to well over 100 by the end, since we watched the Muppet Show and Sesame Street. We didn't have cable and couldn't watch Fraggle Rock.)
Early academic geekdom: who could sing the Schoolhouse Rock songs? before they bought the re-release albums in the 90s ;)? Who owns those albums? Those videos? The alt-rock Schoolhouse Rock Rocks album ;)? And then of course there's the social-programming Saturday morning shorts, like "how to make a wagon wheel" (snack) and "bean and rice are nice" and my favorite, "the future blob" ("without a job, without a job, I am the future blob!"). Oh, and "Don't drown your food(, in mayo, or ketchup, or goo!)"
Now that I have made my generation run screaming from their computer screens ;), I think I am done.
Except that I think there will need to be the one set of scales for individual geek-skills and one overall score which adds them all up. Maybe called the nyah nyah score, since of course it won't mean anything but I'm sure we'd hold it over each other anyhow ;).
11:42 PM
Anonymous kr said...
oop, politics geeks, too.
I got a personal, only to me email a couple of days ago from a former --oh growl, I can't remember which title, which shows that I'm NOT a political geek--but anyway, someone who was a top state administrator. About politics ;).
Aside from all the obvious points (have you door to door canvassed? are you Andy?), I think anyone who is a Libertarian automatically gets extra points, because Libertarians are (and I can't imagine any of them being offended by this) by definition Political Geeks. Like, maybe they get a whole level ;).
1:09 AM
Blogger Jade said...
Why is it the phrase "what have I gotten myself into?" in my head is invariably accompanied by the phrase "Whee! This is fun!"
I think, to keep things simple, I'll probably divide geek categories into separate pages (in the background design of this great thing, I'm making it in excel and converting it to PDF, then adding the form info - dividing categories by pages will help me manage changes in the future without having to redo the Entire Freaking Document)
Today I'm going to a costuming class, to learn how to design an authentic costume from 1376, at the living history village a little north of me. It's fitting that the Geek Scoring Sheet ideas are floating in my head as I prepare for the class. *grin*
8:57 AM
Anonymous kr said...
hee hee!
'just trying to help ;).
Have fun, though--with the geek scoring and the costume :)!! 1376 is seriously historical, although I suppose mine is two centuries ealier (ignoring the machine sewing). Speaking of which, you'd better hope you don't garner an SCA geek ;).
1:13 PM
Blogger PeppyPilotGirl said...
I expect you to share the information you learn at said costuming class, btw...
5:57 PM
Delete
Anonymous marsbarn said...
What about naming children after geek characters? That surely must be worth some points.
In the book section: knowing an author, seeing them speak, autographed books, being mentioned in their book dedication, knowing them personally before they are hot, owning alternate manuscripts.
Oh, and multi classing. There has to be multi classing.. Could I be a Fantasy/Book/Priestess of Physics Geek? I've been named in a book dedication, named a child after a Tolkien character, and have a degree in Physics.. that has to be worth something.. right?
Can I just add how happy I am that you have undertaken this instead of me? I think its wicked cool, but tremendously glad that these ideas aren't being tossed at me!
As an aside.. the security word (the one that I have to type in to show I'm not a spam robot) is "folicato" which sounds like a sex act done with a luffa to me... Does that sound odd to you?
9:10 PM
Anonymous kr said...
academic geek thought: I've been mulling over the first-round ideas and I think no points for papers published or journals subscribed in one's paid field--only outside of it ;). Then you KNOW you are geeking, when you are doing it for the fun(/because You Cannot Resist the Dark Side of your degree).
Special allowances could be made by petition, for those few people who really stuck with their inner geek through all the soul-numbing years of school and earned degrees and work in their true geek-realm ;).
But there is something here about being paid means no points ... or doing geek things for the money, anyhow, because of course if you are geeking and people decide to pay you, well, you are just a lucky geek, then.
9:12 PM
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obi-Wan has taught you well
A funny, courtesy of Raindog Blue
If it weren't for how uncomfortable I know the mask must be, I would SO want that costume!
If it weren't for how uncomfortable I know the mask must be, I would SO want that costume!
Friday, September 5, 2008
I Want This So Fucking Badly...
but the Sensible Adult in me has pointed out that I don't need it, indeed, I'd have to invent meetings to use it. And, granted, it would make meetings cool - but who really wants to relive them?
http://www.livescribe.com/smartpen/index.html
And how many meetings can I invent? Enough to justify the $240 price tag for this??
I may not need it but, dude, I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it.
Granted, in a few years, it might make PTA meetings bearable... good enough reason?
http://www.livescribe.com/smartpen/index.html
And how many meetings can I invent? Enough to justify the $240 price tag for this??
I may not need it but, dude, I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed it.
Granted, in a few years, it might make PTA meetings bearable... good enough reason?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Escape Hatch - or... making your cave portable.
Rands in Response once wrote a blog entry about the Nerd Cave. For most Geeks and Nerds that I know, a Cave is not a convenience, it is a necessity. We need our special place - our distraction-free zone - our retreat from the "real world"... that bit of 3D space we carve out for ourselves where we are free to drop the facade of societal "norm" and let loose with our own brand of Nerd Utopia without shame.
My last post included a shot of me in my cave... albeit an out of focus backdrop version... so today I'd like to take you on a little tour.
Don't worry... it shouldn't be 3 hours... unless you read really slow.
OK, starting on our left we have my Big Impressive Scanner, atop which usually sits the latest editions of both B&W Magazine and LensWork, as well as my copy holder when I'm not actively using it for work. The next item over on my desk surface is my little spiral notebook - aka the Portable Brain. This is the notebook I carry around in my purse for all those "OH! I need to write this down" moments. It is currently flipped open on my desk as I'm contemplating the layout for the Geek Scoring Sheet in between work tasks. My computer glasses and one of the 3.6 billion pens I own rest on top. Behind that is my old monitor stand - from my pre-laptop days. I love having this riser on my desk to bring my folder organizer up above eye-level. I need to see the folders I use on a daily basis, otherwise I'll forget they exist. The folders are largely for work.
Boring.
What you can't see to the right of the file organizer is a stack of CD's - this stack is relaxing piano music, for when I get really bitchy and need to completely tune out the rest of the world. Atop that is my desktop calendar from PPG.
If you don't know what is front and center on my desk, then you shouldn't be reading this blog. :) The wallpaper is a screen shot of the Stargate MMORPG.
Directly to the right of the laptop is my beer coaster - you can tell the time of day by the drink sitting on it. Mornings is coffee, afternoons is iced tea, evenings is wine. Next is the perforated notepad - aka the Desk Brain. Random notes live here until they no longer need to be remembered. Then my 10-key. I have a 10-key as opposed to a regular calculator because I like the ticker-tape.
The back corner is my Nerd Corner... the inventory of which includes:
Autographed photo of Wil Wheaton
Mulder and Scully action figures (Mulder has a flashlight, Scully has the cell phone)
Paperweight made by Dan during our first year of dating
small purple dragon
postit-note holder
The Cylon (external hard drive)
Webcam
massive pen holder, with pens organized by type and uses (of course) cards from friends, and beer coasters waiting to be mailed.
Various yin-yang symbols to remind me that life needs balance
The walls are covered in a hodgepodge of images from local artists and drawings by Gayle - the post cards of the Olympic Mountain region are my "view" (since my desk is technically located in what used to be the closet of this bedroom)
So what happens when we are forced to leave the sanctuary of our caves and venture out into that cold, cruel real world? Do we leave our identities behind? Hide our loot in our caves and explore the outer reaches without even our +3 Ring of Protection to shield us from the stones and daggers of the general population who just don't "get it"?
I say NO!
To that end, I introduce you to my Bag of Holding.
This is a purse I picked up some time ago at a greatly discounted price in a luggage shop within an outlet mall. The patches are relatively recent additions which I originally acquired from patchgeeks.com to decorate my camera bag, however the bag material was reluctant to accept a sewing needle, and as I didn't want to rip up the padding... the patches found a home on my purse.
It is truly a Bag of Holding - not only in size, but in functionality. There are several pockets around the outside which are just the right size for iPod, keys and cell phone... the interior has one large cavern surrounded by smaller built in... well just look...
I have several items divided into pouches for easy retrieval - necessary medications in one, frequent shopper cards in another - (the newest addition is the supercool notebook cover complete with sketchpad made by Marsbarn!) The black pouch is the protective cover around my Nintendo DS (the DS itself is the red version) but coolest thing of all is that the interior pockets of my bag are exactly the right size for the DS Guitar Hero cartridge. Oh... and my wallet is buried in there somewhere.
My Portable Cave contains everything I need to survive the "real world" - wallet for purchases, meds for emergencies, DS for waiting in lines, iPod to tune out the chaos, and decorative knick-knacks to help me feel at home.
My last post included a shot of me in my cave... albeit an out of focus backdrop version... so today I'd like to take you on a little tour.
Don't worry... it shouldn't be 3 hours... unless you read really slow.
OK, starting on our left we have my Big Impressive Scanner, atop which usually sits the latest editions of both B&W Magazine and LensWork, as well as my copy holder when I'm not actively using it for work. The next item over on my desk surface is my little spiral notebook - aka the Portable Brain. This is the notebook I carry around in my purse for all those "OH! I need to write this down" moments. It is currently flipped open on my desk as I'm contemplating the layout for the Geek Scoring Sheet in between work tasks. My computer glasses and one of the 3.6 billion pens I own rest on top. Behind that is my old monitor stand - from my pre-laptop days. I love having this riser on my desk to bring my folder organizer up above eye-level. I need to see the folders I use on a daily basis, otherwise I'll forget they exist. The folders are largely for work.
Boring.
What you can't see to the right of the file organizer is a stack of CD's - this stack is relaxing piano music, for when I get really bitchy and need to completely tune out the rest of the world. Atop that is my desktop calendar from PPG.
If you don't know what is front and center on my desk, then you shouldn't be reading this blog. :) The wallpaper is a screen shot of the Stargate MMORPG.
Directly to the right of the laptop is my beer coaster - you can tell the time of day by the drink sitting on it. Mornings is coffee, afternoons is iced tea, evenings is wine. Next is the perforated notepad - aka the Desk Brain. Random notes live here until they no longer need to be remembered. Then my 10-key. I have a 10-key as opposed to a regular calculator because I like the ticker-tape.
The back corner is my Nerd Corner... the inventory of which includes:
Autographed photo of Wil Wheaton
Mulder and Scully action figures (Mulder has a flashlight, Scully has the cell phone)
Paperweight made by Dan during our first year of dating
small purple dragon
postit-note holder
The Cylon (external hard drive)
Webcam
massive pen holder, with pens organized by type and uses (of course) cards from friends, and beer coasters waiting to be mailed.
Various yin-yang symbols to remind me that life needs balance
The walls are covered in a hodgepodge of images from local artists and drawings by Gayle - the post cards of the Olympic Mountain region are my "view" (since my desk is technically located in what used to be the closet of this bedroom)
So what happens when we are forced to leave the sanctuary of our caves and venture out into that cold, cruel real world? Do we leave our identities behind? Hide our loot in our caves and explore the outer reaches without even our +3 Ring of Protection to shield us from the stones and daggers of the general population who just don't "get it"?
I say NO!
To that end, I introduce you to my Bag of Holding.
This is a purse I picked up some time ago at a greatly discounted price in a luggage shop within an outlet mall. The patches are relatively recent additions which I originally acquired from patchgeeks.com to decorate my camera bag, however the bag material was reluctant to accept a sewing needle, and as I didn't want to rip up the padding... the patches found a home on my purse.
It is truly a Bag of Holding - not only in size, but in functionality. There are several pockets around the outside which are just the right size for iPod, keys and cell phone... the interior has one large cavern surrounded by smaller built in... well just look...
I have several items divided into pouches for easy retrieval - necessary medications in one, frequent shopper cards in another - (the newest addition is the supercool notebook cover complete with sketchpad made by Marsbarn!) The black pouch is the protective cover around my Nintendo DS (the DS itself is the red version) but coolest thing of all is that the interior pockets of my bag are exactly the right size for the DS Guitar Hero cartridge. Oh... and my wallet is buried in there somewhere.
My Portable Cave contains everything I need to survive the "real world" - wallet for purchases, meds for emergencies, DS for waiting in lines, iPod to tune out the chaos, and decorative knick-knacks to help me feel at home.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Adventures in Con-ing 2
Hi... I'm Jade and I'm a Geek.
(Everybody together now... "Hi Jade!")
I'm a wife. I'm a mom. And I'm a Sci Fi Geek, Band Geek, and casual gamer.
I've been meaning to come in here and introduce myself since PPG started this blog, but you know... it's just sorta been a crappy month. But I'm here now, fresh from an adventure in Geek-dome... PAX. (Penny Arcade Expo - a gamer's Con) I wasn't even sure I'd be able to go - given that it's scheduled over Labor Day Weekend and there are quite a few events that we would like to attend over the course of the next few days... but I had a two part mission to fulfill.
Part One: Get a copy of Wil Wheaton's limited edition chapter book "Sunken Treasure" (available only at cons this summer!)
Part Two: Get Wil Wheaton to autograph a photo of him that *I* took at the ECCC (Emerald City Comi-Con) last May.
(Part Two.point.five - if I had time - was to at least check out the Nintendo DS area)
So I didn't pre-register for the con, because I wasn't sure what day (if any) I could go... I figured I would just get a couple copies of the photo printed up, cross my fingers, and keep my eyes open for opportunities to sneak out of the house. I presumed I would spend the weekend triple checking the schedule and trying to slip away, but as luck would have it I had a wide open window this very afternoon, during Wil's first autograph session. Realizing the golden opportunity before me, I snagged it... donning my recently acquired Geek Shirt:
(If you can't read the shirt, it has a series of polyhedral die and says "Choose Your Weapon")
I headed out the door for Seattle.
Considering this is the weekend for PAX, Bumbershoot and some kind of big sports game (I think I heard Seahawks, but I could be wrong) the traffic was surprisingly light on my drive. Going the right direction off the freeway this time, I made it to the convention center from my neighborhood in about 20 minutes flat... to find a big barricade and a friendly sign indicating "GARAGE FULL". I inched down the block to a red light, which gave me a few minutes to get my bearings. Another garage appeared to be available a block down, so I set my sights on that and slipped through the entrance when the light turned green.
Then I drove up... and up... and up... and up... it was a vortex of parking levels - disorientingly gray and dark and dismal and humid. One other car embarked on this journey with me... each of us climbing each level, pausing at the corner to assess the line of bumpers to either side, and cruising on to the next level. Finally, at the topmost area (one floor *above* where the elevators reach) we both found a few empty spots, and tucked our cars away. I took a few minutes to memorize the floor level and approximate location of my car (only 7 levels? It felt like 20 while driving) and sought out the elevator.
As I said... the elevator didn't actually reach all the way to this level, but I did see a set of stairs, and a bunch of guys headed that direction. They were each over 6 feet tall easily (probably 6'3" - 6'5") and I'm guessing about 250 a piece. All dressed in black pants, some variety of black nerd shirt, a few with unbuttoned silk-like bowling shirts over. At least three of the six carried messenger bags.
Gaming gear. These guys are going the same direction I am... so I followed them down the stairs and over to the elevator bay.
For those who haven't met me in person... I'm roughly 5 feet tall and 120 pounds, so I felt a wee bit like I was in the company of giants as I assimilated myself with this group. But they were nice, one of them held the door to the bay open for me, so I guessed I didn't have to worry about being overlooked and stepped on. When the doors opened to the tiny little elevator, I stepped inside swiftly and leaned against the back bar. The guys followed me in, and the doors paused before closing.
"I'm waiting for the beeping to start," said one.
"You think we're over the weight capacity?" asked another.
I smiled. "I can always step out if it's a problem," I said.
They looked at me and laughed. The guy next to me looked down and said, "Yeah... I don't think you're going to be the problem here."
The doors closed, and the elevator creaked into motion.
"Maybe we should roll a d20 to save weight," said the blond in the corner... we all laughed.
The elevator stopped a couple floors down and the doors opened to another Con-goer. The group parted slightly, allowing him to squeeze into the nearly full elevator.
"Think skinny thoughts!" said the blond.
"Yeah... we might have to drop some loot here," his friend answered.
Down to level two, the elevator slowed to a squeaky halt and dinged again.
The guy in front of me spoke this time. "Alright, the next person on this thing is the first one eaten if we get stuck!" We all laughed, but as the doors opened we realized that the second level was street level, so we bustled out of the elevator to the fresh air outside.
Across the street, through the big glass doors, and up three levels of escalators we made our way to the convention floor. I parted ways with the Gamer Giants when they stopped at the "Credit Card" line for tickets and I was able to saunter over to the MUCH shorter "Cash Only" line. (It pays to hit the ATM first, folks!)
This con is huge. MUCH larger than ECCC. In fact... the room that held ECCC in May was the room they were using to hold the LINE to walk *in* to this con. So you can imagine my confusion when I turned from the ticket booth to walk through the doors... expecting to see a con and being faced with miles of yellow Police Line tape directing the thousands of people up and down the length of the convention floor. I had a mild sense of panic... I only had this narrow window this afternoon to get the book/autograph, and it was easily an hour or more of line in front of me. The line moved with plenty of speed, but it was LONG.
The worst part, though, was that as I entered the line and moseyed up and down the floor, I read through the program and I couldn't find the booths for the meet and greets anywhere on the expo floor. The Con was spread over several rooms (hell... several BUILDINGS) and I wasn't even sure I needed to be in that line. About halfway through my second run up the room (only 5 minutes or so, thankfully) I found an "Enforcer" (staff) and pulled him aside.
"I'm trying to find out where to go for... one of the panelists is going to have a booth somewhere but I don't think it'll be on the expo floor... so I'm not sure I need to be in this line?"
(That was a coherent question, right?)
"Who are you looking for?" he asked.
"Wil Wheaton."
"Ah... isn't he keynote? Where is the room for that..."
"No, he was keynote last year, he's on panels this year but he's also selling books at a booth somewhere..."
"OK... that's not on the expo floor, that'll be over in the skybridge area. You'll want to go around all these people to get there, but it's sort of in the same direction... just keep going where they are going and it's right before the expo room."
Here's the crazy thing, and it's hard to describe without scanning the map (which I'm too damned lazy to do right now... sorry) but the damned skybridge IS the entrance to the expo room. It's not near it, or around it, it IS it. So going with the directions given to me by the Enforcer, and with nobody official ever stopping me or pointing me in any other direction, and feeling entirely lost, I walked AROUND literally thousands of people, down a narrow hall, and into the expo entrance in 5 minutes.
What the hell was that? I still have no explanation.
But there I was, and Wil's booth was directly in front of me, and I stood there... third in line... 4 minutes after he was scheduled to start signing.
Sweet.
He arrived slightly late and talked with the first person in line as he set up his booth. I didn't bring my camera this time, since I wasn't there for any panels I just didn't want to lug it around... so I had nothing to fidget with except my DS.
I worked on my Sudoku puzzle quietly and tried to pretend I wasn't nervous.
I overheard bits of his conversations with the people in front of me. He recognized the couple and talked to them at length, signing the books they were purchasing. The guy directly in front of me asked him how his rib was doing (he recently hurt his rib and has been on pain meds for it) but being next in line made me all nervous again so I kept staring at my DS and trying to breathe. When it was my turn I stepped up to the table.
"Hey there! How are you?" he asked, with a tone and look that suggested he'd seen me before.
"I'm doing really good, actually, how are you?"
"I'm good! You were here..." then he looked contemplative... "last year? No... no... Emerald City."
I smiled. "Yes I was. And you know... you didn't recognize my screen name, but I thought about it afterwards and realized that if you didn't know my initials, my screen name looks like "jaded-do" when you read it."
Don't ask, I have no idea why that was the first thing I blurted out. Just... don't ask.
He did laugh a little at that.
"So, I wanted to get one of your chapter books," I started.
"Sweet!" He pulled the top one from the pile and numbered the next one down. I got number 74 of 200. He leaned over to sign it, then looked up at me and said, "OK, so I'm going to need you to tell me your name again... I forget names because I'm a dick like that."
I laughed. "Well, you have a lot going on," I said.
He smiled. "Yeah... I do."
*pause*
Oh shit... my name. "Jerry Ann." (Hey look everyone! I got the Ann in there this time! Sweet.) "and I was hoping that you might sign one of the pictures that I took of you at Emerald City?"
"Sure!" he replied.
As he wrote... (To Jerry Ann Awesome! Wil Wheaton) he reiterated... "I almost never forget a face, but names I just lose within minutes."
"I'm totally like that too," I said, "don't worry about it, I'm terrible with names."
As I was pulling the photo out he saw the picture and his face brightened a little, then he said, "You know... I read your.. was it your blog or your flickr stream?"
"Blog."
"Your blog... about how you were watching me to try and get sort of the timing down with taking pictures - to get the various expressions and stuff... and you know I thought about that, and I've never really paid attention to stuff like that before, but after reading that I feel like I've become a better photographer."
"Wow. That's... that's really cool!"
I'm going to pause the story for just a moment to reflect on this. That may honestly be the coolest most flattering thing anyone has ever said to me- that something I randomly said in my blog would have any sort of impact on how someone approaches photography is just... well beyond the "really cool" I replied with.
And I also want to pause to reflect on what this says about Mr. Wil Wheaton. Because when I saw him at ECCC I was struck by how closely he listened to each individual who came out to see him - and this is an extension of that observation. I was shocked enough that he took the time to read my blog entry about ECCC - the man is bombarded with writing projects and blogs and acting gigs, and... he's a busy guy - and he didn't just gloss over the story... he took the time to really read it and think about it. And that's just damned cool.
Resuming story...
I handed him the photo to sign and he looked a little lost... he had a ball point pen in his hand. "Man I really wish I had a sharpie for this."
"Oh damn... I was going to bring one too." I started to shuffle through my bag (thinking one would magically appear, apparently, because I don't think I actually have one) and I heard someone behind me drop their purse on the floor to dig.
Yeah.. it's a con. You can expect about every 4th person should have a sharpie.
"I left my sharpies in my backpack, because I'm a moron," Wil said. The girl behind me handed him the sharpie laughing, and I smiled and thanked her.
While Wil signed my photo, I began to babble just a bit. "Yeah, I remember the timing took me a while to really get because when you were reading from your newer material," (I point to "Happiest Days") "you were looking down a lot more and it was hard to get you... but your other stuff..."
He nodded and smiled. "I know the material a lot better."
I nodded back. "Yeah. You know I actually learned about the timing thing while living in Santa Cruz and watching the surfers... observing them sort of gave me a feel for anticipating the right shot."
He smiled and handed me back the photo, saying something that I can't quite remember, but it had something to do with him thinking the picture was a good shot (I just can't remember exactly what he said)
"Oh, do you want a copy? Because I had two printed, just in case, so I've got one here..." I started digging back into my bag.
"Yeah! I'd love that! Very cool!"
That was the point where I began to feel the eyes of the line behind me boring into the back of my head, so I handed him the picture quickly and reached up to shake his hand. "It was good to see you again."
"Oh you too!" he replied "and enjoy the show."
I'd kind of forgotten there was a con going on. :)
"Yeah... and you enjoy your stay in Seattle. It's supposed to be nice this weekend." (I'm not sure what relevance the weather has, since he'll be indoors at the con for most of it, but you know.. it just sort of came out.)
"It's always been nice when I've come here!" he said.
"Well then, come visit more often, because our summer was sort of fucky." I smiled and waved as I walked off.
I was rather proud of myself... I'd managed to make it into the con, found his booth, bought the book, got my photo signed, and didn't make too much of an ass out of myself...
...except for the minor realization that I didn't actually BUY the book. I got the book, it was signed and in my bag, but somewhere in the babble I'd managed to walk away without having actually paid for the book.
Oops.
What do you say in a situation like this? Do you stand in line again just to hand him some cash? Do you look like a dick barging in front of everyone right up to the table? (I couldn't do that! There's a sign right behind him that specifically states "Wil Wheaton says - Don't be a dick!") So I took a few moments at a drinking fountain to settle my breathing back down, and made my way back to the skybridge.
Oh holy shit, there was a long line for his booth, and I simply did not have the time to wait in it. I tiptoed my way over to the side of the line, sort of halfway between booths, and waited. He was talking to someone else and I didn't want to interrupt, but I also didn't want to look like a stalker. Thankfully, he looked up and made eye contact, and his face had a sort of nice "did you need something else?" questiony look.
"Um hi... wasn't there supposed to be a price on these books?" I asked.
"Yeah... did I forget to charge you?" he asked.
I laughed. "Yes, yes you did."
I was still giggling a little when I handed him the money. "Hey, it's a really chaotic day here."
"It is..." he said "Thanks for coming back!"
I smiled. "No problem. Take care." and I waved as I walked away.
That wasn't so bad, right? I paid, I left, I hopefully didn't annoy the people standing in line.
Here is the photo I had him sign (you'll have to imagine a signature in black sharpie over his left shoulder)
I chose this photo, because this he is telling the story of the first time he met William Shatner, and how nervous he was... standing there with his hand extended only to be ignored. This is an illustration of how I feel when I meet people in general - shy, nervous, vulnerable. I chose this photos because it reminds me that I'm not alone in feeling nervous, and that helps me feel a lot less nervous.
And now I have a signed photo of Wil Wheaton that nobody else has. So I get extra Geek Points for that.
:)
(Everybody together now... "Hi Jade!")
I'm a wife. I'm a mom. And I'm a Sci Fi Geek, Band Geek, and casual gamer.
I've been meaning to come in here and introduce myself since PPG started this blog, but you know... it's just sorta been a crappy month. But I'm here now, fresh from an adventure in Geek-dome... PAX. (Penny Arcade Expo - a gamer's Con) I wasn't even sure I'd be able to go - given that it's scheduled over Labor Day Weekend and there are quite a few events that we would like to attend over the course of the next few days... but I had a two part mission to fulfill.
Part One: Get a copy of Wil Wheaton's limited edition chapter book "Sunken Treasure" (available only at cons this summer!)
Part Two: Get Wil Wheaton to autograph a photo of him that *I* took at the ECCC (Emerald City Comi-Con) last May.
(Part Two.point.five - if I had time - was to at least check out the Nintendo DS area)
So I didn't pre-register for the con, because I wasn't sure what day (if any) I could go... I figured I would just get a couple copies of the photo printed up, cross my fingers, and keep my eyes open for opportunities to sneak out of the house. I presumed I would spend the weekend triple checking the schedule and trying to slip away, but as luck would have it I had a wide open window this very afternoon, during Wil's first autograph session. Realizing the golden opportunity before me, I snagged it... donning my recently acquired Geek Shirt:
(If you can't read the shirt, it has a series of polyhedral die and says "Choose Your Weapon")
I headed out the door for Seattle.
Considering this is the weekend for PAX, Bumbershoot and some kind of big sports game (I think I heard Seahawks, but I could be wrong) the traffic was surprisingly light on my drive. Going the right direction off the freeway this time, I made it to the convention center from my neighborhood in about 20 minutes flat... to find a big barricade and a friendly sign indicating "GARAGE FULL". I inched down the block to a red light, which gave me a few minutes to get my bearings. Another garage appeared to be available a block down, so I set my sights on that and slipped through the entrance when the light turned green.
Then I drove up... and up... and up... and up... it was a vortex of parking levels - disorientingly gray and dark and dismal and humid. One other car embarked on this journey with me... each of us climbing each level, pausing at the corner to assess the line of bumpers to either side, and cruising on to the next level. Finally, at the topmost area (one floor *above* where the elevators reach) we both found a few empty spots, and tucked our cars away. I took a few minutes to memorize the floor level and approximate location of my car (only 7 levels? It felt like 20 while driving) and sought out the elevator.
As I said... the elevator didn't actually reach all the way to this level, but I did see a set of stairs, and a bunch of guys headed that direction. They were each over 6 feet tall easily (probably 6'3" - 6'5") and I'm guessing about 250 a piece. All dressed in black pants, some variety of black nerd shirt, a few with unbuttoned silk-like bowling shirts over. At least three of the six carried messenger bags.
Gaming gear. These guys are going the same direction I am... so I followed them down the stairs and over to the elevator bay.
For those who haven't met me in person... I'm roughly 5 feet tall and 120 pounds, so I felt a wee bit like I was in the company of giants as I assimilated myself with this group. But they were nice, one of them held the door to the bay open for me, so I guessed I didn't have to worry about being overlooked and stepped on. When the doors opened to the tiny little elevator, I stepped inside swiftly and leaned against the back bar. The guys followed me in, and the doors paused before closing.
"I'm waiting for the beeping to start," said one.
"You think we're over the weight capacity?" asked another.
I smiled. "I can always step out if it's a problem," I said.
They looked at me and laughed. The guy next to me looked down and said, "Yeah... I don't think you're going to be the problem here."
The doors closed, and the elevator creaked into motion.
"Maybe we should roll a d20 to save weight," said the blond in the corner... we all laughed.
The elevator stopped a couple floors down and the doors opened to another Con-goer. The group parted slightly, allowing him to squeeze into the nearly full elevator.
"Think skinny thoughts!" said the blond.
"Yeah... we might have to drop some loot here," his friend answered.
Down to level two, the elevator slowed to a squeaky halt and dinged again.
The guy in front of me spoke this time. "Alright, the next person on this thing is the first one eaten if we get stuck!" We all laughed, but as the doors opened we realized that the second level was street level, so we bustled out of the elevator to the fresh air outside.
Across the street, through the big glass doors, and up three levels of escalators we made our way to the convention floor. I parted ways with the Gamer Giants when they stopped at the "Credit Card" line for tickets and I was able to saunter over to the MUCH shorter "Cash Only" line. (It pays to hit the ATM first, folks!)
This con is huge. MUCH larger than ECCC. In fact... the room that held ECCC in May was the room they were using to hold the LINE to walk *in* to this con. So you can imagine my confusion when I turned from the ticket booth to walk through the doors... expecting to see a con and being faced with miles of yellow Police Line tape directing the thousands of people up and down the length of the convention floor. I had a mild sense of panic... I only had this narrow window this afternoon to get the book/autograph, and it was easily an hour or more of line in front of me. The line moved with plenty of speed, but it was LONG.
The worst part, though, was that as I entered the line and moseyed up and down the floor, I read through the program and I couldn't find the booths for the meet and greets anywhere on the expo floor. The Con was spread over several rooms (hell... several BUILDINGS) and I wasn't even sure I needed to be in that line. About halfway through my second run up the room (only 5 minutes or so, thankfully) I found an "Enforcer" (staff) and pulled him aside.
"I'm trying to find out where to go for... one of the panelists is going to have a booth somewhere but I don't think it'll be on the expo floor... so I'm not sure I need to be in this line?"
(That was a coherent question, right?)
"Who are you looking for?" he asked.
"Wil Wheaton."
"Ah... isn't he keynote? Where is the room for that..."
"No, he was keynote last year, he's on panels this year but he's also selling books at a booth somewhere..."
"OK... that's not on the expo floor, that'll be over in the skybridge area. You'll want to go around all these people to get there, but it's sort of in the same direction... just keep going where they are going and it's right before the expo room."
Here's the crazy thing, and it's hard to describe without scanning the map (which I'm too damned lazy to do right now... sorry) but the damned skybridge IS the entrance to the expo room. It's not near it, or around it, it IS it. So going with the directions given to me by the Enforcer, and with nobody official ever stopping me or pointing me in any other direction, and feeling entirely lost, I walked AROUND literally thousands of people, down a narrow hall, and into the expo entrance in 5 minutes.
What the hell was that? I still have no explanation.
But there I was, and Wil's booth was directly in front of me, and I stood there... third in line... 4 minutes after he was scheduled to start signing.
Sweet.
He arrived slightly late and talked with the first person in line as he set up his booth. I didn't bring my camera this time, since I wasn't there for any panels I just didn't want to lug it around... so I had nothing to fidget with except my DS.
I worked on my Sudoku puzzle quietly and tried to pretend I wasn't nervous.
I overheard bits of his conversations with the people in front of me. He recognized the couple and talked to them at length, signing the books they were purchasing. The guy directly in front of me asked him how his rib was doing (he recently hurt his rib and has been on pain meds for it) but being next in line made me all nervous again so I kept staring at my DS and trying to breathe. When it was my turn I stepped up to the table.
"Hey there! How are you?" he asked, with a tone and look that suggested he'd seen me before.
"I'm doing really good, actually, how are you?"
"I'm good! You were here..." then he looked contemplative... "last year? No... no... Emerald City."
I smiled. "Yes I was. And you know... you didn't recognize my screen name, but I thought about it afterwards and realized that if you didn't know my initials, my screen name looks like "jaded-do" when you read it."
Don't ask, I have no idea why that was the first thing I blurted out. Just... don't ask.
He did laugh a little at that.
"So, I wanted to get one of your chapter books," I started.
"Sweet!" He pulled the top one from the pile and numbered the next one down. I got number 74 of 200. He leaned over to sign it, then looked up at me and said, "OK, so I'm going to need you to tell me your name again... I forget names because I'm a dick like that."
I laughed. "Well, you have a lot going on," I said.
He smiled. "Yeah... I do."
*pause*
Oh shit... my name. "Jerry Ann." (Hey look everyone! I got the Ann in there this time! Sweet.) "and I was hoping that you might sign one of the pictures that I took of you at Emerald City?"
"Sure!" he replied.
As he wrote... (To Jerry Ann Awesome! Wil Wheaton) he reiterated... "I almost never forget a face, but names I just lose within minutes."
"I'm totally like that too," I said, "don't worry about it, I'm terrible with names."
As I was pulling the photo out he saw the picture and his face brightened a little, then he said, "You know... I read your.. was it your blog or your flickr stream?"
"Blog."
"Your blog... about how you were watching me to try and get sort of the timing down with taking pictures - to get the various expressions and stuff... and you know I thought about that, and I've never really paid attention to stuff like that before, but after reading that I feel like I've become a better photographer."
"Wow. That's... that's really cool!"
I'm going to pause the story for just a moment to reflect on this. That may honestly be the coolest most flattering thing anyone has ever said to me- that something I randomly said in my blog would have any sort of impact on how someone approaches photography is just... well beyond the "really cool" I replied with.
And I also want to pause to reflect on what this says about Mr. Wil Wheaton. Because when I saw him at ECCC I was struck by how closely he listened to each individual who came out to see him - and this is an extension of that observation. I was shocked enough that he took the time to read my blog entry about ECCC - the man is bombarded with writing projects and blogs and acting gigs, and... he's a busy guy - and he didn't just gloss over the story... he took the time to really read it and think about it. And that's just damned cool.
Resuming story...
I handed him the photo to sign and he looked a little lost... he had a ball point pen in his hand. "Man I really wish I had a sharpie for this."
"Oh damn... I was going to bring one too." I started to shuffle through my bag (thinking one would magically appear, apparently, because I don't think I actually have one) and I heard someone behind me drop their purse on the floor to dig.
Yeah.. it's a con. You can expect about every 4th person should have a sharpie.
"I left my sharpies in my backpack, because I'm a moron," Wil said. The girl behind me handed him the sharpie laughing, and I smiled and thanked her.
While Wil signed my photo, I began to babble just a bit. "Yeah, I remember the timing took me a while to really get because when you were reading from your newer material," (I point to "Happiest Days") "you were looking down a lot more and it was hard to get you... but your other stuff..."
He nodded and smiled. "I know the material a lot better."
I nodded back. "Yeah. You know I actually learned about the timing thing while living in Santa Cruz and watching the surfers... observing them sort of gave me a feel for anticipating the right shot."
He smiled and handed me back the photo, saying something that I can't quite remember, but it had something to do with him thinking the picture was a good shot (I just can't remember exactly what he said)
"Oh, do you want a copy? Because I had two printed, just in case, so I've got one here..." I started digging back into my bag.
"Yeah! I'd love that! Very cool!"
That was the point where I began to feel the eyes of the line behind me boring into the back of my head, so I handed him the picture quickly and reached up to shake his hand. "It was good to see you again."
"Oh you too!" he replied "and enjoy the show."
I'd kind of forgotten there was a con going on. :)
"Yeah... and you enjoy your stay in Seattle. It's supposed to be nice this weekend." (I'm not sure what relevance the weather has, since he'll be indoors at the con for most of it, but you know.. it just sort of came out.)
"It's always been nice when I've come here!" he said.
"Well then, come visit more often, because our summer was sort of fucky." I smiled and waved as I walked off.
I was rather proud of myself... I'd managed to make it into the con, found his booth, bought the book, got my photo signed, and didn't make too much of an ass out of myself...
...except for the minor realization that I didn't actually BUY the book. I got the book, it was signed and in my bag, but somewhere in the babble I'd managed to walk away without having actually paid for the book.
Oops.
What do you say in a situation like this? Do you stand in line again just to hand him some cash? Do you look like a dick barging in front of everyone right up to the table? (I couldn't do that! There's a sign right behind him that specifically states "Wil Wheaton says - Don't be a dick!") So I took a few moments at a drinking fountain to settle my breathing back down, and made my way back to the skybridge.
Oh holy shit, there was a long line for his booth, and I simply did not have the time to wait in it. I tiptoed my way over to the side of the line, sort of halfway between booths, and waited. He was talking to someone else and I didn't want to interrupt, but I also didn't want to look like a stalker. Thankfully, he looked up and made eye contact, and his face had a sort of nice "did you need something else?" questiony look.
"Um hi... wasn't there supposed to be a price on these books?" I asked.
"Yeah... did I forget to charge you?" he asked.
I laughed. "Yes, yes you did."
I was still giggling a little when I handed him the money. "Hey, it's a really chaotic day here."
"It is..." he said "Thanks for coming back!"
I smiled. "No problem. Take care." and I waved as I walked away.
That wasn't so bad, right? I paid, I left, I hopefully didn't annoy the people standing in line.
Here is the photo I had him sign (you'll have to imagine a signature in black sharpie over his left shoulder)
I chose this photo, because this he is telling the story of the first time he met William Shatner, and how nervous he was... standing there with his hand extended only to be ignored. This is an illustration of how I feel when I meet people in general - shy, nervous, vulnerable. I chose this photos because it reminds me that I'm not alone in feeling nervous, and that helps me feel a lot less nervous.
And now I have a signed photo of Wil Wheaton that nobody else has. So I get extra Geek Points for that.
:)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Keep Dreaming Geeky Dreams
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=23638
I want this so freaking badly I can taste it. But it's more than my daughter's preschool tuition. Barring that, I think I need this - though want is another thing altogether in this case:
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=22938
And then, there's this:
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/TshirtStoreDetail.asp?StyleID=184
Which goes perfectly with today's post. Baby afghans. I had a baby (my second) in April. I got the coolest freakin' handmade baby afghan EVER. To wit...
and just in case you need a closer view to "get" it...
Yeah, that's right. She knitted Earth's point of origin into the afghan.
and the written directions:
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif B: P8 K3 P3 K3 P7
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
(Sorry, I got bored of formatting about halfway through - I think I'll get this posted before another shiny object gets in the way!)
I want this so freaking badly I can taste it. But it's more than my daughter's preschool tuition. Barring that, I think I need this - though want is another thing altogether in this case:
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=22938
And then, there's this:
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/TshirtStoreDetail.asp?StyleID=184
Which goes perfectly with today's post. Baby afghans. I had a baby (my second) in April. I got the coolest freakin' handmade baby afghan EVER. To wit...
and just in case you need a closer view to "get" it...
Yeah, that's right. She knitted Earth's point of origin into the afghan.
FoxPhile, you RULE!
And to show, even more, how she rules... she's sharing how she did it with Keep the Geek readers. Though it looks complicated, FP would classify this as being "intermediate" in difficulty.
and the written directions:
Stargate Point of Origin Knit Baby Afghan Pattern.
Cast on 179 stitches. ( 24 stitches per motif x 7 motifs + 1 + 10 for side edges )
K1 P1 across 5 rows for the base
Each section is knit of 26 rows of Motif. 9 sections makes a nice size afghan.
Complete the piece with another 5 rows of K1 P1 across
Motif Rows (ABABABA pattern):
Row 1: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P across to last 5 stitches K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 2: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 K across to last 5 stitches K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 3: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P24
Motif B: P4 K5 P7 K5 P3
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 4: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 K across to last 5 stitches K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 5: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P5 K3 P9 K3 P4
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 6: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 7: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P6 K3 P7 K3 P5
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 8: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 9: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P7 K3 P5 K3 P6
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 10: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif B: P8 K3 P3 K3 P7
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 12: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 13: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P9 K3 P1 K3 P8
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 14: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 15: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P10 K5 P9
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 14: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 15: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P10 K5 P9
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 16: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 17: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P11 K3 P10
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 18: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 19: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 20: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 21: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P4 [K1 P1 8 times] K1 P3
Motif B: P11 K3 P10
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 22: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: K4 [K1 P1 8 times] K4
Motif B: K24
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 23: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P24
Motif B: P10 K5 P9
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 24: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 K across to last 5 stitches K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 25: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Alternate Motif A and Motif B across: ABABABA. End with one extra P1
Motif A: P24
Motif B: P11 K3 P10
K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
Row 26: K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 K across to last 5 stitches K1 P1 K1 P1 K1
After you complete the pattern in the ABABABA mode, repeat rows 1 thru 26, but start with Motif B and alternate Motif B and Motif A across: BABABAB.
(Sorry, I got bored of formatting about halfway through - I think I'll get this posted before another shiny object gets in the way!)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
If They Say No, It Means a Thousand Times No!
Or How To Not Drive Yourself Insane With Your Children's Music
You've probably noticed by now how ... insipid ... kid's music seems to be. And if you haven't? Dude, you've got your iPod cranked way too loud - you'll be deaf by 50 and your kids are playing in the street. Granted, this solves the problem of having to listen to the kid's music but I'm thinkin' you're probably not looking for that kind of permanency.
So, I've got two recordings (which for the sake of differentiating between a recording of an individual selection and a collection of selections, so to speak, I will call an album, dated though the term may be) to suggest over the next couple days - the first is alt group They Might Be Giant's No! (which I'll review below), the second Sandra Boynton (yes, the Sandra Boynton of the fluffy cats, barking dogs, and lonely hippopotami fame)'s Dog Train - both of which provide a little blessed relief from unending verses featuring purple Osmond-toothed dinosaurs.
No! is actually one of 3 (I think, there could be more) They Might Be Giant's children's albums (the others being Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s). The songs are ridiculous, true, but that's their appeal. These aren't songs written for what an adult wants kids to want - these are songs that appeal to kids on their level and, thank God, to we "adults" who haven't progressed much further.
No pleas for world peace or sermonizing here. From the creeptastic vibe of "The Edison Museum" to the plainly silly but oddly appealing "I Am A Grocery Bag", some of this album might appeal more to older children but my nearly 3 year old requests "Violin" (a very stream-of-consciousness recital of completely disparate objects), "In the Middle In the Middle In the Middle" (great vocals by Robin Goldwasser) , and "The House at the Top of the Tree" (beats the heck out of A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea) every time we get in the car and I've caught her singing "...one quarter of George Washington's head..." around the house - which is damn funny when you consider her (lack of) diction.
Honestly, I could do without "John Lee Supertaster" and she asks to flip by it but I think that's more a function of our respective ages than the song itself. "Robot Parade" is a favorite of hers though the anti-authoritarian bent underlying it escapes her I'm pretty sure (I hope!) and the mopy tones of "No!" make me laugh every time. I'm also hoping that the bedtime romp "Bed Bed Bed" rubs off on her soon! (Ok, so there is some propagandizing... not quite the same as sermonizing.)
One other thing... the songs are short. They say what they have to say and they stop. Good, bad, I don't know - but I know that kids don't get bored by them.
And now I think I need to go discover where they, indeed, make balloons and then sweep the kitchen floor because, unfortunately, I lost the "I Am Not Your Broom" battle.
You've probably noticed by now how ... insipid ... kid's music seems to be. And if you haven't? Dude, you've got your iPod cranked way too loud - you'll be deaf by 50 and your kids are playing in the street. Granted, this solves the problem of having to listen to the kid's music but I'm thinkin' you're probably not looking for that kind of permanency.
So, I've got two recordings (which for the sake of differentiating between a recording of an individual selection and a collection of selections, so to speak, I will call an album, dated though the term may be) to suggest over the next couple days - the first is alt group They Might Be Giant's No! (which I'll review below), the second Sandra Boynton (yes, the Sandra Boynton of the fluffy cats, barking dogs, and lonely hippopotami fame)'s Dog Train - both of which provide a little blessed relief from unending verses featuring purple Osmond-toothed dinosaurs.
No! is actually one of 3 (I think, there could be more) They Might Be Giant's children's albums (the others being Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s). The songs are ridiculous, true, but that's their appeal. These aren't songs written for what an adult wants kids to want - these are songs that appeal to kids on their level and, thank God, to we "adults" who haven't progressed much further.
No pleas for world peace or sermonizing here. From the creeptastic vibe of "The Edison Museum" to the plainly silly but oddly appealing "I Am A Grocery Bag", some of this album might appeal more to older children but my nearly 3 year old requests "Violin" (a very stream-of-consciousness recital of completely disparate objects), "In the Middle In the Middle In the Middle" (great vocals by Robin Goldwasser) , and "The House at the Top of the Tree" (beats the heck out of A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea) every time we get in the car and I've caught her singing "...one quarter of George Washington's head..." around the house - which is damn funny when you consider her (lack of) diction.
Honestly, I could do without "John Lee Supertaster" and she asks to flip by it but I think that's more a function of our respective ages than the song itself. "Robot Parade" is a favorite of hers though the anti-authoritarian bent underlying it escapes her I'm pretty sure (I hope!) and the mopy tones of "No!" make me laugh every time. I'm also hoping that the bedtime romp "Bed Bed Bed" rubs off on her soon! (Ok, so there is some propagandizing... not quite the same as sermonizing.)
One other thing... the songs are short. They say what they have to say and they stop. Good, bad, I don't know - but I know that kids don't get bored by them.
And now I think I need to go discover where they, indeed, make balloons and then sweep the kitchen floor because, unfortunately, I lost the "I Am Not Your Broom" battle.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
You Know You Need Re-Geeking When...
LeVar Burton no longer looks strange to you without Geordi La Forge's shiny banana clip...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
It’s not just the Mommyverse where geekiness is
pooh-poohed (sorry).
Try the REAL serious corporate world. Sure, my husband can wear his Klingon cufflinks and carry the Romulan Star Empire keychain I got him but even that’s radical for the life we’re leading these days. Gone are the days of the tie with the tiny Starfleet insignia hidden in the pattern. Sigh.
I’ve found that the best thing to do when going to an event in CW (corporate wife) mode is to immediately seek out the IT folk. Instead of listening to boring, makes-me-want-to-pour-hot-tar-in-my-ears subjects I don’t usually understand, I’m pretty much guaranteed to find a reason to get through the evening without too much alcohol if I find somebody who can take apart and put back together every Blackberry in the room. I’ve got some lines to suss out the like-minded. Quoting a Rule Of Acquisition such as number three is good for the particular situation my husband finds himself in these days (a rueful forty-five thrown in so his job won’t be in danger!). 255 always gets a laugh (and, once, a ‘you WILL let me know if you and your husband ever part ways’ that bordered on the decidedly sincere).
It’s not just the boys with Jeri Ryan screensavers who can keep you amused. I once spent a brilliant half hour in Tokyo with a top IT partner for a big accountancy firm. On a whim, I wore the Klingon cufflinks to this after-work drinks thing I promised to attend (‘you’re my eye candy’ jokes the Better Half and he wasn’t far off that night). I’d spent the day in Ikebukuro at Tokyu Hands hunting for funky items for which this store is well known – try a whole Godzilla department -- and was not looking forward to what was sure to be a decidedly dull end to the day. Long story short; I wound up sitting on a bench in the coat check with this chap so he could look through the bag of goodies I found. I left with addresses for his favorite Tokyo and Hong Kong shops. My new friend had a consultation with the bartenders and got as close as possible (in his broken Japanese) to an Aldebaran Whiskey for me.
It was vile, but it’s the thought that counts.
IWOM
Try the REAL serious corporate world. Sure, my husband can wear his Klingon cufflinks and carry the Romulan Star Empire keychain I got him but even that’s radical for the life we’re leading these days. Gone are the days of the tie with the tiny Starfleet insignia hidden in the pattern. Sigh.
I’ve found that the best thing to do when going to an event in CW (corporate wife) mode is to immediately seek out the IT folk. Instead of listening to boring, makes-me-want-to-pour-hot-tar-in-my-ears subjects I don’t usually understand, I’m pretty much guaranteed to find a reason to get through the evening without too much alcohol if I find somebody who can take apart and put back together every Blackberry in the room. I’ve got some lines to suss out the like-minded. Quoting a Rule Of Acquisition such as number three is good for the particular situation my husband finds himself in these days (a rueful forty-five thrown in so his job won’t be in danger!). 255 always gets a laugh (and, once, a ‘you WILL let me know if you and your husband ever part ways’ that bordered on the decidedly sincere).
It’s not just the boys with Jeri Ryan screensavers who can keep you amused. I once spent a brilliant half hour in Tokyo with a top IT partner for a big accountancy firm. On a whim, I wore the Klingon cufflinks to this after-work drinks thing I promised to attend (‘you’re my eye candy’ jokes the Better Half and he wasn’t far off that night). I’d spent the day in Ikebukuro at Tokyu Hands hunting for funky items for which this store is well known – try a whole Godzilla department -- and was not looking forward to what was sure to be a decidedly dull end to the day. Long story short; I wound up sitting on a bench in the coat check with this chap so he could look through the bag of goodies I found. I left with addresses for his favorite Tokyo and Hong Kong shops. My new friend had a consultation with the bartenders and got as close as possible (in his broken Japanese) to an Aldebaran Whiskey for me.
It was vile, but it’s the thought that counts.
IWOM
Monday, June 30, 2008
The First Thing to Go Is The Bag
The first thing to go is your bag... One day, it's brushed aluminum laptop armor, the next it's a beige (beige, for cryin' out loud!) lump of plastic covered with itty bitty flowers in pink and purple. Ok, beyond being totally impractical, this is just too normal for words. So freakin' wrong.
The best advice I have to give is this: don't shop in the diaper bag aisle. Honestly? The only thing that differentiates diaper bags from the other bags in our lives are the things that come in them (bottle coolers, accessory baglets) and you can get those elsewhere. Get yourself a plain messenger bag - they work really well and, unlike most diaper bags, they'll stay on your shoulder when you're juggling an infant, your housekeys, and your laptop case. In fact, if you have a small enough laptop and a large enough bag, it can serve as both a diaper bag and a laptop case. (Me, I'm running a 17" widescreen - ain't no way it's covering both.)
Ok, so the messenger bag wasn't enough for me. I had to take it one step further.
Some sources for Stargate patches:
A gazillion SGC+ uniform patches from patchgeeks.com (how can you argue with a site that's got geek in its name??!)
Ok, so they can't spell, but I love that they feel the need to specify which galaxy they're shipping from: Intergalactic Trading
And for those who are feeling more diabolically geeky and are on the other side of the pond: Jaffa patches
The best advice I have to give is this: don't shop in the diaper bag aisle. Honestly? The only thing that differentiates diaper bags from the other bags in our lives are the things that come in them (bottle coolers, accessory baglets) and you can get those elsewhere. Get yourself a plain messenger bag - they work really well and, unlike most diaper bags, they'll stay on your shoulder when you're juggling an infant, your housekeys, and your laptop case. In fact, if you have a small enough laptop and a large enough bag, it can serve as both a diaper bag and a laptop case. (Me, I'm running a 17" widescreen - ain't no way it's covering both.)
Ok, so the messenger bag wasn't enough for me. I had to take it one step further.
Some sources for Stargate patches:
A gazillion SGC+ uniform patches from patchgeeks.com (how can you argue with a site that's got geek in its name??!)
Ok, so they can't spell, but I love that they feel the need to specify which galaxy they're shipping from: Intergalactic Trading
And for those who are feeling more diabolically geeky and are on the other side of the pond: Jaffa patches
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)