Geek My Room

I'd like to share a video I came across on Felicia Day's Geek & Sundry YouTube channel:

What a fun project! Your home is your castle; it should reflect the things you love. This video gives some great tips for geeking-out your room on a budget. To recap:

• Frame your posters
• Find a theme & use its color scheme (60% primary color; 30% secondary color; 10% accent color)
• Use old toys as decorations
• DIY is fun and inexpensive
• Avoid clutter!!!

If I might add a few ideas:

• Look into different decor styles (traditional, contemporary, eclectic, etc.) and try to build a geek-infused design from there
• Your room doesn't have to represent every TV show, movie, video game, and comic you love. Narrow your focus.
• Keep the layout simple enough to change things over time.
• Have a fellow fan help you, if you can. An extra set of eyes can't hurt.
• Remember you have to LIVE in what you come up with.

I hope this has given you a few a ideas and some motivation to update the look of your favorite room with a little more of the things you love. There's no better way to introduce someone into your life than bringing them home to see how much you love Doctor Who.

Check out this eclectic zombie apocalypse living room I designed on Polyvore!
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Geek Cave by alexified featuring crate and barrel furniture

We Have The Technology...

Samsung's Galaxy Gear is an exciting piece of technology! Much like the introduction of the touchscreen, this is yet another step toward the future our forefathers only dreamed of in fiction.

The Jetsons. Tex Avery's "House of Tomorrow". Star Trek. I often wonder how close are we to the advanced technology of "the future". After all, this is the future, right?

Science and technology have made incredible advances. Apparently, time travel is possible (in one direction). Hovercrafts are real. Video-chatting allows us to see people we're speaking with in real-time. Late performers have returned to the stage via hologram. Cars can self-park!

I'm admittedly excited about Galaxy Gear. However, I doubt this trend will stick. 

For some reason, it feels like we aren't ready for it to be "the future" yet. Sure, we'll adopt the technological advances that preserve us and make our lives easier, but society hasn't fully embraced the futuristic age. 

To my knowledge, no major car company is producing a hover car. No one is adding cybernetic upgrades to themselves. Futuristic home furnishings are regarded as mere novelty items. We have the technology; we just don't have the will to implement it. Why is that?

The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. 

--Albert Einstein

Perhaps we have too much respect for the past to abandon it. (This would explain trends like Instagram and "vintage" decor and clothing.) Maybe we have too many issues to work out in the present to look forward to the future right now.

My theory is, along with all of the aforementioned reasons, fear keeps us from adopting serious technological advances. If we were to create this very different, wildly expensive infrastructure based on fairly new technology, the likelihood of glitches and failures would be astronomical! And the costs would be just as high. There would be no turning back, and life on Earth could get really bad really fast. 

"Doesn't look so cool now, does it?" - Our Robot Overlords

So, it might be better to ease our way into the futuristic world with a talking phone or a fancy watch than having your cyber-brain installed...

Who's Your Favorite Sociopath?

Death Note is about a straight-A, high school senior named Light Yagami, who - through arbitrary circumstance and a Shinigami's boredom - comes across a mysterious notebook called a Death Note. Light learns that if you write someone's name (and envision their face) in the Death Note, that person will die. He then proceeds to use the Death Note to kill heinous criminals, to whom he feels deserve capital punishment, in an effort to create a better world...and be regarded as a "god" of this new & better world.

Unfortunately for Light, the police notice the several dozen criminals meeting an unfortunate demise and come to the conclusion that, somehow, someone is responsible for this. They hire the legendary, world-famous detective, known only as L, to solve this mystery - along with a task-force of the police's best officers (which includes Light's father).

Keeping his enemies close, Light also joins the task-force to find the mysterious murderer known as Kira (which, in reality, is Light himself). The great minds of Light and L compete in a sophisticated game of cat-and-mouse that makes Death Note a must-see for anime fans! 

Death Note is a fantastic series, but what blew my mind? It wasn't until the last episode that I realized: Light is a sociopath! 

I'd been cheering for him the entire time! Every time he was backed into a corner, I'd sit on the edge of my seat hoping he'd find a solution! Then, at the very end, I realized something that was evident from the beginning yet I ignored: the protagonist and his cause are utterly immoral!

Go Light! Kill those criminals! Become a god! Woo!

I recently read an intriguing article on io9 that lists 10 reasons the audience would root for amoral protagonists. Without spoiling the story, Light did some pretty awful things, but he meets a few of the article's listed criteria.

• "1) Make their ends noble (or neutral) even if their means are evil": Light's ideal world without violent crimes was a noble cause. However, he chose immoral means of achieving this goal.

• "3) Someone or something they care about": There were moments when Light showed us he wasn't a complete monster. There were people, such as his father, that he cared about.

Furthermore, I think audiences appreciate strong skill regardless of the morality conflicts. Though Light was a sociopath, he was undeniably good at what he was doing! It was fun to watch him think his way out of sticky situations. After all, the good guys are measured by the strength of the bad ones, right?

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A Very Punky Halloween

Happy October, everybody! Not only has Autumn arrived, but Halloween - one of my favorite holidays - is right around the corner! Why do I love Halloween? Well, aside from having a valid excuse to eat a LOT of candy and the delightful terror of haunted houses, Halloween is all about costumes!!!

I'm a huge cosplay fan! I love to see people's recreations of beloved characters. If you're not familiar with cosplay, I strongly suggest taking a look at the YouTube series Just Cos on the Nerdist Channel. It really opened my eyes to what cosplay means to its participants; it's actually quite freeing. 

Upon "researching" cosplay, I came across two interesting costume styles I'd like to share: Steampunk & Cyberpunk.

Steampunk

If you're familiar with the setting of Bioshock: Infinite, that is essentially Steampunk. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that is more retrospective than futuristic. The style is 19th Century Western, but the technology well-beyond that.

Steampunk dates back to early 20th century science fiction literature, although most cosplayers are not specific characters. Instead Steampunk cosplayers are simply people from a different era - the far future where another Industrial Revolution is taking place.

Characteristics of a Steampunk costume:

• No neon or bold colors; more browns, creams, neutral colors
• Industrial aspects (typically gears, clocks)
• 19th century fashion (corsets, top hats, ruffled skirts, etc)

Cyberpunk

I like to think of Cyberpunk as the opposite of Steampunk. Where Steampunk is the punk of the past, Cyberpunk is the punk of the future.

The Cyberpunk style seems to have originated in the late 20th century. (The 1980s respectively.) Again, these cosplayers are not any particularly character, but instead represent a future time period. The Cyberpunk future is one where humans have merged with very advanced technology to create a world of androids and cyborgs.

Characteristics of a Cyberpunk costume:

• Bright neon/Bold colors/Metallics
• Lights
• Technology (mechanical limbs/enhancements)
• Tubes/wires
• Colored Hair
• *Gothic elements & Sex appeal

*Not entirely sure why Cyberpunk is more Gothic and revealing, but those are common characteristics.

If you're still looking for a cool Halloween costume idea, you might consider being a punk. There is a lot of creative potential here! Steampunk Tinkerbell, Cyberpunk Bride...

And, of course, there's always the classic punk...

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& let me know what you want to be for Halloween!

Lady Anti-Hero

I came across an interesting point on IGN today: There has never been a female protagonist in Grand Theft Auto.

The franchise has received more than its fair share of criticism - as one might imagine regarding a game about violent crimes - so, I don't mean to add to it. In fact, I understand where a woman may not fit into the classic Grand Theft Auto main character role.

However, the thought of an awesome woman protagonist intrigued me! Sure, she wouldn't do everything her male counterparts have in the past, but she could conquer in her own way. Aside from Rockstar breaking a gender barrier in gaming, a leading lady in GTA has plenty of potential...

Think of an former queen bee at rock-bottom out for revenge on the people who hurt her. What if she was the daughter of a mob boss or a gangster's widow? What if she was smoking hot, smarter than most men, and afraid of NOTHING? Suddenly, this bad idea sounds groundbreaking!

On the other hand, I may be a little biased. I'm a [very geeky] girl, and GTA is essentially a role playing game with a large male audience. I'm not sure how men in their late-teens to early-thirties would feel about assuming the role of a woman - regardless of how tough she is.

Not many guys are trying to play this.

I LOVE strong female leads! Fiona Glenanne (Burn Notice), Revy (Black Lagoon), Jo Lupo (Eureka)... There's something empowering about watching a fellow female take a gun apart and put it back together in 20 seconds! Grand Theft Auto, a game with virtually no boundaries, about low-level criminals rising to the top, would be a perfect arena for the next great strong female character.

...That isn't sci-fi or magically-enhanced...

What do you think? 

Does a woman belong in GTA? Or is it a man's world?

Share your thoughts on Facebook!

P.S. Someone started a petition to Rockstar for a female protagonist in Grand Theft Auto! Who knows? Maybe GTA VI?

Hooray For The Sims 4

Recently, I got a first look at a game I've been looking forward to ever since being blown away by The Sims 3:

The Sims is fascinating in that, somehow, it always finds a way to exceed itself. While becoming unrealistically more comical, each generation of The Sims is still more lifelike than its predecessor. Each generation opens more doors for your Sims (and their lives) to walk through.

"Omg! They have cars now!!!" - Me (upon the release of The Sims 2 in 2005)

However, as a long-time fan, I've discovered a few patterns that make me wonder how long the Sims innovation will continue. Will The Sims 4 be yet another awe-inspiring leap for the game? Or will it simply be "same game, different box"?

If you're not familiar with the franchise, it's not difficult to understand. The Sims is a life-simulator wherein you create characters (Sims) and live through their lives (i.e. get them jobs, have them start relationships with other Sims, have children, etc.). The game starts with the base game (The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, or The Sims 4) and becomes more fun as you add expansion packs to it (e.g. House Party, Night Life, Showtime, etc.).

The base games are pretty standard; you can't do much more with your Sims than the basics. Though, fans of The Sims probably notice a trend in the expansion packs...

Deja Vu?

Hopefully, The Sims 4 will incorporate some of the beloved aspects of past expansion packs into the base game so that players don't have to wait for and buy expansions packs to keep up with the last generation!

Some other things on my wishlist:

• Bring back the ability to plead to the grim reaper to save a loved one. (For some reason, you could do that in 1 and 2 but not 3)
• The Sims have had "juice bars" for a while, but in The Sims 3 Late Night it was tongue-in-cheek acknowledged that there was alcohol in those beverages. I think the ability to get drunk (and make bad decisions) would be awesome in The Sims 4. 
• It would be cool if you could ask a friend watch your child instead of hiring a babysitter. Or at least choose your babysitter.
• Something totally new...

Of course, there are also gems within the previous games that I hope remain in the newest installment. But, for now, these are the major things that come to mind as I anticipate the release of more details about this game. In the meantime, we have this: 

What do you think so far?
Share your thoughts on Facebook!

TV Fall Preview Review

Summer is sadly coming to an end. On a lighter note, along with Autumn comes... New Television Shows!!!

Hulu put up a few previews of this Fall's new television premieres. If you're a TV-buff, you're going to want to check it out. Let me know what you think on the Very Geeky Girl Facebook Page.

In the meantime, I'll be the judge! This is my - connoisseur of television - first impression of some of this Fall's lineup.

The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)

I think it's brave that Michael J. Fox is returning to television in this way. The Family Ties star has been fairly absent from television for many years while coping with his real-life Parkinson's disease. The Michael J. Fox Show is reminiscent of the Dick Van Dyke Show whereas it seems to be a lighthearted approach to telling the story of the title actor.

My only concern with TMJFS is whether the public will be able to handle the mobility problems associated with Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease. At times during the preview, I felt uncomfortable. I sympathized with Mike Henry's (Fox) inability to be still, and it was quite distracting.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (ABC)

Now that we've come to the realization that there are superheroes, we've got to get them organized. In the Avengers-Justice League-Teen Titan-X-Men fashion, S.H.I.E.L.D looks to bring together all the people with powers in the Avengers universe to do good for... the government? That wasn't made entirely clear in the preview.

I feel my fellow geeks getting excited about this show, but I'm not entirely certain how long it will last. Smallville was on television for a decade, but Heroes only lasted 3 seasons. It's hard to tell how well these superhero-sci-fi shows will do. (Or how well they will last...)

Once Upon A Time in Wonderland (ABC)

After only two seasons, Once Upon A Time has gotten a spin-off. Unlike The Jeffersons, The Simpsons, and Frasier, many modern spin-offs don't go very far. However...

The special effects, the mystical merged with reality, the reintroduction to familiar characters! Once Upon A Time in Wonderland has the same charm that made us fall in love with the original Once Upon A Time. Unlike the original series, though, Wonderland focuses on one story instead of colliding multiple stories.

The Goldbergs (ABC)

Warning: The preview might as well be the pilot. That aside, the Wonder Years style of this show paired with the modern comedy complemented by the awesome cast has me on the edge of my seat.

The 80s: The Era of Awkward Family Photos

It looks like a period piece done right! I wasn't hyper-aware looking for timeline continuity errors (e.g. a Miley Cyrus poster in the 80s) because I was too busy laughing. I trusted this show to have done its homework. That says a lot.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)

This show is one big SNL sketch (circa 2010). It's pretty funny, albeit corny at times, and it's a refreshing look at the typical cop drama.

Historically, this series has a few key elements that make me think it will last beyond the first season: the odd couple vibe between Samberg and Braugher, SNL alums typically make awesome television stars (30 Rock & Parks and Recreation), Fred Armisen's appearance hopefully foreshadows a series of hilarious guest stars. Must give this show a try!

This Fall's lineup seems good so far. I'm anticipating lots of geek-friendly programming and plenty of laughs. 

What do you think?