Hoth Skywalker Tennis Shoes: Not recommended for escaping from Imperial Walkers on Hoth, but if only Luke had been wearing these snazzy Skywalker Tennis Shoes, he might have outwitted Vader and never had his arm severed. Then again if that had happened, we wouldn’t have had Solo frozen in carbonite for half of Jedi. Or Boba Fett being thrown into the Sarlacc Pitt. Or Ewoks. Read the full story
So, I live in Los Angeles, and I moved here in part because of the geek community, which seems more unified here than it does in my native New York City. I figured I’d moved to the Geekiest Place on Earth!
Aaaaand then I visited Seattle, where geekery isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle! Here are the Top 5 Reasons Why Seattle is Geektopia!
Here are 5 Star Wars items that you absolutely need to both a)feed your crack-like addiction of all things Empire and also b)serve a useful purpose in day-to-day life. In order of usage throughout the day:
5. The Darth Vader Alarm Clock. Too tired to get outta bed, lazy-ass? Well perhaps he can find more ways to motivate you. The crick in your neck isn’t from sleeping the wrong way, it’s because you dared to hit snooze.
Have you been wondering where to get you or your sidekick a quality cape? Have a hankering for a new secret identity? Are you an invisible superhero who needs an invisible mp3 player so you can remain undetected? Or are you a villain in need of some de-villainizing? If you’re visiting New York City, head on over to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store, where you can satisfy all of your superhero needs!
Calling geek parents! Traveling to the Big Apple? Want to know how to spend your time in the city before leaving them back at the hotel with a sitter so that you can go out and enjoy New York’s fine, geek drinking establishments? Wondering if there are places you can take your kids during the day that both you and they can enjoy? I know what you’re thinking. The only time any place is “fun for the whole family” is if the “whole family” is under ten years old. Well, I promise that these are places where you might find yourself having just as much fun as your kid! Here are Geek Girl Traveler’s Top Destinations for Geek Kids (and their parents) in New York City!
As Margaret Cho asked in her special, Notorious CHO, “What’s this weird connection between fans of Star Trek, S&M, and the Renaissance Faire?”
She is certainly not the first to make the connection between geeks and kink, nor does that connection seem to be without merit. Indeed, it seems that the more into Klingon weaponry you are, the more likely it is that you attend the Folsom Street Fair every year. Like Wonder Woman comics? You may also a submissive man who enjoys bondage. The same people that go to San Diego Comic Con are often the same people that go to Shibaricon. But why? Are geeks kinkier than most people? Or are they just more honest about it?
One side-effect of this obsession with all things nerd is the pop culture phenomenon known as ‘nerdcore.‘ What the hell is nerdcore, you might ask? For the most part, it’s a bunch of honkies who often look like Milton from Office Space and rap about Nintendo, Star Trek, and computer hacking. Here’s more on the scene which spawned the Nerdcore Calendar, Nerdapalooza, and a few of the most dysfunctional/erratic/talented rappers in the genre.
The new extended TV spot for Green Lantern is out, taking us deeper into the world of Oa and Kilowog…honestly I wasn’t too sure about veteran James Bond director Martin Campbell handling this one (guess you can’t have Nolan or Arronofsky for every comic book film) but the trailer has me pretty sold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVbBsf4akXY
Meanwhile Star Trek veteran George Takei lashes out against the whitewashing of Japanimation masterpiece Akira in a series of tweets…“Akira epic fail–all actors up for Kaneda & Tetsuo are white? Sign & RT the petition…” He ain’t the only one pissed off about it, as the petition’s been live on Facebook for months now.
If you haven’t been watching Awkward Embraces, you’ve been missing out on one of the best shows to come along in any medium. Yeah, you heard me. It’s that good, and that funny. Awkward Embraces tells the story of three friends – Jessica, Candis, and Lyndsey – and their dating misadventures. It’s a simple concept, but what makes the webseries special is not only the incredible chemistry between the three leads and the sharp writing, but the fact that the lead character is an honest representation of a geek girl.
Awkward, but charming; naive about relationships, but willing to learn; beautiful with a real body, not the anorexic “beauty” too often favored in Hollywood; Jessica is a joy to watch because she feels like a real person. She also feels like a real female geek, dropping Star Trek references as easily as she breathes; feeling the desperate need to explain why her Star Wars t-shirt is funny even when it’s clear the person she’s speaking to won’t get it, or care. When I saw the episode where Jessica loses herself in talking about “Darmok,” her favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, I squealed loudly thinking, “That’s my favorite episode, too!!” What every woman I’ve introduced to Awkward Embraces, geek or not, has said to me after watching is “Oh my God! This sounds like me and my friends!”
Racheline Maltese, Priscilla Spencer and I, contributors all to the anthology Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon and the Women Who Love Them (Mad Norwegian Press), took over the fabulous Brooklyn Waystation in NYC for a Big Damn Reading, celebrating the release of Whedonistas, which goes on sale today!
For geeks in the New York area, Brooklyn Waystation is a place you should know. It’s a steampunk bar with a TARDIS bathroom. No, really. I went to the bathroom and ended up in 17th Century France.
Kidding. About France, not about the TARDIS bathroom. That part’s true. But it’s a wonderfully designed, geek-friendly place that plays host to any number of events during the week like Steampunk Style parties, live music, variety acts… and readings like ours.