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Showing posts from February, 2012

Peter Weyland Gives a TED Talk

A couple days ago,  some news finally came out  about the connection between Ridley Scott's upcoming  "Prometheus"  and "Alien." Scott was quoted as saying: "The  Prometheus   is owned by an entrepreneur called Peter Weyland, and is played by Guy Pearce. That's the connection between the two films, and nothing more.   Prometheus  is a new film, a new world, and is full of new ideas. And of course new monsters as well." If you are unfamiliar with the "Alien" films, for which "Prometheus" was long thought to be a prequel, Weyland-Yutani is the large corporation that owns the Nostromo  and is ever vying to obtain and utilize the dangerous Xenomorph specimens. You can read more about it  here, on this awesome Xenopedia site.

New "Avengers" Trailer

Ooooooh, I am so excited!

New Clip from Disney-Pixar's "Brave!"

If you are are a regular, you know that here at The Geek and Inkwell, we are big fans of princesses who rescue themselves. I fell in love with  "Tangled,"  and I am prepared to fall in love with  "Brave."  Below is a brand new clip... "I am Merida! And I'll be shootin' for my own hand!" And could there have been a better choice for Merida's father than Billy Connolly? I think not.

Pony Creator

Thanks to one of the coolest girls on the planet,  Felicia Day , I discovered  this Pony-creator  by General Zoi. Look me in the eye and tell me you haven't always wanted to know what you look like as a My Little Pony... :) Here's mine:

Diaries of a Gamer: Why You Shouldn't Make Fun of People Who Play MMOs

Image courtesy of battle.net Since grade school, we've all known the basic principle behind teasing and bullying - people make fun of others because they want to feel better about themselves, or at least look better in front of their friends. I don't think the attitude behind poking fun at online gamers is any exception. Look, it's not that geeks can't take a joke. We can. There's an entire television series devoted to making fun of geeks and nerds, and that's the Big Bang Theory. It's wildly popular, and I'm a geek and I find it hilarious. And we geeks are aware that there's a reason Fry's Electronics constructs battlements of candy, energy drinks, and chips down the entire length of the checkout line - it's because some of the stereotypes about gamers are true. In online gaming especially, it isn't always possible to just "hit pause" and take a break. So, yeah, I'll say it - sometimes gamers need cheesy-puffed sustenan

The Trailer for "The Raven"

There is obviously a trend in the media of late that likes to reboot historical or literary figures and imagines an entire side to their existence that we did not know about. Historical inaccuracies aside, I find this very exciting. The latest example in this trend is  "The Raven,"  a film in which a serial killer is using Edgar Allan Poe's short stories for inspiration, and the famous writer must employ his assist dark imagination to assist the authorities in tracking down the killer.  John Cusack  is to play Poe. (Eeeeek! Right?) And  Luke Evans , who is to play Bard the Bowman in  Peter Jackson's upcoming Hobbit film , will play Detective Emmett Fields in "The Raven."

Book Review: Quitter

I just spent the last four hours reading  Quitter , the latest book by Jon Acuff. Mr. Acuff is the creator of  "Stuff Christians Like,"  a blog that features pretty hilarious Christian satire. Don't worry, Believers - it is satire in the nicest, most pleasant form possible. :) Quitter was recommended to me by a family member. (That sounds bad, but we happened to be talking about the relatively new concept of blogging as profession at the time, and it applied. Anyways - it'll all come together in a minute...) The title hooked me immediately, because (and this is going to sound bad, too) I actually strongly identify with that oh-so-stigmatized word. Now, don't get me wrong - I am no slacker. I was a straight-A student, I still am a perfectionist, and I have been at my current "day job" for almost nine years. I enjoy doing a job right and I've never had a boss who didn't like me. However, ever since graduating high school, I've never felt th

Sex In Space or Sexism in Space?: Playboy and Virgin Galactic Partner to Create A Vision Of A Men's Space Club

Image credit: Thomas Tenery/Playboy Enterprises I debated about whether to dignify  this worthless garbage "news"  by posting about it. At The Geek and Inkwell, I would much rather recommend and praise creative works or articles that I discover that contribute something meaningful and positive for the geek community, and hopefully for society at large. There is plenty of complaining and hate and anger on the internet, but I don't want my beloved readers always wading through such content when they come to The Geek and Inkwell. My vision for The Geek and Inkwell is inspired by  the Inklings  - I want it to be a place that peers gather to discuss things they love. To make a long story short, I waffled over bringing any attention to such a thing as a Playboy space station.

"Full Metal Jousting" Episode 2 Review

This week's episode of " Full Metal Jousting " pitted Jake , a horse trainer, against  Jack , an experienced theatrical jouster. In training, Jake appeared to be the obvious underdog, but he ended up unhorsing Jack in the first tilt. Jake Episode 2: "Unhorsed" did provide a tiny reminder of the danger inherent in the sport of jousting when Jack broke a molar after being lanced in the helmet. Still, the show presents a very (necessarily) tamed version of the sport as compared to when it emerged in the eleventh century or so, and Jack's injury could probably have been prevented with a mouth guard.

The Ten Rules of Surviving A Sci-Fi Movie (Spoilers)

It's not easy living in the future (or in an alternate reality, as the case may be). Therefore I have comprised a guide for those brave souls out there who may find themselves a character in a sci-fi flick. Most likely, you have been or soon will be running from some slimy organism with sharp teeth. If you are a female, the costume designer has probably left you somewhat ill-prepared, either for combat or for the climate in which you find yourself (or both). And chances are that you are, in fact, in possession of a gun, but you almost certainly do not have enough ammo. Well, poor, pursued sci-fi character, here are some rules to live (or die) by:

Epic Battle

Remember those videos you watched in high school that had, say, animations of a cold virus invading someone's throat cells, and the antibodies looked like tanks charging through there, blasting away at the infected cells? Remember how after watching that, every time you have a sore throat, you picture that battle going on in there? No? Just me? Okay. But seriously - thumb through any science mag and the illustrations and visualizations are not only a huge aid in understanding what's being explained, but also a key  part to the publication. Well, apparently there are awards for those visualizations. The International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge is put on every year by the National Science Foundation  and Science Magazine. The winning pieces have been judged according to the quality of the information they convey, as well as the artistic decisions they made within the piece. I found the image below - an Illustration Honorable Mention - to be scary and

The Fox and the Hound - No, Really.

Disney's tales don't come true often, but when they do - precious. :)  Via Reddit

Tablet Traitor

The evolution of the kindling of Michelle's desire to own a tablet (pun intended): Phase one - "I could never get used to a tablet. I like holding an actual book in my hands too much." Phase two - "Tablets are kinda cool - but I collect books. It just wouldn't be the same not being able to add a newly purchased book to my shelves." Phase three - "Hmmm. A lot of my friends and favorite authors have tablets. Hmmm." Phase four - I read this. Phase five - "I wonder if I can fit a Kindle Fire into my next paycheck... I've also got to save for Comic-Con, and a trip to see my cousin..." Of course, this evolution took place over a matter of years, but I still feel like a bit of a traitor. I used to be one of those book purists who could not imagine reading a novel from an electronic screen. But I've already got three large, packed bookshelves in my 12' x 11' room, and even though my collection  gives me  gr

Slaying the Undead In A Top Hat: The Trailer for "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter"

When I saw the cardboard stand-up in my local theater advertising this movie , it pretty much stopped me in my tracks. A film about one of our most beloved and awesome presidents hunting vampires? Yes, please. I'm still a little shy about my excitement for it, however, because I have the utmost respect for Lincoln, and I wouldn't want anyone to think my enthusiasm meant that I feel his legacy needs to be added to in any way. Abraham Lincoln was a hero and an earnest man whose memory stands free from the need for gimmicks or "rebooting." That said, this movie looks awesome! Hey, if we want to think of our great past president as a force against darkness and the supernatural, that's not so far from the truth, is it? :) Check out the trailer, then tell me what you think. I think Edward wouldn't stand a chance.

Review: "Full Metal Jousting"

So, I don't know about you, but when I catch wind of a show called "Full Metal Jousting," that premiere is an automatic watch. However, as much as I hate to say it, I'm definitely not in love with  the History Channel's new show  just yet. My first impression was that it was like Ironman meets football. I have nothing against sports, and I think they are a valuable part of both our culture and growing up. However, I don't follow sports, I'm not good at sports, and if I tune in to a show that is (more or less) about a sport, I am hoping for it to be something very foreign and novel and stylized. That is the opposite of how "Full Metal Jousting" struck me, which surprised me, because - it being the History Channel - I guess I was expecting swirling mists, more medieval-looking accommodations for the horses, or at least some form of heraldry for the teams instead of block letters on the backs of the jousters as if they were jerseys.

The Common Plight of the Female NPC

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So Funny, So True

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Movie Review: "Red Tails"

If you know me, you know I attend  The Reno Air Races  every year, and I love WWII planes. I don't have a vast mechanical knowledge of them, but I have enough of an appreciation for their beauty and historical significance that I have been looking forward to seeing "Red Tails,"  George Lucas's film about the Tuskegee Airmen. I was also encouraged to see it after reading  an insightful article from Her Universe.  I loved the movie for its showcasing of the beautiful, beautiful, proud-nosed P-51s, but also because it tells a very important story and tells it well.

Oh, Phew!

Via  thehobbitblog.com  via  Set Phasers to LOL

8 Bit Love

For the romantics out there... (Me included.) Product Page Product Page Via  Fashionably Geek  via  it8bit.com

Why It's Good We Begin Our Existence As Children

I'm currently re-reading The Hobbit . The first reason is that it's high time I walked that road from Bag End to the Lonely Mountain again. The second reason is that with  Peter Jackson's film  coming out this year (see  this post ), I've just been giddy with anticipation and in a Hobbit sort of mood. (I realize "a Hobbit sort of mood" could refer to a fondness for good food and taking acute delight in receiving presents, in which case I have often been in a Hobbit sort of mood, but that's beside the point.)

Neil Gaiman Warms the Heart

This is just too funny... <3 And I love that his dogs are chasing after him, celebrating with him.

Chain Mail Bikinis Don't Count As Armor, and Other Thoughts (Mild Spoilers)

Comics Alliance  calls it "The story Disney should have been telling for the past 20 years," and while I believe Disney plays its part in a healthy mix of fairy tales for children, every little girl (and boy, for that matter) should read a comic like "Princeless."  "Princeless," from  Action Lab Entertainment , introduces us to Adrienne, a princess who is not interested in waiting around in her tower to be rescued. A prince even shows up at one point to do just that, and she turns him away, saying, "Don't let the dragon hit you on the way out." Love it. 

Book Review: Making Money (No Spoilers)

I knew from the moment that I saw the main character's name - Moist von Lipwig - that I was reading a very different sort of fantasy novel. Making Money  constitutes my first foray into Terry Pratchett's  Discworld  series, but I think I can safely say that it won't be my last. It is not only the funniest fantasy novel I have ever read, but it is some of the funniest satire I have ever read. It's pretty uncommon for a book to make me laugh out loud, let alone a book featuring dwarves and golems and necromancers. Making Money  is the story of Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, who - after transforming the post office into a well-oiled machine - is ushered against his will into managing the Royal Mint.

Detectives and Dragons

So, I realize I am a little late to the party, but I have been immensely enjoying  "Sherlock,"  a British TV series that puts a modern spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous character. It is just enthralling.  Benedict Cumberbatch  is very entertaining in the lead role, and you can't help but come to like him despite his being rude, arrogant, and eccentric. He's pretty easy on the eyes, as well. Dr. Watson is played by Martin Freeman , and his learning to accommodate the ridiculous Sherlock provides plenty of comedy in an otherwise dark and suspenseful program.

Diaries of a Gamer: Completely Geeking Out Right Now...

It came!! After four weeks of waiting, I hold in my little hands the complete four-disc Skyrim soundtrack, signed by composer Jeremy Soule . I am so excited...