If you are like a lot of people, you probably do some form of writing now and again. And no I don't mean any sort of dissertation on who was a better captain, James Kirk or Malcolm Reynolds, although I would be interested. I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. My first fit of writing fancy was a small construction paper book about a day at the beach which I made at the tender age of five. Probably my only great literary work to date. I love the meaning, the nuance, and the pure sadistic fun of stringing words together. I have actually looked up words in the dictionary just to learn the meanings. Now its time to put my words to better use rather than torturing my readers with yet more terrible puns.
There is even a month to celebrate putting large amounts of words together. November is National Novel writing month. So get out your laptops and start typing. At the Nanowrimo website you can sign up for your own novel writing challenge - write a novel (50,000 words) in a month. Of course its a huge undertaking. That's why its a challenge. Need help? How about a quick guide to writing a novel in 100 days? But you still only get 30 days for the challenge. Sorry.
Wonderful podcasts can help get you moving, answer those hard writing questions, and interview people who write for a living. Mur Lafferty always makes me laugh and her podcasts are a great place to sample some of her writing as well as great info on writing. You can find her at I Should be Writing, Geek Fu Action Grip, and one of her stories was featured recently at my favorite place for podcasted short stories Escape Pod.
Of course writing means using a lot of words. If you want to get wordly adventurous or double check your facts, Wikipedia is a great place to go. There's now also a wiki for quotes, a dictionary & thesaurus, and free textbooks. Everything you could ever need to be accurate (or inaccurate; hey, its your story).
But don't forget your most basic tool: your imagination. Go get your word geek on. Maybe you'll be the next Salinger. Because its definitely not going to be me.
This has been your fascination facilitation word Geek Find of the Day.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Zombies mean love
There are days when you feel disconnected. Perhaps a bit dead-like combined with a terrible case of the munchies. Don't you just wish you could walk around in a stupor and do nothing but moan? Of course you do! Zombies are back and better than ever. You too can be a zombie and I don't mean just at work. Dress up like a zombie and find yourself a Zombie Walk in the town nearest you at the Zombie Walk forum. Before you venture forth to snack on some grey matter, get into the mood by listening to Jonathan Coulton's classic, Re Your Brains.
For those of you who would rather avoid and/or overcome zombies, you have plenty of self-help guides. The Zombie Survival Guide can help you combat those nasty zombies as they attempt to eat your brains. I also suggest Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later (no, not the Sandra Bullock movie), depending on the type of zombies invading your town. For you, Queen may be a better choice of music. Or Staying Alive.
This has been your Zombified Geek-Find of the Day. Annnnhh.
For those of you who would rather avoid and/or overcome zombies, you have plenty of self-help guides. The Zombie Survival Guide can help you combat those nasty zombies as they attempt to eat your brains. I also suggest Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later (no, not the Sandra Bullock movie), depending on the type of zombies invading your town. For you, Queen may be a better choice of music. Or Staying Alive.
This has been your Zombified Geek-Find of the Day. Annnnhh.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Taking death to a whole new, uh, . . .place.
Human history is not all that long. If you want to look at the whole damn depressing timeline we've only been here five minutes, earthly speaking. Like everything else on this planet everyone gets a chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm dancing around the one thing nobody likes to talk about but we all get to do - die. It can be sad, it can be depressing, and it can really mess you up. So let's go at it straight on, kids.
When organizing your family vacation, there's no better way to bond then look for dead celebs. Asassinated presidents, your favorite televangelist - find them all at Find A Grave. This database is updated quickly so you can already find the recently passed on. On a more serious note (hah!), this is a great way to find a more tangible existence for those great personages and not just stare at a monument or two. After all, we're all human.
Of course those great pillars of history had their own stupid moments. Some of which you might imagine to be chronicled in the infamous Darwin Awards. Who knows - they might be. But in case you're like me and too lazy to actually look, you can find some of the dumber ways famous people offed themselves on accident here.
Now, I'm not saying death is great. However, we can't exactly avoid it. Death is not the focus of life simply another of its quirks, tragic in all its glory. Enjoy the journey. And remember that even famous people can be really, really stupid (like I had to remind you).
This has been your, well, creepy Geek Find of the Day.
When organizing your family vacation, there's no better way to bond then look for dead celebs. Asassinated presidents, your favorite televangelist - find them all at Find A Grave. This database is updated quickly so you can already find the recently passed on. On a more serious note (hah!), this is a great way to find a more tangible existence for those great personages and not just stare at a monument or two. After all, we're all human.
Of course those great pillars of history had their own stupid moments. Some of which you might imagine to be chronicled in the infamous Darwin Awards. Who knows - they might be. But in case you're like me and too lazy to actually look, you can find some of the dumber ways famous people offed themselves on accident here.
Now, I'm not saying death is great. However, we can't exactly avoid it. Death is not the focus of life simply another of its quirks, tragic in all its glory. Enjoy the journey. And remember that even famous people can be really, really stupid (like I had to remind you).
This has been your, well, creepy Geek Find of the Day.
Friday, August 18, 2006
What keeps me too busy . . .for now
Sadly I've been so busy training for my big challenging race, I haven't really had the time to post at all recently. So I figure a quick hello I'll be back real soon was appropriate to put right . . Here. With Hood-To-Coast coming up I've been running about two times a day, not to mention weekends. I'm so tired at night I can't wait to be in bed by 9:30p. I feel very lame. Its okay though. I've missed a few things and what I have kept up with, I just don't have time to commsierate about. I hope everyone will be patient just a little longer while I get myself back together again. After next weekend, I'm going back to slacking with beer. Aw, the good old days.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
A banjo, a battlestar and some rambling
I had seen some trailers for Eureka on SciFi channel and I found it to be intriguing. I don't watch too much television unless I'm really hooked. Until I found Battlestar Galactica the last time anything hooked me was when X-Files came out eons ago. And I didn't even stick around for the last three seasons. I just couldn't handle all the annoying new people. How excited was I to see a trailer for the new season of BSG. Practically giddy I tell ya. Now at first I was more crack addict just happy for a fix as the images floated across my screen. After it all soaked in I realized something - the music they played during the trailer would more likely be heard on a Fox teen angst preview then on Battlestar. WTF! A little concern, a little worry. Of course I'll be watching the season premier in October.
There is a time in every person's life when they need a new challenge. I decided mine would be the annual Hood-to-Coast relay run here in Oregon. A wonderfully grueling 12 person relay run from the top of Mt Hood to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. I've run some 5ks and I love to work out so I thought this might be a good way to kick start myself. Get a new work out regimen going and really get into great shape. Its been going well. Until I hit a small snag. My left ankle is sore and achy. Enough so that on a run the other day I pretty much felt like walking, or rather limping my way back. My running partner, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, had made a comment about having my leg give out in the middle of one of my legs and being eaten by a deer (amazingly, deer still exist in Oregon). I then had a sudden maddening desire to write something on the subject. What follows is, I dare say, a comment on how a mind can be twisted beyond repair by our society and gummy bears. Forgive me.
I'm running my last leg of Hood-To-Coast. The pain is terrible now. Suddenly - my leg pops right off! No warning. No hey by the way your leg is thinking about ceceding from the union. It just comes off. So there I am. Somewhere in the god-forsaken coastal forest ready to turn my tank top into a white flag and mount it from the offending leg. When wonder of wonders, a lone deer comes out of the woods. It has probably been attracted by the scent of my ragged stump. Although it seems like it's going to start nibbling the nub, it takes pity on me. As I look into the deer's large overly drawn cartoon eyes I realize they can only belong to one deer - Bambi. I hop on his broad back and away we go! We're leaping and bounding down the road. I finish the race atop a giant 18 point Bambi waving my leg, which I did actually tie my tank top to, in triumph. I am pronounced a tragic hero and the losers who made it across the line first are disqualified in favor of my heroicness. I then lead a life of motivational speeches, crying about my childhood w/ Oprah, and end up wealthily wallowing in my mansion looking for Rosebud.
So there you have it. I will understand if you happen to be a member of family, read this and decide to disown me. Now for something completely different, I leave you with a wonderful piece of happiness. Trust me, this will help ease the pain of my musings. The theme song to Star Wars. On a banjo.
This has been your horribly, disturbingly wrong Geek Find of the Day.
There is a time in every person's life when they need a new challenge. I decided mine would be the annual Hood-to-Coast relay run here in Oregon. A wonderfully grueling 12 person relay run from the top of Mt Hood to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. I've run some 5ks and I love to work out so I thought this might be a good way to kick start myself. Get a new work out regimen going and really get into great shape. Its been going well. Until I hit a small snag. My left ankle is sore and achy. Enough so that on a run the other day I pretty much felt like walking, or rather limping my way back. My running partner, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, had made a comment about having my leg give out in the middle of one of my legs and being eaten by a deer (amazingly, deer still exist in Oregon). I then had a sudden maddening desire to write something on the subject. What follows is, I dare say, a comment on how a mind can be twisted beyond repair by our society and gummy bears. Forgive me.
I'm running my last leg of Hood-To-Coast. The pain is terrible now. Suddenly - my leg pops right off! No warning. No hey by the way your leg is thinking about ceceding from the union. It just comes off. So there I am. Somewhere in the god-forsaken coastal forest ready to turn my tank top into a white flag and mount it from the offending leg. When wonder of wonders, a lone deer comes out of the woods. It has probably been attracted by the scent of my ragged stump. Although it seems like it's going to start nibbling the nub, it takes pity on me. As I look into the deer's large overly drawn cartoon eyes I realize they can only belong to one deer - Bambi. I hop on his broad back and away we go! We're leaping and bounding down the road. I finish the race atop a giant 18 point Bambi waving my leg, which I did actually tie my tank top to, in triumph. I am pronounced a tragic hero and the losers who made it across the line first are disqualified in favor of my heroicness. I then lead a life of motivational speeches, crying about my childhood w/ Oprah, and end up wealthily wallowing in my mansion looking for Rosebud.
So there you have it. I will understand if you happen to be a member of family, read this and decide to disown me. Now for something completely different, I leave you with a wonderful piece of happiness. Trust me, this will help ease the pain of my musings. The theme song to Star Wars. On a banjo.
This has been your horribly, disturbingly wrong Geek Find of the Day.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Politi-geek
I was inspired by a friend who, good-naturedly, was lamenting about the distinct lack of political-ness here on the Geek Find. Happily for me, I didn't have to try too incredibly hard. Being a geek doesn't mean burying your head in the latest Astonishing X-Men or being too googly about the fact they are making a movie of the manga Battle Angel Alita. A geek can be just as serious as the big-time pundits on TV (insert laughter about TV personalities here). I've begun to avoid the televised news as there is never anything thoughtfully discussed about local or national issues, unless its on OPB. You can see better political manueverings and discussions on Battlestar Galactica or West Wing. But that's why I love podcasts. I can find the people who keep my interest and have something to say which interests me.
This vague notion of political geekery was rolling around in my mind when I listened to one of my favorite podcasts today, Escape Pod. The most recent story, Shadowboxer, was disturbing in a political ethics sort of way. In a war on terror, what are we willing to give up? And what are we willing to do to secure our way of life? Which leads me to another, perhaps too serious Tuesday question: Do we need to change our thoughts on our way of life and the way it survives? Am I touching on blasphemy? Shocking? Check out the story and decide for you self.
Of course you can't have political discourse without people to fire you up. I mean, Fox has Bill O'Reilly and Anne Coulter. I find them very similar to Jerry Springer (What? You can't see Jerry in a blonde wig?). Outrageous and a tad on the far side for me. You can only shout at the TV so many times before it gets old. I haven't chanted 'Jerry! Jerry!' in years. The Leftwing Nutjob podcast lets me be outraged without hearing Bill hoarsely drowning out opponents. There isn't any yelling which saves my poor ears.
If you aren't in the podcast-listening mood, you can always check out a few places with way too many fun facts. NPR is fast becoming my only news source. Easy to read and with more than just the impression of being balanced, I absolutely adore the site. Of course, they also have podcasts from their shows, which are very nice too.
Tired of hearing how badly Dems behave? Or at least finding only them scandalized in the news most often. Now you have a home to call your own with the Republicans Behaving Badly blog. You know they can't all be good upstanding leaders . . .
Do I lean a wee tad to the left? Well, yes I do. Do I think all Republicans are big idiots? Well, no. Or at least not all of them. But then I will admit some Dems are big idiots too. The only way to get out of this mess alive is to attempt some sort of civil discourse. Mud slinging back and forth is just dirty. Not to mention eventually it seems to turn into bombs. Those are a lot more deadly. Here's hoping peace will come to the world. And Anne Coulter comes to her senses. I'm just kidding. Sort of.
This has been your politi-Geek Find of the Day.
This vague notion of political geekery was rolling around in my mind when I listened to one of my favorite podcasts today, Escape Pod. The most recent story, Shadowboxer, was disturbing in a political ethics sort of way. In a war on terror, what are we willing to give up? And what are we willing to do to secure our way of life? Which leads me to another, perhaps too serious Tuesday question: Do we need to change our thoughts on our way of life and the way it survives? Am I touching on blasphemy? Shocking? Check out the story and decide for you self.
Of course you can't have political discourse without people to fire you up. I mean, Fox has Bill O'Reilly and Anne Coulter. I find them very similar to Jerry Springer (What? You can't see Jerry in a blonde wig?). Outrageous and a tad on the far side for me. You can only shout at the TV so many times before it gets old. I haven't chanted 'Jerry! Jerry!' in years. The Leftwing Nutjob podcast lets me be outraged without hearing Bill hoarsely drowning out opponents. There isn't any yelling which saves my poor ears.
If you aren't in the podcast-listening mood, you can always check out a few places with way too many fun facts. NPR is fast becoming my only news source. Easy to read and with more than just the impression of being balanced, I absolutely adore the site. Of course, they also have podcasts from their shows, which are very nice too.
Tired of hearing how badly Dems behave? Or at least finding only them scandalized in the news most often. Now you have a home to call your own with the Republicans Behaving Badly blog. You know they can't all be good upstanding leaders . . .
Do I lean a wee tad to the left? Well, yes I do. Do I think all Republicans are big idiots? Well, no. Or at least not all of them. But then I will admit some Dems are big idiots too. The only way to get out of this mess alive is to attempt some sort of civil discourse. Mud slinging back and forth is just dirty. Not to mention eventually it seems to turn into bombs. Those are a lot more deadly. Here's hoping peace will come to the world. And Anne Coulter comes to her senses. I'm just kidding. Sort of.
This has been your politi-Geek Find of the Day.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Don't quote me
There are times in life where you grope for the perfect phrase which will express exactly how you are feeling right there and then. "Well, forget it! I'm not doing it! This episode was badly written!" -- Gwen DeMarco, Galaxy Quest
Now you too can have quotes for all occasions. Amaze your friends! Flabbergast your family (preferably at your sister's wedding)! And don't forget a few 'Dammit Jims' for good measure. I will help arm you with enough quote material to last the rest of your AIM lifetime. Find a new e-mail signature today!
Links:
Wikiquote - I found this site looking for new quotes. Pretty neat.
Galaxy Quest
Firefly/Serenity
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (movie)
Same, only the book instead
Star Trek - because
Star Trek - the more, the merrier.
Star Wars - because. Again.
Space Balls
Monty Python
Einstein - kind of a genius and a little on the funny side.
A big long list of scifi quotes
This has been your 'Back off man. I'm a scientist.' Geek Find of the Day. (Venkman, Ghost Busters)
Now you too can have quotes for all occasions. Amaze your friends! Flabbergast your family (preferably at your sister's wedding)! And don't forget a few 'Dammit Jims' for good measure. I will help arm you with enough quote material to last the rest of your AIM lifetime. Find a new e-mail signature today!
Links:
Wikiquote - I found this site looking for new quotes. Pretty neat.
Galaxy Quest
Firefly/Serenity
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (movie)
Same, only the book instead
Star Trek - because
Star Trek - the more, the merrier.
Star Wars - because. Again.
Space Balls
Monty Python
Einstein - kind of a genius and a little on the funny side.
A big long list of scifi quotes
This has been your 'Back off man. I'm a scientist.' Geek Find of the Day. (Venkman, Ghost Busters)
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Learn to be Crafty
There is just something about making your own truly geeky usable art. Its different, fun and unusual. After all, how many people do you know with a knitted Spock on their chest? I knew I had to put up a list of funky stuff when a friend and I started thinking up Firefly cross-stitch patterns. Below is a list of great crafts all for your crazy creative habit. Things like the creations listed below are what truly show off your geek flag. Let it fly and let it fly proud! I make ornaments and very odd scarves. I'm very excited to try out the Jayne hat too. My very first hat! Now get out there and get creating! Enjoy!
Links:
Jayne Cobb Hat
Jayne's Hat knit kit
Star Wars sweaters
Dr. Who scarf!
Dr. Who's K-9 (Just love the music to that show)
Star Trek - Bones was so a closet knitting freak
Alas Yorick!
Linux Scarf - because you just knew someone out there would come up with it.
Harry Potter
How to make your very own Nintendo purse
Make's Craft Magazine
Make blog. Where crazy people like us post the stuff they come up with
Join your very own geeky crafter tribe
Find even more Crafty geek stuff to make!
This has been your I'll show you my Jayne hat if you show me your Linux scarf Geek Find of the Day!
Links:
Jayne Cobb Hat
Jayne's Hat knit kit
Star Wars sweaters
Dr. Who scarf!
Dr. Who's K-9 (Just love the music to that show)
Star Trek - Bones was so a closet knitting freak
Alas Yorick!
Linux Scarf - because you just knew someone out there would come up with it.
Harry Potter
How to make your very own Nintendo purse
Make's Craft Magazine
Make blog. Where crazy people like us post the stuff they come up with
Join your very own geeky crafter tribe
Find even more Crafty geek stuff to make!
This has been your I'll show you my Jayne hat if you show me your Linux scarf Geek Find of the Day!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Serenity is coming June 23rd; be in the know!
Hello! I know it has been eons since I last posted and I have a few things up my sleeve, but I wanted to let everyone know about Serenity Day. June 23rd (also Joss Whedon's birthday) there will be screenings of Serenity to benefit Equality Now, Joss's favorite charity. This is going to be huge folks. Find out where your nearest screening is and get out to see Serenity. Not just because its one of the greatest movies ever, but also because it benefits a good cause. Check out the links below!
PS - PDX Browncoats now have a local screening. Check out the PDX specific link below!
Links:
Serenity screenings near you
PDX screening info
PDX Browncoats site
Equality Now
Serenity
Firefly
This has been your gorram shiny Geek Find of the Day!
PS - PDX Browncoats now have a local screening. Check out the PDX specific link below!
Links:
Serenity screenings near you
PDX screening info
PDX Browncoats site
Equality Now
Serenity
Firefly
This has been your gorram shiny Geek Find of the Day!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Klingon is so 20th Century
For a good time start pillaging and get out an eye patch. Its time to learn Pirate. Not only will you gain great fashion sense (anything's better than Madonna's touring outfits), you'll be Pirate-fluent in time for Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September. So dust off those pantaloons 'cause there's a new pirate in town! Which is most definitely true here in my native Pacific Northwest. There is a pirate festival taking place this weekend in Ilwaco, Washington. Its actually called the Nautical Renaissance which, even though it sounds vaguely high-fallutin', means people like me can drag out my best pirate brogue for the occasion.
What is it about pirates that makes us want to have pirate festivals and talk like a pirate one whole day out of the year? Pirates are a wonderful romantic notion who conjure up images of bloodthirsty violence and deliciously bad romance novels with suitable pirate hunks on the covers. Historically speaking, pirates were more likely to die young than get bloody rich and retire (a' la "At last, we can retire and give up this life of crime".) Perhaps our fascination comes from the fact pirates operated outside of society and leave us with the notion of someone who was able to sail away from civilized constraints - a means of being truly free. Okay, I think that's enough philosophizing on that. Now mateys! Get ye to th' links below ta find out hows you can learn pirate speech n' become an 'onest ta goodness pirate. Jes' like me!
Links:
If ye be in th' Pacific Northwest - be visitin' Ilwaco!
Talk Like a Pirate Day official site
Talk Like a Pirate Day fer ye en merry ole' England
'nother Pirate Day site! Arrrr.
A Pirate Dictionary will show ye the way!
More Pirate talk, yar.
Avast! Here be Pirate names!:
Pirate name quiz - 'ighly recommended by th' cabin boy
Gangstaname.com's Pirate name generator
Ye be the Cap'n? Or th' First Mate?
A name fer the wench
Yur boat needs a name too!
This 'as bin yur walk the plank Geek Find o' th' day! Yo ho!
What is it about pirates that makes us want to have pirate festivals and talk like a pirate one whole day out of the year? Pirates are a wonderful romantic notion who conjure up images of bloodthirsty violence and deliciously bad romance novels with suitable pirate hunks on the covers. Historically speaking, pirates were more likely to die young than get bloody rich and retire (a' la "At last, we can retire and give up this life of crime".) Perhaps our fascination comes from the fact pirates operated outside of society and leave us with the notion of someone who was able to sail away from civilized constraints - a means of being truly free. Okay, I think that's enough philosophizing on that. Now mateys! Get ye to th' links below ta find out hows you can learn pirate speech n' become an 'onest ta goodness pirate. Jes' like me!
Links:
If ye be in th' Pacific Northwest - be visitin' Ilwaco!
Talk Like a Pirate Day official site
Talk Like a Pirate Day fer ye en merry ole' England
'nother Pirate Day site! Arrrr.
A Pirate Dictionary will show ye the way!
More Pirate talk, yar.
Avast! Here be Pirate names!:
Pirate name quiz - 'ighly recommended by th' cabin boy
Gangstaname.com's Pirate name generator
Ye be the Cap'n? Or th' First Mate?
A name fer the wench
Yur boat needs a name too!
This 'as bin yur walk the plank Geek Find o' th' day! Yo ho!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Ode to Scifi
I have always had a fascination with scifi. A Wrinkle in Time was the first book I read more than once. Eventually I read the whole series. I've been hooked ever since. Sure, fiction about the here and now is entertaining and all. But the possibilities for humanity are endless. Many things may be improbable, but not always impossible. Now with shiny podcasts and numerous blogs you can keep up with all the latest scifi rumors.
Dude. Scifi!:
Slice of Scifi - a podcast from Mike and Evo
Scifi Podcast Network - find even more scifi podcasts to enjoy
SF Signal - for your shiny scifi blogged news
Don't forget to check out my previous posts on Firefly, Escape Pod, and the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas for even more scifi goodness!
This has been your "Luke, I am your father" geek find of the day.
Dude. Scifi!:
Slice of Scifi - a podcast from Mike and Evo
Scifi Podcast Network - find even more scifi podcasts to enjoy
SF Signal - for your shiny scifi blogged news
Don't forget to check out my previous posts on Firefly, Escape Pod, and the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas for even more scifi goodness!
This has been your "Luke, I am your father" geek find of the day.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
So you want to get some geek transportation . .
Mopeds and scooters have become big since gas prices have shot up. My first scooter was a Honda Elite 50. Not exactly very speedy (or sexy), but it got me everywhere I needed to be. Now you too can find yourself the moped/scooter of your dreams! Or at least one you can afford. *Before you go get your new ride check your local state laws to find out what licenses you might need, if you need a title, registration, or insurance. Also make sure you have sat down to decide what size engine you are comfortable with and how much you want to spend.*
Moped Army has been around since the late '90s, helping mopeders everywhere get their scoot on. You can find a moped/scooter near you, get help fixing it if it breaks, and find other scoot people to geek with.
The craiglist.org website has expanded to so many cities it would be a bit of a surprise if you couldn't find a craigslist for your city or a city close to you. This is a fairly good way to find a moped/scooter.
Another good place to look would be a site called MonkeyAds. Very similar to your local newspaper it gives you the ability to search by state and by price. Unfortunately, it often doesn't have too many listings. You might get lucky though!
If you have a local moped/scooter club or gang, oftentimes you will find a good local seller or might find someone within the gang who is interested in selling.
Happy scooting and enjoy!
This has been your Scoot Free or Die! geek find of the day.
Moped Army has been around since the late '90s, helping mopeders everywhere get their scoot on. You can find a moped/scooter near you, get help fixing it if it breaks, and find other scoot people to geek with.
The craiglist.org website has expanded to so many cities it would be a bit of a surprise if you couldn't find a craigslist for your city or a city close to you. This is a fairly good way to find a moped/scooter.
Another good place to look would be a site called MonkeyAds. Very similar to your local newspaper it gives you the ability to search by state and by price. Unfortunately, it often doesn't have too many listings. You might get lucky though!
If you have a local moped/scooter club or gang, oftentimes you will find a good local seller or might find someone within the gang who is interested in selling.
Happy scooting and enjoy!
This has been your Scoot Free or Die! geek find of the day.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila . . .
I thought I would have a bit of a history geek out for a moment. Friday was Cinco de Mayo, thought of in the States as the Mexican equivalent of St. Paddy's day, and I'm sure everyone had plenty of tequila shots. I myself have a soft spot for the tequila. However most people may not know a few things about the day itself. In fact, I'm ashamed to say, I didn't really know what it was about. I was anticipating Friday fiestas and I was inspired to find out the history behind this particular day. First: no, Cinco de mayo is NOT Mexican Independence day. That's in September (dieciseis de septiembre - say that 3 times fast). Second: the 5th is about the Mexicans driving out the French at the battle of Puebla. Third: Cinco de Mayo is the day after Star Wars day. Oddly enough, cinco de mayo is one of those days where everyone in the US feels they can get drunk even though its a Mexican national holiday. The US gave Mexico a good dose of cash flow problems with a war and taking a large chunk of Mexico which is now most of the western states (including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Utah - you get the idea). Unable to pay off the debts owed to European nations including France, the debt collectors sent over troops to collect. France decided they were in it for more than the money and set out to take the rest of Mexico.
Star Wars also has something to do with cinco de mayo. The Mexican army was not as well-equipped as the French, but managed to repel Napoleon's army. Very similar to Luke using the Force to help the relatively small and ill-equipped Rebel Alliance. But perhaps not as literally. Instead, the local peasants let loose the fury of the local cow population creating a stampede. Force indeed.
Speaking of, an original unaltered DVD set of Star Wars (Eps IV - VI) is being released this September. I will attempt to keep this rant short. May I say, I am extremely glad an unaltered version is coming. I bought my mom (a die-hard sci fi geek) the 3 VHS set when it came out. Yes, it was VHS. Anyway. To my horror, I found it was the newer version I had seen in the theaters with her. I hated it. The original special effects looked more real than Jabba the Hut slithering next to Han Solo. The new CGI crap looked like - well, crap! I saw a special on A&E the other night and Lucas was talking about how he added all the things he didn't have the money for at the time. I say it was a waste. I'm sure there are plenty who disagree with me. However this is only my opinion. The release is a limited-time gig, so make plans to get it between mid-September and the end of December.
So next year after you have picked up your new shiny version of the un-tampered with original Star Wars and cinco de mayo rolls around again, you will now have some fun trivia to regale your friends with as you commence the tequila extravaganza. May the Fourth be with you y feliz cinco de mayo! Salud!
Links:
Cinco de mayo (Wikipedia is my friend)
What is Tequila?
Star Wars - untampered with goodness
Star Wars
Estaba su Geek Find del dia.
Star Wars also has something to do with cinco de mayo. The Mexican army was not as well-equipped as the French, but managed to repel Napoleon's army. Very similar to Luke using the Force to help the relatively small and ill-equipped Rebel Alliance. But perhaps not as literally. Instead, the local peasants let loose the fury of the local cow population creating a stampede. Force indeed.
Speaking of, an original unaltered DVD set of Star Wars (Eps IV - VI) is being released this September. I will attempt to keep this rant short. May I say, I am extremely glad an unaltered version is coming. I bought my mom (a die-hard sci fi geek) the 3 VHS set when it came out. Yes, it was VHS. Anyway. To my horror, I found it was the newer version I had seen in the theaters with her. I hated it. The original special effects looked more real than Jabba the Hut slithering next to Han Solo. The new CGI crap looked like - well, crap! I saw a special on A&E the other night and Lucas was talking about how he added all the things he didn't have the money for at the time. I say it was a waste. I'm sure there are plenty who disagree with me. However this is only my opinion. The release is a limited-time gig, so make plans to get it between mid-September and the end of December.
So next year after you have picked up your new shiny version of the un-tampered with original Star Wars and cinco de mayo rolls around again, you will now have some fun trivia to regale your friends with as you commence the tequila extravaganza. May the Fourth be with you y feliz cinco de mayo! Salud!
Links:
Cinco de mayo (Wikipedia is my friend)
What is Tequila?
Star Wars - untampered with goodness
Star Wars
Estaba su Geek Find del dia.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Another reason to start quoting Monty Python with a bad British accent
I once had a professor who loved to use Monty Python as 'historical documents' in her classes. It got to the point where almost all of the sounds my (now) ancient computer made were from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Which of course produced a number of stupid giggles from me when I got an e-mail (who wouldn't use 'Message for you sir' for that?). Now that I'm legal enough to drink a beer w/o getting caught by my RA, I have come across Monty Python's Holy Grail ale. Its a decent ale, but not one of my favorites. I would not be averse to drinking it, though, while I watch a witch weigh as much as a duck and be dragged off to be burned. After all, the beer does say it was 'tempered over burning witches'. For all you Monty geeks out there, Cheers!
Links:
Black Sheep Brewery - the home of Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The sounds!
This has been your 'Who died and made you king?' Geek Find of the day!
Links:
Black Sheep Brewery - the home of Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The sounds!
This has been your 'Who died and made you king?' Geek Find of the day!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Re: Your Brains - how geeky are you?
I came across the most wonderful song today. Of course I must thank Mike & Evo of the Slice of Scifi podcast for playing it. I am reminded of all the terrible days one can have at work. Especially if you work in an office. Many of us geeks trapped in cubes day in and day out can relate to this particular song. After all, who doesn't feel like a zombie some days at work? The song, called Re: Your Brains, is by a guy named Jonathan Coulton. I checked out his blog and found he puts out a new song every Friday. You can subscribe to his RSS feed to get them auto-like in your podcatcher. His music, like the stories heard on Escape Pod, are released under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Creative Commons license. This means you can share his music with anyone and everyone as long as you aren't making money off of it. This type of licensing is something I've been seeing here and there recently. And probably a post for another day. I'm not sure how I can easily describe his music. I suppose you just have to listen and decide for yourself. I must admit, I found myself nearly choking on my coffee this morning while listening to Re: Your Brains. Not every morning I find my life as a cubicle inhabitant described so perfectly . . . To find all of his previously released songs, check out his blog.
Before they're eaten, put those brains of yours to the test. Ahem. The Geek test. Now you can prove to yourself how geeky you really are. And have a concrete percentage to show your friends (in case they question your score). I have to admit - I cheated to do better. Yes. Sad. But True. Take the test and see how you fare. Enjoy!
Links:
Jonathan Coulton's Blog
What is an RSS Feed?
This has been your Total Geek find of the day.
Before they're eaten, put those brains of yours to the test. Ahem. The Geek test. Now you can prove to yourself how geeky you really are. And have a concrete percentage to show your friends (in case they question your score). I have to admit - I cheated to do better. Yes. Sad. But True. Take the test and see how you fare. Enjoy!
Links:
Jonathan Coulton's Blog
What is an RSS Feed?
This has been your Total Geek find of the day.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
When you need to feed your Firefly addiction
I suppose everyone has some sort of addiction: coffee, cigarettes, stuffed animal wrestling. Firefly is mine. I've always been a bit of an aimless tv watcher and usually ended up with PBS specials instead of following some show week after week. But Firefly is the first show to ever hook me and keep me. Even though it only went through one season (and not a complete one at that), I love this show. If you have never, ever heard of Firefly then I’m terribly sorry. Its okay though. Here is your chance to find out all about it and geek out with the rest of us Browncoats.
Firefly was created by Joss Whedon and is, boiled down, a scifi western set 500 years in the future. A bit odd at first I know. However it easily melds the two genres and you can actually see how the future of tomorrow may be created today, including swearing in Chinese. It was tragically cancelled by Fox before it really got started but later came back in the movie Serenity last fall. This movie is good folks. If you love scifi, I highly recommend it. I know some people will say I’m crazy or some sort of perverted scifi geek, but I think Serenity is far better than Star Wars Episode III. Superior in so many ways. I could go on about how great Firefly and Serenity are, but then this blog would be huge.
Below you will find enough links to help you create a new geek addiction or, if you are already a Browncoat, help feed the addiction you’ve already got. I’ve also included links to Amazon.com for the box set, the movie, the movie soundtrack, the Firefly tv soundtrack, and the comic. I may post a review of the comic at a later point, but for now I’ll leave everything spoiler-free. Don’t forget to check out a charity screening of Serenity near you June 23rd. It benefits Equality Now! and is a great way to show Browncoat support of a good cause (link for screenings is also below). So go out and Netflix/buy the box set and then watch the movie. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. Enjoy.
Links (I think this is all of them):
The Signal - a Firefly podcast
Firefly Talk - another Firefly podcast
Fireflyfans.net - where you can find tons of things to do
Serenity Movie
PDX Browncoats
Firefly Chinese! Who doesn't need another language to swear in?
Mosquito (A Firefly spoof)
Firefly: The Virtual Season - fan written Firefly season
Fireflywiki: Because everyone has one these days
Can't Stop the Serenity - On June 23rd, check out a charity screening of Serenity near you.
Browncoats.com
Product Links:
Firefly box set
Firefly Soundtrack
Serenity
Serenity Soundtrack
Serenity comic
This has been your Firefly Geek Find of the day.
Firefly was created by Joss Whedon and is, boiled down, a scifi western set 500 years in the future. A bit odd at first I know. However it easily melds the two genres and you can actually see how the future of tomorrow may be created today, including swearing in Chinese. It was tragically cancelled by Fox before it really got started but later came back in the movie Serenity last fall. This movie is good folks. If you love scifi, I highly recommend it. I know some people will say I’m crazy or some sort of perverted scifi geek, but I think Serenity is far better than Star Wars Episode III. Superior in so many ways. I could go on about how great Firefly and Serenity are, but then this blog would be huge.
Below you will find enough links to help you create a new geek addiction or, if you are already a Browncoat, help feed the addiction you’ve already got. I’ve also included links to Amazon.com for the box set, the movie, the movie soundtrack, the Firefly tv soundtrack, and the comic. I may post a review of the comic at a later point, but for now I’ll leave everything spoiler-free. Don’t forget to check out a charity screening of Serenity near you June 23rd. It benefits Equality Now! and is a great way to show Browncoat support of a good cause (link for screenings is also below). So go out and Netflix/buy the box set and then watch the movie. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. Enjoy.
Links (I think this is all of them):
The Signal - a Firefly podcast
Firefly Talk - another Firefly podcast
Fireflyfans.net - where you can find tons of things to do
Serenity Movie
PDX Browncoats
Firefly Chinese! Who doesn't need another language to swear in?
Mosquito (A Firefly spoof)
Firefly: The Virtual Season - fan written Firefly season
Fireflywiki: Because everyone has one these days
Can't Stop the Serenity - On June 23rd, check out a charity screening of Serenity near you.
Browncoats.com
Product Links:
Firefly box set
Firefly Soundtrack
Serenity
Serenity Soundtrack
Serenity comic
This has been your Firefly Geek Find of the day.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
SNAKES ON A SUPER HERO!
References to this movie have been heard on numerous podcasts including the Dragon Page's Wingin' It, The Signal, and a vague reference on Escape Pod. It even made an appearance in the newsletter comic my friend gets from his local video rental place. What's that in the sky? Its a bird! A plane! No! Its snakes on a plane?? That's right. Coming soon to your local theater its Snakes on a Plane, the movie. The basic idea of this movie: A psycho killer is chasing a passenger in the witness protection program. To get at the witness, the psycho killer looses snakes. On to the plane. Deadliness ensues! This isn't just any bad sounding movie. It stars Samuel L. Jackson. Apparently the film makers wanted to change the name of the movie to something a little more, uh, mainstream (Flight 121). But good ole' Jackson was set on keeping the name Snakes on a Plane. The movie is still in production, but should be coming to a multiplex near you sometime soon.
Speaking of Samuel L. Jackson kicking snake butt (do snakes even have such things?), have you ever wondered what your super hero name could be? I'm sure by now you already know your porn name. Now you can amaze your friends and break out the brightly colored spandex outfit I know you have hidden under your bed with your very own super hero name! There are a few fun ones out there you should try out before deciding on a super hero name. After all, you don't want to run into your neighbor only to find they've already taken the Chafing Finaggler. That's just embarrassing. So check out the sites below to begin your research. Some of my favorites for Mr. Jackson: Super Bread God, The Bat Skater, and of course the Impossible Gpaxhb Torpedo. Enjoy!
Links:
Snakes on a Plane - the movie
Samuel L. Jackson
Lee's (Useless) Super-Hero Name Generator
Seventh Sanctum: Superhero or Villain today?
Rum & Monkey's Superhero Names
This has been your total Snakes on a Plane Geek Find.
Speaking of Samuel L. Jackson kicking snake butt (do snakes even have such things?), have you ever wondered what your super hero name could be? I'm sure by now you already know your porn name. Now you can amaze your friends and break out the brightly colored spandex outfit I know you have hidden under your bed with your very own super hero name! There are a few fun ones out there you should try out before deciding on a super hero name. After all, you don't want to run into your neighbor only to find they've already taken the Chafing Finaggler. That's just embarrassing. So check out the sites below to begin your research. Some of my favorites for Mr. Jackson: Super Bread God, The Bat Skater, and of course the Impossible Gpaxhb Torpedo. Enjoy!
Links:
Snakes on a Plane - the movie
Samuel L. Jackson
Lee's (Useless) Super-Hero Name Generator
Seventh Sanctum: Superhero or Villain today?
Rum & Monkey's Superhero Names
This has been your total Snakes on a Plane Geek Find.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Scifi Escapism Fun - Its a damn good time.
I probably should have posted these two podcasts yesterday instead of Wil's blog, but I just couldn't help myself. It is Wil Wheaton after all.
Escape Pod - This is a wonderful way to listen to new speculative/scifi fiction. The authors are a mix of published and unpublished whose stories are read on the podcast. Its very similar to an audio book in this regard. The stories are relatively short (about 30 mins on average) and you can either choose which ones you want to hear or just download the latest podcast, starting there. I highly recommend Soul Food, Poet for Hire, and Are You Ready for the End of the World?.
The Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas - Who can't talk about Knight Rider for an hour? I know I can't. And neither can the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas. David, Joe, and Summer have discussions on scifi/fantasy movies, books, and shows. Some you may remember, and some you may not. Ladyhawke? I vaguely remember Michelle Pfiffer stood around looking martyrish (I just made my own word; you saw it here first!) and sometimes turned into a bird. But I found the KAMN podcast on this movie to be one of my favorites. Check these guys out! Recommended shows: Knight Rider (duh), Ladyhawke, and Dune.
Links:
Escape Pod
The Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas
This has been your geek find of the day. Yo.
Escape Pod - This is a wonderful way to listen to new speculative/scifi fiction. The authors are a mix of published and unpublished whose stories are read on the podcast. Its very similar to an audio book in this regard. The stories are relatively short (about 30 mins on average) and you can either choose which ones you want to hear or just download the latest podcast, starting there. I highly recommend Soul Food, Poet for Hire, and Are You Ready for the End of the World?.
The Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas - Who can't talk about Knight Rider for an hour? I know I can't. And neither can the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas. David, Joe, and Summer have discussions on scifi/fantasy movies, books, and shows. Some you may remember, and some you may not. Ladyhawke? I vaguely remember Michelle Pfiffer stood around looking martyrish (I just made my own word; you saw it here first!) and sometimes turned into a bird. But I found the KAMN podcast on this movie to be one of my favorites. Check these guys out! Recommended shows: Knight Rider (duh), Ladyhawke, and Dune.
Links:
Escape Pod
The Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas
This has been your geek find of the day. Yo.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Wil Wheaton?
I was listening to one of my numerous podcasts the other day, and heard a promo for Wil Wheaton's website. Of course my interest was piqued. I immediately ran right over to his website. But it gets better! Not only was there a blog, he has a podcast! Its too good to pass up and so I download one of his episodes and listen to it immediately. I was tickled to hear Wil Wheaton swearing! I know, I know - he's not Wesley Crusher in real life. But it was still strange to hear. Wil Wheaton is a funny man. Take a look, a listen, and I hope you all enjoy!
Links:
Wil Wheaton's Blog
Wil Wheaton's Podcast
Info:
What is a podcast?
Podcatchers: What are they and where do I get one?
This has been the latest Geek Find from the Crazy Geek Fool.
Links:
Wil Wheaton's Blog
Wil Wheaton's Podcast
Info:
What is a podcast?
Podcatchers: What are they and where do I get one?
This has been the latest Geek Find from the Crazy Geek Fool.
Friday, April 14, 2006
G.E.E.K
I looked up geek in Wikipedia and one of the more interesting things I found was a military connection to geeks. According to whomever updated this particular Wiki entry, "G.E.E.K., as an acronym, reputedly came from the United States Military; it stands for General Electrical Engineering Knowledge. It is unclear if this was the origin of the current meaning for geek, or if the acronym was used as a humorous reference toward the pre-established meaning for geek." Happily, this Wiki entry also points out how many different types of geeks there are. Including the non-math/techie kind (see theatre & history geek and you'll find me).
*Quick note: For those of you who may not know, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. The entry content can be edited by pretty much anyone.
Links:
Wikipedia - Geek
Wikipedia
This has been your geek find of the day.
*Quick note: For those of you who may not know, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. The entry content can be edited by pretty much anyone.
Links:
Wikipedia - Geek
Wikipedia
This has been your geek find of the day.
Finding the Geek
Hello there. I've been delving into my own geekiness and finding things I enjoy sharing with my friends so I figured this would be an easy way for them to take a look at things I find rather than sending them frequent e-mails and annoying them. A lot. My idea for this blog is to find lots of things I enjoy in my own geek way, share with them or anyone else who so chooses to take a look. Enjoy!
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