Some Other Castle » geek culture

Show Me Your Swag!!

Elaine — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:40:39 +0000

This is an idea I have been toying with for a while now. I would love to see and show off your gaming swag! It could be store-bought, received free with a game, or picked up at a convention. All you have to do is send me a JPG at jennabee25@yahoo.com and I’ll post the the three that I like best from all the entries every few weeks. All the entries will be put into the flickr photo set “Show Me Your Swag” on my flickr photostream. You will be fully credited. To enter, include your name, e-mail, and the name you would be like to be posted with the photo. Let me know what it is (if it isn’t obvious), where your got it, and any interesting stories you have about it.

To start off, click through for a few things that Sam and I have around the house that would make great examples of what I’m looking for.

First item up is the Soul Calibur IV key chain I got when I bought the game from a friend. The key chain came with the pre-order.

These fuzzy guys came with my game Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the series’ 10th anniversary as a pre-order surprise!

This funky Super Mario Bros. mushroom came from Spencer’s gifts and is actually a container for mints. It was a great impulse purchase.

See what I want? Start sending me your swag pics!

Geek Culture! Halloween-Geek Style

Elaine — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:49:34 +0000

As Halloween approaches, I thought it might be fun to drum up a few geeky ideas to celebrate the night of tricking, treating, and lots of candy. Some these ideas are social, some are not, but all of them get in the spirit of the holiday.

Make your own geeky music list. Might I suggest starting with “Re: Your Brains” and “Creepy Doll” by Jonathan Coulton.
Throw a costume party. Require that all guests come as either as a video game, superhero, or movie. This blog entry has some great, and hilarious, ideas.
Curl up with a good, scary book. May I recommend Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters? (Truthfully, reading these books in the fashion is the only way I can stomach Austen)
Load up a film camera with black and white film and go take some creepy pictures of the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood.
Hand out goodies to the kiddies. Do something different like pencils, spider rings, or rubber eyeballs. Target has a wonderful selection of goodies like this.
Get on the zombie trend! Go watch Woody Harrelson’s Zombieland or Netflix something like Shaun of the Dead, Day of the Dead, or the Evil Dead.
Want something a little more absurd to watch? Pick up Army of Darkness. Bruce Campbell is the man!
Screw the whole thing play Forza 3, which is being released on October 27^th.
Still want to screw the whole thing? DJ Hero comes out the same day.
Finally, play creepy video game!! Dead Rising, anything in the Resident Evil series, Geist, Luigi’s Mansion, Left 4 Dead, or any horror survival game would make an excellent choice to play on Halloween. The only requirement: you must play with the lights OFF.

I hope this gives something to do on Halloween rather than dress up, go trick-or-treating, and pretend that you’re a kid. Just yanking your scary chain. Happy Halloween!

Geek Culture! Three Historical Geeks

Elaine — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:29:28 +0000

The concept of geek-ism is nothing new. Geeks have been popping up throughout history, giving us concepts and ideas that have radically changed the world. There were Greek geeks, Roman geeks, and Chinese geeks who came up with ideas and inventions way ahead of their times. I’ve picked three geeks, one who is Baroque-ish and the others two who have fashioned the modern world. Rather than focus a lot on their accomplishments, however, I’m going to share some extremely geeky characteristics of each.

“Oh Diamond! Diamond! Thou little knowest the mischief done!” (Said to a pet dog who knocked over a candle and set fire to his papers) I guess when it came down to it, rather having a dog EAT his homework, the dog burned Sir Isaac Newton’s work and he was not happy about it, no matter how flowery his speech was.

Newton was a sickly, strange man. Besides coming up with theories on physics that ushered in a modern era of new thinking, he also messed around with some pretty strange stuff, such as alchemy. Keep in mind, during Newton’s time, alchemy was still considered a viable science. In his own ignorance, sadly, Newton would often drink quicksilver (liquid mercury). Quicksilver was thought to kill certain diseases at the time and since Newton himself was sickly most of his life, he must’ve thought he was doing himself a favor. In reality, he was poisoning himself.

In true geek fashion, Newton was still an overachiever and was one of the brainiest geeks the world has known. In modern day, I could see him teaching at an Ivy League school or dominating somewhere in Silicon Valley. Oh, and the apple thing….never happened.

“If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search. I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.” This is one of the reasons why I like Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla. He was the smarter of the two when it came to Thomas Edison, who was his bitter rival.

Tesla was eccentric to say the least. He was possibly one of the first mainstream scientists to theorize about UFO’s, for example. One of the best qualities that made him a good scientist was that he could visualize his inventions to the most minute measurement and dimension, besides having a great photographic memory. He invented the radio before Guglielmo Marconi, pioneered robotics and electronics, and magnetism. And let’s not forget those hella cool Tesla coils.

I believe that if Tesla was alive today, he would be designing some pretty wicked cool video games and systems or designing weapons systems, such as that direct energy ray he theorized.

“Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” Ah, Albert Einstein. His brilliance, his snarkiness, his wild hair. Those things aside, he was probably the most brilliant physicist who has lived.

The above quote sort of encompasses Einstein as a person. He was a brat as a child because he always challenged authority and stuck with own ideas, besides being extremely cocky. And like Tesla, he thought out and designed his theories visually. He was also a wonderful musician, too, excelling in the violin. His offices were notoriously messy with papers and books everywhere. Einstein was probably the first scientist to be a celebrity. People would stop him on the street and ask him to explain “that theory” (theory of relativity). He would say that he just LOOKS like the guy who came up with it to get out of the conversation. Actually, he did have a simple explanation for it by stating: There is no hitching post in the Universe- so far as we know.

If still alive, Einstein would probably be teaching at Princeton. Or else he would be a very smart rock star. Perhaps he would even be working for NASA putting those physics theories to use to discover more of the cosmos and even Tesla’s UFO’s.

I hope in some way, shape, or form I have shown off three historical geeks and some of their geeky elements. There are tons of geeks out there, not just gamer geeks, but math geeks, electronics geeks, musical geeks, literature geeks, and geeks who do some pretty weird stuff. Gamer geeks may have some of these qualities. I myself am a music geek. Can we say “marching band?” And I know a lot of you out there have some pretty brilliant qualities in common with these three fine gentlemen. So I say to you, geek it up! We have a fine heritage.

Geek Culture! Summer Movie Suggestions

Elaine — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:58:19 +0000

I hope that your summer is going well and you are enjoying your sunny vacations on the beach, tanning by the pool, or in the fine air conditioning of your own home. Perhaps you are reading one of the books I suggested last time? I just had to ask.

Now, there are some obvious ones…..Star Trek movies, Star Wars movies, Monty Python movies, and they are all great and I will probably discuss each and their influence at a later time, as I already have with Star Trek. I’m going to stick with some lesser-known stuff.

Inevitably, there is going to be some bad weather during the summer. Perhaps it’s raining and you are feeling depressed because your barbecue was cancelled. May I suggest one of the geeky movies below? Some are funny, some are cool, and others are just in a class of their own. Here are five that I recommend.

TRON: This is the first geek movie that actually hooked me. I know it’s old (1982), but it is groundbreaking because it was one of the first movies to use a lot of computer graphics. It’s got a really good story, too. Besides that, it has spawned a few video games and there are rumors of a sequel coming in 2011.
The Fifth Element: To me, this is just a good all-round fun sci-fi romp. I love that it’s a colorful science-fiction movie with a ridiculous villain played by Gary Oldman. What I don’t like is Chris Tucker’s big-mouthed character. Oh, and Leelo Dallas Mul-ti-pass.
Unbreakable: Surprisingly, this is what I think is M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie. I know, it’s another Bruce Willis movie, but I really enjoyed this one. Besides Shyamalan’s usual twists, there’s a theme with comic books, and there are some of us geeks out there who just happen to love them.
Futurama: Bender’s Big Score: This is the first and the best of the four full-length straight-to-DVD Futurama movies that were recently released. It fits perfectly with Futurama canon, has one of the most complex and well-written stories for a cartoon movie that I can think of. The other three Futurama movies are so-so, but the successes of all four have reaped some fantastic rewards. Comedy Central will be picking up the show for 26 new episodes!
The Blues Brothers: Yeah, there is really nothing geeky about this movie, but it is MY all-time favorite movie, so HA, it gets on the list. My own childish pettiness aside, I believe there are fellow geeks out there would enjoy it. It has some awesome music, and features two great comedians.

I hope this short list gives you something new to watch beyond the normal geek movie fare. The oldies are goodies, I will admit, but there is a ton of great stuff out there. Got any other good movie suggestion? Leave a comment and discuss!

Geek Culture! Why We Love Music

Elaine — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:37:50 +0000

I have to say that Google was sort of pissing me off while I was doing some research for this article by asking me if I wanted Greek music. No. I want to search geek music, dang it!

Once I got past that, I began to realize that geeks are widely diverse in their tastes of music. When it comes to mainstream tunes, we all have our own likes and dislikes. Some of us may like goth and industrial, while other may be grooving to hip hop and R&B. There is nothing wrong with being different in our tastes.

Still, there are a few common musical threads that do bind us. You may have come across some of them, you may have not.

What I think is the ultimate web site for geek music is OverClocked Remix, or OC Remix for short. This web site promotes video game music as an art form and encourages musicians to remix their takes. As it is stated on the site itself, OC Remix “is dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music.” The site has very high standards, but there is plenty of music for gamers to find from their favorite games in many different styles.

When it comes to redoing video game music, you can’t leave out the Minibosses. These guys do metal/progressive rock covers of video game music and have a growing following. They cover everything from Super Mario Bros. to Castlevania.

We as gamer geeks are encountering new music in our video games. In Grand Theft Auto IV, as we flipped through the radio channels in our stolen wheels, we discovered many different genres, including Eastern European rock, featuring some pretty kicking tunes, such as “Wild Dances” by Ruslana and the ever-so-catchy “Schweine” sung by Glukoza.

Lots of other games employ soundtrack that introduce the player to other styles. I found the Mexican rock and hip hop in Crackdown interesting and I myself especially enjoy the industrial channel in Project Gotham Racing 4.

In that vein, let’s not forget games that revolve around music, such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Electroplankton, Patapon, Rez, SingStar, Lumines, etc. I was really surprised with the amount of video games that revolve around music or musical elements that are out there.

There are some bands and musicians that wear geekiness on their sleeves. The first one that comes to mind is They Might Be Giants. They write songs about spines, scarecrows, night lights, particle men, and presidents. Those are not common song subjects usually found in today’s music scene, but as a band they have been together for almost 30 years and are still producing tunes. Plus, I think John Liddell’s accordion puts them in the “Really Geeky Type that Gets Beat Up” category.

Now, how about Weezer? The Blue Album is a staple in my library because it is full of 1990’s alternative geek angst. Just look at the lyrics of “In The Garage”.: I’ve got the Dungeon Master’s Guide./I’ve got the 12-sided die./I’ve got Kitty Pryde/And Nightcrawler too./Waiting there for me./Yes, I do, I do.

Another geek musician is the masterful Jonathan Coulton. The man’s repertoire just screams “GEEK!” and that’s a good thing. He’s been extremely prolific with geeky tunes such as the closing theme of Valve’s Portal, and “Flickr.” Other great song titles included “Mandelbrot Set,” “I’m Your Mom,” and “Lady Anberlin’s Mummu. Check out his web site. His songs are all available on mp3 for cheaps and you can download entire albums.

See? Music is a big part of geek culture as it is a part of Greek culture. (How did I get back to that again?) As geeks we need to feel free to enjoy what we like, respect what others like, and enjoy what we can share together.

Geek Culture! Why We Love Memes

Elaine — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:19:34 +0000

Even if you aren’t quite sure what a meme is I’m sure you have encountered them. They are the funny videos, web sites, and e-mails that are passed around from person to person that causes us to laugh our asses off at work and make our co-workers wonder if we have gone off our rocker.

To be more concise, Wikipedia defines a meme as “a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an inside joke.” All it takes is one person to find a cool Youtube video, a large e-mail address book to forward it to, and those people forward it one, and you possibly may have a meme on your hands.

Memes don’t necessarily have to be videos. Viral marketing (Subservient Chicken ring a bell?), web sites (Hamster Dance!), and image editing (Remember Bert is Evil from way back in the 1990’s?). As long as the Internet has been in existence, there have been Internet memes.

In fact, Dipity.com has a fantastic timeline of Internet memes. It’s a nostalgic trip for any geek. So many memories, so much, laughter, so much time wasted. These memes have become so integrated into our culture that it’s even invaded our geeky slang. “Pwned,” “fail,” and the uses of abbreviations, such as “IM,” or the horrid “lol.”

So, I figured this week as a jaunt down memory lane, I thought I would share some of my favorite Internet memes over the years. I’m sure many of you have come in contact with them, or maybe you’ll even discover a new one yourself. I just hope that you will sit back, laugh, and give your co-workers a reason to give you funny looks.

There are so many more that I could choose from. Just look at that timeline and waste an afternoon. Go on. You have my permission, only don’t blame me when your boss comes up to you and asks what you’re doing.

I think the best thing I like about us geeks and memes is that we are willing to share them. We will happily pass around that forward or give you that link so you can enjoy and share it with your geeky friends. We gladly will share the best stuff with our friends.

Geek Culture! Why We Love Star Trek

Elaine — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:07:28 +0000

With the new Star Trek movie set to be released in the next two weeks, I know many people, including myself are waiting with great anticipation. We have all watched the trailers, read about it online, and some of us are even planning on waiting in line for a midnight release. It will be glorious.

For over forty years now, Star Trek has been very much a huge part of geek culture and that is why I’m writing my first column about it. Star Trek has spawned numerous shows, a cartoon, movies, and has become a big part of pop culture in of itself. It is a franchise that is known worldwide.

Get a bunch of geeks together and mention the words “Star Trek” and you will likely get a heated debate going. Who was the best captain? (Picard rules!) Which alien babe of the week was best in the original series? (That’s for the guys.) Can you name the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition? (You must be really hardcore for that one.) Everyone has their favorite characters, stories, aliens, and episodes they love to trash.

I think a big reason why many geeks love Star Trek is our usual innate love for science-fiction. Look at the games we play! Many of them have a sci-fi theme. So do our television shows and our choice of books. And how many of us can’t say that at least once we haven’t dreamt of space travel or wondered what was beyond our solar system.

That’s a big attraction to Star Trek for me. I love astronomy. I’ll to a planetarium and enjoy the show. In fact, the last one I went to was narrated by Nichelle Nichols. I even took an early class my senior year of college in astronomy just because it was offered. I did not regret it. And I got an A.

Star Trek has even reached into popular culture by showing up in other geekyshows such as “Futurama, and, more recently, “Family Guy.” According to Memory-Alpha.org, a Star Trek wiki site, over 90 shows have had Star Trek references in them. How many shows have a broad cultural reach like that? Awesome!

Star Trek’s contributions have been recognized by scientific groups like NASA and The Smithsonian. We have a space shuttled named Enterprise for cryin’ out loud!

To sate your Star Trek gaming tooth, game developers Cryptic Studios are working on an MMORPG called Star Trek online. I have been following the development for quite a while and it looks awesome. One feature is a very strong character creator that allows you to create your own alien, ones currently known in the Star Trek universe, or combine elements to make a new one.

Star Trek will be always be a big part of geek culture, love it or hate it. I, for one, love it, and will continue to watch my favorites and anticipate new developments as the franchise will hopefully be revived with the new trilogy. A geek can dream.