Kentucky Geek Girl

Dexter Killer Cast in CBS Sherlock Holmes Pilot

2012-02-15T00:24:00.000-05:00

CBS has been shopping a pilot for a new modern-day adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes stories called Elementary. With the relative success of the Warner Brothers movie franchise starring Robert Downey, Jr. and the amazing, spectacular, freaking awesome BBC series Sherlock, apparently the network wants in on this action. The RDJ films, of course, have been set in Victorian London, while the BBC series, starting the swoon-worthy Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, are also a modern-day take on the storie of Holmes and his partner in awesome Watson. News broke today that the Sherlock that CBS wants has been cast. British actor Jonny Lee Miller, former husband of Angelina Jolie, has starred recently in an arc on Dexter, and has appeared in Eli Stone which ran on ABC in 2009.

CBS reported wants to "reboot" the Sherlock Holmes name and wants to do so very soon. Oh and the plot thickens. Miller recently had a run in Frankenstein and shared the stage with none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. The series will feature Holmes solving crime in New York City - not sure whether Miller would portray Holmes as British or American. There's the possibility that Sherlock has just relocated so he could retain his British-ness. I'm not sure I could jive with an American Sherlock Holmes.

Cumberbatch is now filming Star Trek 2 on location in California. For a late 2012-early 2013 season 3 premiere for Sherlock, that would need to be shot this fall. Could there be two Sherlock Holmes series on television at the same time? I guess we'll know soon enough!

Share your thoughts on this news in the comments!

Video for Taylor Swift's "Safe and Sound" Premieres

2012-02-14T00:31:00.002-05:00

Last night on the Twitter account for The Capitol, the fictitious city in Panem, which appears in The Hunger Games, there was an announcement that the video for Taylor Swift's video "Safe and Sound" was to premiere tonight. Viewing was mandatory, as all things are in Panem. The video for Swift's addition to film's soundtrack appeared on MTV tonight during First Look: Taylor Swift.

Check out the video after the cut

Get More: Taylor Swift, Safe & Sound, Music, More Music Videos

Video courtesy MTV

Okay. I love The Civil Wars and I think that this song would have been 100x more powerful had it just been the two of them without Taylor Swift. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of hers and I just think that The Civil Wars could have done it so much better on their own. I do like the lyrics of the song and I think it reflects in a lot of ways the way that Katniss wants to protect Prim in the book series. It's interesting that the video doesn't have a lot of elements from the movie. This could be because it was intended to be a stand-alone sort of deal.

Overall, I do like the video. It does seem very dystopian, which is in keeping with the theme of the books. Also, it's interesting that Swift discovers a Mockingjay pin in the abandoned house. There was definitely a very creepy, interesting feel the to video and I like it for the most part, except the whole Taylor Swift part.

Check out The Capitol's website for more information about The Hunger Games movie release!

What did you think about the video? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Image courtesy Big Machine via MTV

New Amazing Spider-Man Trailer Released - Glimpse of Lizard and Peter Parker's Parents!

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, the newest trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man was introduced to the world. Now, it's a trending topic on Twitter. And why not? It looks like a great film! Andrew Garfield is really witty with this portrayal of Peter Parker with lines like, "You seriously think I’m a cop, in a skintight red-and-blue suit?" It seems like there will also be a very interesting relationship between Spiderman and the NYPD, something that wasn't exactly explored in the Sam Raimi trilogy. And what about the villain? We get to see the origin of Lizard (Rhys Ifans), as Parker tries to investigate about his own past. I think that it's a good thing to call this "the Untold Story" because it really is. Marc Webb's adaptation is a lot more gritty and much darker than the three Raimi films. Hopefully there won't be a dance number and emo Peter Parker.

The Amazing Spider-Man slings into theaters July 3, 2012.

Be sure to check out Word of the Nerd for more posts from me and more geek news!

Have you hugged your nerd today?

Hunger Games News: New Trailer, China Glaze, and Capitol Couture!

2012-02-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

With less than 50 days until the premiere of the much-anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, Lionsgate has really ramped up their advertisement.On Thursday, a second trailer went live and was shown tonight during the Super Bowl. It features much more of the story than the teaser or first trailer showed including Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteering for The Hunger Games for her sister, a portion of her interview with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), as well as Lenny Kravitz's Cinna pinning the Mockingjay pin to her uniform. I happened to see the first theatrical trailer on the big screen for the first time and I must say that it looks simply wonderful.

It would seem that movie tie-in nail polish is something quite popular now, with Twilight and The Muppets being among the movies that have seen their own versions. It was recently announced that the brand China Glaze would market a brand of fingernail polish based on The Hunger Games and they are now available for pre-order! There will be twelve colors in the Capitol Colours line which represent an aspect of each district. Among the polishes to choose from are Luxe and Lush, Stone Cold, and Fast Track. The colors range from flashy to neutral and would be a perfect accompaniment to any of the fine Capitol fashions. I'm hoping my local Ulta store will be carrying the polish and I'll give a proper review when it is released!

Speaking of which, a new fashion zine straight from the Capitol has gone online. Capitol Couture features the most stylish citizens of Panem as well as rumors and gossip about the 74th annual Hunger Games. The premiere issue showcases the ever so stylish Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), one of District 12's mentors as well as the face of the China Glaze nail polish line. Effie is a definite balance to Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), District 12 mentor and winner of the 50th Hunger Games. You can sign up for the mailing list to have each issue of Capitol Couture delivered to your mailbox.

Whether you've read the books or not, this movie does not look like it's going to disappoint. The odds are in our favor on March 23 when the movie releases, as there will be a special one week engagement in IMAX! Tickets go on sale February 22.

What district do you think you would live in? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Check out more posts from me over at Word of the Nerd.

Bringing out the inner nerd in everyone!

Aspen Comics Now Available for Nook

2012-02-09T18:53:00.000-05:00

The digital comics revolution is alive and well, as Aspen Comics has teamed up with Graphicly to make the company's popular titles available on the digital market for the Nook e-reader. The digitization of comic books is as much of a contentious topic as e-books were when e-readers were first introduced, but Aspen is confident that their titles being available through Nook's e-reader, tablet, and smart phone applications will help increase readership and ultimately allow more people to appreciate comic books.

“We’re excited to work alongside Graphicly to deliver our wonderful library of Aspen titles to a new audience and platform on the Nook. In addition to our launch collections, we will be working quickly to add to the number of books available, so fans can look forward to seeing even more new collected series on the horizon shortly.”

Titles at this initial launch will be available by collection only, so prices will vary. Aspen titles included in the initial launch on the Nook include: The Aspen Extended Edition, Executive Assistant: Iris Volume One, Fathom Volume One, Fathom: Cannon Hawke, Fathom: Dawn of War, Fathom: Kiani Volume One, Shrugged Volume One, and Soulfire: Volume One.Check out Barnes and Noble's online store to find the Aspen Comics titles that are available for Nook. Also head over to the Aspen Comics website for more information about their great work and Graphicly for more awesome comic books.

You can find posts by me and more news like this over at Word of the Nerd.

Nerd up!

Geeky Super Bowl Commercials

2012-02-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

Super bowl commercials are as old as the game itself. In fact, the championship that pits the two best teams in American Football turns 45 this year. The Super Bowl is the most watched event of the year and the ad space is worth millions of dollars, but who cares about sports? Seriously, folks, why does everyone watch the game now if not for the commercials? In the past few weeks, the 2012 Super Bowl commercials have been unveiled and are being shared on Facebook walls across the world. With the Avengers spot, the G.I. Joe Retaliation commercial, and an homage to Star Wars on the slate this year, I thought we could take a look at Super Bowl commercials of years past. Clips after the break!

Macintosh - 1984 This commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, was envisioned by a young Steve Jobs, who wanted to introduce the Macintosh personal computer to the world. The commercial's plot seems to be ripped from the pages of George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" where IBM is represented as "Big Brother" and Apple are the liberators which will put the power of information
back into the hands of the people.

Xerox - Monks discover the copy machine
This commercial shows a monastery in which manuscripts are in high demand. Rather than copy them all by hand, one monk decides to enlist the help of his friends at Xerox, who have developed a new product that can help make his copies.

Radio Shack TRS 80 - The Dawn of a New Era Here, TV's Dr. David Banner, Bill Bixby, advertises the Tandy by Radio Shack. It just so happens to come the same year as the introduction of Macintosh, 1984 was certainly a year of technological innovation. Bixby was still a household name in 1984, The Incredible Hulk having just ended in 1982.

Dante's Inferno - Go to HellThis ad from 2010 showcases the Electronic Arts game Dante's Inferno with the song "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. Dante descends into the circles of Hell in search of his love Beatrice in the video game named after Inferno, the first canticle of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

Apple - HALAnother commercial from Apple takes a note from 2001: A Space Odyssey. In this commercial, HAL 9000 explains the Y2K bug and confesses that Macintosh computers are the only computers that are able to resist problems of the year 2000.

Volkswagen - The ForceIn 2011, Volkswagen used the force to sell their new Passat. In this commercial, a tiny Darth Vader displays his skills throughout the house, finally using it to start his parents' new car.So here they are, some of Super Bowl history's geekiest commercials.

Which top your list? Check out Ad Land to view forty years of commercials and share your favorites!

You can find this post and more like it over at Word of the Nerd. Nerd up!

Mists of Pandaria Press Tour Announced

2012-02-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria was officially announced at Blizzcon 2011 and the introduction of the Pandaren as a playable race, a new continent, and over-arching focus on "war" as the main theme and villain of has been met with mixed reactions. There has been little information released since the October event, but today MMO-Champion posted a blue post which announced a Mists of Pandaria Press Tour.

A Break in the Mists: Alert the Press!

Since the announcement of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria at BlizzCon 2011, we’ve been hard at work on all of the new game features, environments, dungeons, and other content that awaits adventurers. Today, we’re inviting members of the press worldwide to get an updated sneak peek and some hands-on time with the latest version of World of Warcraft’s fourth expansion at an event taking place March 13 - 15.

Source: MMO-Champion

If you want to know more about what lies hidden within the mists of Pandaria, wait for the season’s end….
MMO-Champion said that the Cataclysm Friend & Family Alpha started on the first week of May and the actual Cataclysm press tour happened a month later. So, could we be seeing the Alpha starting in the next couple of weeks? Blizzard has said that they wanted to increase the frequency of expansion releases. Cataclysm has been out for nearly 14 months so hopefully we'll be hearing something soon!

What are you thoughts on the new World of Warcraft expansion? Leave a message in the comments!

Shadowy New Trailer for Game of Thrones Season 2 is Released

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

You can find this post at Word of the Nerd.

With just over two months until the season premier of Game of Thrones Season 2, fans are chomping at the bit to get another glimpse at the series. A few days ago, HBO released a "Notes From the Set" video highlighting the filming locations and set design of the latest season of Game of Thrones. A new teaser for the second season, which is based on the second book of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, was posted tonight on the Game of Thrones Facebook page.

Lord Varys tells Tyrion Lannister that "A very small man can cast a very large shadow," as we see bits and pieces of what is to come in Season 2. Like all good teasers, however, it doesn't reveal too much information. I haven't finished "A Clash of Kings", but I have a feeling that this season we'll see a heroic side of Tyrion, who is portrayed by the award-winning Peter Dinklage. Daenerys Targaryen is sure to make a fiery arrival in Westeros.

Game of Thrones makes its return to HBO on April 1. Until then, enjoy the Game of Thrones comic!

Be sure to check out more posts from me at Word of the Nerd Online. Nerd Up!

Auld Lang Syne and all that

2012-01-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry that I'm getting this one of these retrospective posts out now, but I did want to take an opportunity to thank everyone for making 2011 such an amazing year. I have met so many fantastic people through the blogging community, on Twitter, and will hopefully be meeting some of you in person this year. 2011 was a great year of growth for Kentucky Geek Girl. I created the Facebook page which has almost 200 fans, which is just amazing and I really do appreciate you all so much.

I do have a confession to make. I became so focused on creating content, getting out news and what not, that I lost sight of why I created the site in the first place. This was supposed to be my place on the web to talk about my specific interests in gaming and popular culture. In some ways, I feel like I failed the intent of why I began to put more effort into blogging, and for that I am sorry. I have also not written anymore of "Your Friendly Local ___ Shop." I look forward to getting out more in the Lexington community in 2012. In fact, I hope to branch out to any other places that strike my fancy, not just comics or gaming. Definitely look for that in the coming months.

I also want to take a specific look at some of the games that we play and the people who create them or even enjoy them as much as I do. Jasmine Hruschak, better known as IRLJasmine, was gracious enough to allow me to interview her and I look forward to sharing what she has to say about gaming in my first Gamer Spotlight. Look for that soon!

I'm also going to (hopefully) be attending several conventions in Kentucky this year. Unfortunately, my work and school schedules will not permit me to travel outside of the state, but next year I hope to attend GenCon, Dragon*Con, and Origins (at least!) and see many more of you awesome folks. If you ever pass through Kentucky, be sure to give me a holler!

I have some blogging resolutions that I definitely want to keep and I'm going to try and write even though I do have school and work. Thank you for reading and I hope to bring even more awesome things to the table this year and beyond. It means a lot to get feedback so if there's something you'd like to see or something you're not that fond of, just let me know. I really look forward to the great things that 2012 will bring.

(Image source: http://pfohlfamily.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html)

Benedict Cumberbatch supports literacy!

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've recently been endoctrinated into the world of absolutely loving Sherlock with all of my being. Seriously. I watched both Series One and Two in the last week and I am hooked for life. The show is just brilliant and I will rave about it forever. My friend Cherise introduced me to this amazing video of the show's star, Benedict Cumberbatch, reading the children's book "Little Red Hen." "Little Red Hen" isn't so much a fairytale as it is a morality story about hard work. If you do not work for something you won't receive the rewards. He reads it in the most wonderful way. Before beginning the book, he has this to say about reading:

"Reading is one of the joys of life and once you begin you can't stop. You've got so many stories to look forward to."

Enjoy!

PIPA and its sister-bill are SOPAking dangerous

2012-01-17T22:47:00.003-05:00

Yes, believe me, I went there.

In all seriousness, SOPA and PIPA are both bills that, if passed, would be a detriment to the Internet and especially what I do here at Kentucky Geek Girl. And the bills wouldn't just affect me, they would affect everyone in the blogging community who wants to spread the joy of nerdity and geekiness to the masses.

Let's say I want to talk about an upcoming movie. If SOPA and PIPA passed, I wouldn't be able to share any media content related to that movie, because the MPAA and production companies would be able to flag it as copyright infringement, just because I wanted to talk about how awesome something looked. Internet Service Providers (here in Kentucky the big one is Insight Communications) would have to block access to the site, it wouldn't appear in search engines, and if I had a Paypal link, the company would stop transactions. All because I said something looked cool and maybe gave a synopsis of it.

This could affect people who create content for DeviantArt, fan fiction writers, bloggers, Youtubers. Internet content creators would be blocked from doing something that they love to do, just because some corporation says they don't like it.

Just because the White House has said that it would not support the bill, that will not necessarily kill the bills. The US Constitution allows a 2/3 vote of Congress to override a veto. With so many Congresspeople being lobbied to by these major corporations, it is hard pressed to find many of them who would be opposed to the bill. I contacted Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Ben Chandler (D-Kentucky) but of the three only Paul's office wrote back. This is what he had to say:

Two measures dealing with online copyright infringement have been introduced in the 112th Congress - the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PROTECT IP Act) in the Senate (S. 968), and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3261). The PROTECT IP Act and SOPA aim to protect the rights of trademark and copyright holders, including a private right of action for intellectual property owners. This means that intellectual property owners as well as the government can seek injunctions against websites "dedicated to infringing activities."

I oppose the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA. Blocking entire websites from search engines due to questionable contect is not only an overreaction to the problem, it essentially gives government and some companies the power to regulate and censor the Internet. Using a similar law, the Department of Homeland Security has already seized website domain names - including some by accident. The Internet has grown rapidly and flourished over the years, and has done so largely free from such government or regulatory interference.

The email goes on to discuss that the wording of the bills are very vague, which I completely agree with. I'm writing this to urge everyone to contact their Congresspeople about this bill. It is very easy to find their contact information. Just select your state on the "Find Your Senators" drop down here and enter your zip code for your State Representative. But protesting SOPA doesn't just mean contacting the Legislature. If you have a blog, Twitter, Tumblr, whatever, black out on Wednesday, January 18 in protest. We can make changes at the grassroots level. Encourage your friends to participate, because without everyone in this together as a cohesive unit, change cannot be made.

Here is a list of companies that are going dark. Many of my favorite geek news sites have confirmed they're going dark, as is Gamebreaker.tv, of which I'm a huge supporter.

Here's a great video that was produced by TotalBiscuit which breaks down SOPA and PIPA.

Sources:

Filming has begun on the Untitled Star Trek Sequel!

2012-01-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

Alrighty, folks. It's official. Filming has begun on J. J. Abrams' sequel to the 2009 Star Trek reboot. Rumors have been surrounding the project for months. At one point Benicio Del Toro was involved, but recently Benedict Cumberbatch of BBC's Sherlock (SWOON!!!1one) has landed a role. IMDB has already put him in the role of Khan Noonien Singh portrayed by Ricardo Montalban on The Original Series and in subsequent films. Cumberbatch is not confirming that he is the film's villain, however.

Press Release

JJ Abrams Begins Production On Next “Star Trek” Movie

Paramount Pictures announced that principal photography has commenced in Los Angeles, CA on the sequel to STAR TREK from director J.J. Abrams. The film will be released on May 17, 2013 in 3D. The 2009 re-launch of the "Star Trek" franchise by Abrams was met with critical acclaim and a worldwide gross of over $385 million at the box office.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Bad Robot Production of a J.J. Abrams Film. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin. They are joined by new cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller.

Based upon "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry, the film is produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The script was written by Alex Kurtzman & Robert Orci & Damon Lindelof.

Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake are the executive producers. The director of photography is Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC. The production designer is Scott Chambliss. The film is edited by Maryann Brandon, A.C.E. and Mary Jo Markey, A.C.E. The costume designer is Michael Kaplan. The music is by Michael Giacchino.

Several new faces have been added to the cast, the aforementioned Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, who is starring opposite John Cusack in the new Edgar Allen Poe film "The Raven," and Peter Weller, who is no stranger to the Star Trek franchise, appearing on Star Trek: Voyager.

What do you think the plot of this sequel will be? Do you think Benedict Cumberbatch will play Khan?

A tale of two Lincolns

2011-12-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

... or really, two tales of one Lincoln: the one and only Abraham Lincoln.

As a history major, I have spent a couple of years of my college career studying the Civil War, but I have a lifetime of interest in it. I find Abraham Lincoln to be a fascinating person. Most have heard the basics of his story in school. He was born in near Hodgenville, Kentucky and his family moved to Indiana when he was a young boy. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died when he was only nine years old. He went on to practice law, serve as a state representative for Illinois, and led the Union through a Civil War before being assassinated on April 14, 1865. Lincoln has been portrayed many times in cinema history, but in 2012 there will be two very different depictions of him, one having a very supernatural twist Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Lincoln.

This film, directed by Timur Beckmambetov (Apollo 18, The Darkest Hour, Wanted), is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith. Smith is also responsible for the 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which reached #3 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Labeled as the "untold history of America's sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter plots the history of Lincoln from his boyhood through his presidency. It turns out, that Nancy Lincoln's death, which had been called "milk sickness" was actually the work of creatures of the night.

According to the book's description, Smith found a centuries old Secret Diary of Abraham Lincoln within which the true story of his mother's death and the war which threatened the United States can be found. The description also compares his autobigraphical style to that of Doris Kearns-Goodwin, whose book "Team of Rivals" is being used as the reference for the other 2012 Lincoln film. In the movie adaptation of Vampire Hunter, Abraham Lincoln is being played by Benjamin Walker, who is no stranger to historical fiction, having appeared in Kinsey, Flags of Our Fathers, and the Off and On Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. The cast is rounded out with Rufus Sewell playing Adam, Lincoln's vampiric adversary, Alan Tudyk as Stephan Douglass, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln, and Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturges, a vampire who aids Lincoln.
There is no official trailer for the film yet, but check out the trailer for the book release. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter stalks its prey into theaters on June 22, 2012.

The second Lincoln-themed movie of 2012 is Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. This film is based on the historian Doris Kearns- Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals" which examines the relationship of Abraham Lincoln to his competitors for the presidency. Ultimately, he would bring them into his cabinet and through their collective political genius, they were able to steer the Union through the Civil War. Playlist is reporting that the movie will not feature the war itself, rather the film will focus on the politics in Washington rather than the battles in the field. In a cinema culture highly focused on scenes of war, this will be an interesting addition. The film will focus on the last months of Lincoln's life, including the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which officially abolished slavery.

Image courtesy of The Playlist

Daniel Day-Lewis is at the film's forefront, playing the sixteenth president. Sally Field has been cast as Lexington native Mary Todd Lincoln, Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt portraying the Lincoln's oldest son and namesake of Mary Lincoln's father. Always the methodical actor, Day-Lewis has been seen even out of Lincoln costuming really looking the part. Liam Neeson had originally been cast as the Kentuckian, but left the project in 2010 saying that hew as too old to play Lincoln. The project is still filming in Virginia. Lincoln is slated for a late 2012 release, though little information has been released about the Spielberg film.

Will you see either of these films? What's your favorite movie based on history?

Game of Thrones RPG on the way

2011-12-29T16:18:00.002-05:00

Since I began immersing myself in the Kingdom of Westeros by reading "A Song of Ice and Fire" and watching "Game of Thrones" I began to imagine what it would be like to play a video game based on George R.R. Martin's epic story. Those who have been jonesing for an ASOIAF video game will not have to wait much longer. Cyanide Studios recently released a real-time strategy game based on the series, and are developing an RPG that is slated to come out in quarter one 2012. The game takes the information that we already have about The Seven Kingdoms and weaves in original characters. One of the great things about this game is that the story is being written in conjunction with the man himself, George R. R. Martin.

There's not official release date for the GoT RPG as of yet, but it's slated for "early 2012." The game will be released for PC and all next-generation consoles. Hopefully it will be as well-received as games like Dragon Age and Skyrim. Two more GoT-inspired games will be released in 2012, a browser-based MMO being developed by Bigpoint Games and a social game much like Farmville.

Will you be checking out this game? Leave a note in the comments!

Around the Web: All The Trekkie Ladies

2011-12-29T15:49:00.000-05:00

You good folks know that I am a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Poking around the internet today, I saw a brief mention of this video, but wasn't able to watch it. Now, having feasted my eyes upon its simple brilliance, I can definitely say that this is now one of my favorite things ever. I wish it had been longer. Also, I would like to see Sir Patrick Stewart and the very Honorable Lords Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton act this out in real time. If you're a fan of Robot Chicken, then you'll definitely like this video which features their Star Trek action figure counterparts dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies.

(via The Mary Sue)

Trailer for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is here - in HD!

2011-12-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

We wants it... we wants the precious.... and it's here! The long-awaited trailer for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" the first of two film adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" has been released. Here, we are introduced to a young Bilbo Baggins, as we recall from The Lord of the Rings is Frodo's uncle. We are also reunited (though it feels like the very first time) with our very good friend Gandalf the Grey and get to meet Bilbo's thirteen dwarven traveling companions. Young Bilbo is played by the ever-so talented Martin Freeman, whom you can also hear in 2012's The Pirates! Band of Misfits. Of course, he also plays Arthur Dent in the 2005 adaptation of The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Watch the trailer after the break!

I think that the trailer is super sharp. I know that I'm not the only person who got goosebumps, but I think that it's everything that I thought it could be and much more. Also very excited to see Gollum, Elrod, Legolas, Galadriel and the old gang again.

What are your initial thoughts? I know that I can't wait until December 14, 2012 now! Of course, I know upon seeing the first film, we won't be able to wait until 2013 when "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" will be released.

Epic giveaway: Game of Foams - WINNER

2011-12-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Huge congratulations to the winner of the Game of Foams GEEKSOAP! The winner of this giveaway was Konstantin! He will receive the Stark and Lannister soaps courtesy of The Pink Toque.

Check back for more contests soon!

Official Dark Knight Rises trailer released

2011-12-19T15:46:00.001-05:00

Some who expected this here in Lexington this weekend got the teaser from July, which is just plain unfortunate. Thankfully though, the official trailer for Christopher Nolan's conclusion to The Dark Knight saga has been released. Huge thanks to GeekTyrant for the tip on comingsoon's embed code.

The film takes place eight years after the events in The Dark Knight. The trailer features a look at Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Catwoman. We also get to see Tom Hardy's Bane. Oh, and that's a glimpse of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake as well. Michael Caine reprises his role as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth. The film also stars wonderful actors Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, and Matthew Modine.

After the death of Harvey Dent, in order to preserve Dent's reputation, Batman (Christian Bale) assumed the responsiblities for Dent's crimes. This leaves him an enemy of the state, so to speak, hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. He is called out, however, by the villain Bane who wishes to destroy the city and must deal with Selina Kyle (Hathaway).

The Dark Knight releases on July 20, 2012.

What will be the next step in the Batman franchise?

This Day in Geek History: The Fellowship of the Ring is released

2011-12-19T15:02:00.002-05:00

Having been dubbed a history maven and all around queen of useless knowledge, I thought I would start discussing some awesome geek history tidbits. Today, I thought I would start with a favorite of mine, the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Buzz is surround the release of Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" adaptation. I've heard that the trailer for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is attached to both Sherlock Holmes and the Adventures of Tintin. I read, however, that here in Lexington the trailer didn't appear. Curses!

Anyway, about LoTR: FotR. The film, the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, premiered in the United States on December 19, 2011, nine days after the UK release. The film went on to earn 870 million dollars worldwide and was the second highest grossing film of 2001, behind Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 2001 was a big year for first in series movies.

A ring which was thought to have been lost for centuries has been found, and the bearer is a young Hobbit named Frodo. It is up to him to destroy the ring so that it may not return to the hands of its master, the evil Sauron. We meet Frodo, Legolas, and their merry band of adventurers, including Merry and Pippin, et al. (Oh and everyone's favorite Lord of Winterfell, I mean Boromir.) Over mountains, through forgotten woods, and by blood sweat and tears, the Fellowship works to complete their epic quest.

Who is your favorite character from the Lord of the Rings series?

Epic Rap: Star Wars The Old Republic

2011-12-18T22:08:00.004-05:00

Star Wars: The Old Republic officially releases on Tuesday, December 20. It's the latest game from Bioware and the next chapter in the Star Wars video game franchise, set thousand of years before the rise of Darth Vader. Youtube user Dan Bull, who recently rapped about Skyrim, has just released a new rap based on SWTOR. The video features a lot of footage from the game and is very well made. Kudos to Dan Bull!

Were you granted early access to SWTOR or will you be picking it up on release? Share your thoughts!

Second Day of Christmas: WoW vs SWTOR Holiday Singoff

2011-12-17T22:21:00.001-05:00

Apologies, I am certainly behind in my 12 Days of Christmas postings. That just means we get Christmas cheer well past Christmas!

With World of Warcraft's patch 4.3 coming out just in time for the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic, there has been some heavy debate (and friendly banter) and comparison of the two games. Some are calling SWTOR a WoW-killer while others say that TOR will crash and burn.

Mike B aka Fony of Gamebreaker.tv and ZAM.com's BFF Report has created 42 episodes of the World of Warcraft machinima show Blizz Blues for Gamebreaker including this video "12 Days of Smack Talkin'." It features Darnell, the host of Blizz Blues, singing about his "rogue only legendary" that was released with patch 4.3. However, his holiday fun was interrupted by a visitor from a galaxy far, far away.

I think that Blizz Blues gets better with every episode. I've always been a huge fan of machinima and Mike's doing an awesome job!

Be sure to check out the other episodes of Blizz Blues!
Question: Are you a WoW player? Do you think that the game is on death's door? Leave a comment below!

First Day of Christmas: boogie2988

2011-12-14T00:51:00.001-05:00

It's coming on Christmas around here at Kentucky Geek Girl and I wanted to kick off the season with my own special 12 Days of Christmas. It'll be 12 days of awesome things that I love or that are particularly cool this time of year. Today, it's boogie2988. I'm sure most of you have seen his videos on Youtube where he plays a character named Francis. I must admit that I thought that this wasn't just a character at first. Turns out, though, that boogie is really awesome! He has a lot of great things to say about life, gaming, and everything in between. His Francis videos are hilarious. I'm including two special Christmas-themed Francis videos after the break!

What's your favorite Francis video? Share in the comments!

Fall asleep the "Star Trek" way

2011-12-13T23:12:00.002-05:00

I'm the type of person that needs sound to fall asleep. I used to watch TV or listen to the radio. Netflix has made it super easy as well. I've already fallen asleep on several occassions to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Murder, She Wrote" (and by golly I'm admitting it too!)

There are countless smart phone apps that allow you to generate white noise or other random sounds such as rain, crickets, or ocean waves. Now, through the engineering of youtube user crysknife007 you can listen to the USS Enterprise-D's engine idling for 24 hours! Yes, I'm quite serious. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty awesome. I had it in the background while I was writing a paper last night (on Star Trek, I might add) and it canceled out the silence of the library perfectly. Check out the video after the break!

Do you have the stamina to listen to this for 24 hours?

"Game of Thrones" Season 2 teaser

2011-12-12T00:30:00.001-05:00

The cold winds are rising... what does it mean? Has winter arrived? What about those Whitewalkers? Oh and what's this about Stannis Baratheon? Will Joffrey get the crap kicked out of his stupid face? Oh and what of Arya? SO MANY QUESTIONS. SO MANY MANY QUESTIONS!

Are you a Thronie? What did you think of the trailer? Are you SO FREAKING HYPED for April?!

Epic Giveaway: Game of Foams GEEKSOAP!

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Winter is coming, friends. Be sure you smell your very best with this newly released line of Game of Thrones inspired soaps by the lovely Lesley at GEEKSOAP.net. Lesley has been a huge friend and supporter of Kentucky Geek Girl this last year and has graciously donated her Game of Foams soaps for an epic Pre-Christmas giveaway. It's been a great year for fans of George R. R. Martin's epic series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and what better way to celebrate than by lathering up?

Enter to win a set of Game of Foams soap from Geeksoap. One winner will receive the two Game of Thrones inspired soaps.

STARK
Winter is coming... be the one true clean in the north by siding with the Starks.
Sigil: Grey wolf on winter white
Scent: Betrayal. A crisp combination of pine, cedar, and eucalyptus with just a hint of campfire to capture the essence of the wintry north.

or...

LANNISTER
Hear me roar and always pay your debts to cleanliness.
Sigil: Golden lion on crimson
Scent: Pride. A sweet, earthy blend of patchouli, plumeria, and orange; rich and manipulative.

You may not win the Game of Thrones, but whether you win or you die, at least you'll smell your best.

Follow Lesley on Facebook and Twitter! Be sure to check out Geeksoap.net for more epic soaps for an epic clean. Her soaps are proudly G33kmade and are vegan friendly!

Details:
1. One (1) winner chosen by Rafflecopter.
2: PRIZE: set of Game of Foams soaps created by Geeksoap
3. You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter form.
4. Comment to win: Winter is coming. What's your favorite wintertime activity?
5. Giveaway ends 12/19 at 12:01am
6. Use RAFFLECOPTER to tally up your entries.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amazing one woman a capella Disney medley

2011-11-26T18:21:00.001-05:00

Image courtesy of Heather Traska

I've made it no secret that I am a Disney fanatic. Growing up in the 90s, we had awesome movies like The Little Mermaid (which came out in 1989, but I digress), Hercules, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and the list of wonderful animated features which goes on and on. Something that is just as amazing as experiencing a Disney film is having the soundtrack to sing along to. I'm completely guilty of belting out refrains from my favorite songs (and usually singing the accompaniment in true a capella fashion.)

I few months ago I posted a video of Nick Pitera's One Man Disney Movie. It was one of my "Stuff That Doesn't Suck." The latest awesome Disney medley comes from a teenage girl that kicks about as much butt as anyone possibly can. I came across Heather Traska's Disney medley while browsing Tumblr not long ago. She's incredibly talented and at only 17, I know that she is going to be very successful. To be so young, her voice is full of soul, like an American Adele.

At over 7 minutes, this song features themes and variations from 26 Disney songs. The song is done entirely a capella, with Heather singing all parts. She wears Disney inspired costumes and does some fantastic makeup for the video.

I perused her Youtube channel and I must say that I'm now a fan of Heather. She has some amazing covers on her channel and in her one year on Youtube, it seems that she has grown a lot as a performer. I wish her great success!

Check out her Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter!

Movie Review: The Muppets

2011-11-24T23:01:00.001-05:00

I'm 24 years old and programming from The Jim Henson Company has been a part of my entire life. I remember when Henson died in 1990, ten days before my third birthday. I watched "Fraggle Rock" and "Muppet Babies" and had Muppet sheets, which I still sleep on, by the way. "Dinosaurs" was required weekly viewing. I watched "The Dark Crystal" in elementary school, though I've still not seen Labyrinth. The Muppets, and all that comes with them, are a part of my identity. So, when I heard that a new Muppet movie was in development, I was apprehensive. I was afraid that this "reboot" would sully the good name of Kermit and Gonzo. Granted, I know that things weren't quite as good after Jim Henson died, but I loved everything that his legacy produced. (Also, my mind was blown when I learned Frank Oz did the voice for both Miss Piggy AND Yoda.) More muppety goodness after the break!

Photo by Scott Garfield – © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
(Courtesy of IMDB)

I was somewhat comforted when I learned that Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Freaks and Geeks) was developing the script and that he was a huge fan of the Muppets. When I began seeing trailers and other marketing, I became excited. Finally, when the movie started (following about 15 minutes of trailers and an awesome Toy Story short) I was absolutely in awe. A smile never left my face the entire movie, even during "Rainbow Connection" when I was crying. "The Muppets" was a sensational movie and invoked the spirit of "Muppets Take Manhattan" or even The Muppet Show. There was innocence and purity, but there was also the occasional dark moment. Above all, this movie will allow a new generation to fall in love with the Muppets.

Segel plays Gary, who along with his strangely Muppetesque brother Gary, grew up idolizing the Muppets. Gary's girlfriend is Mary, portrayed by Amy Adams (Enchanted, Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian), a woman who feels slighted by the relationship of the two Muppet superfans, though no less in love. There are several heartfelt numbers which drive the plot forward. Wonderful celebrity cameos dot the landscape, which I won't share for spoilers sake, just know that they are magical. "Life's a Happy Song" is a theme which recurs throughout the film and is most definitely a jaunty original tune which I can see becoming a part of the Muppet repertoire.

Movie still courtesy of Disney

Parallel to the story of Gary and Mary is the story of Walter, who just wants to find a place in the world. He absolutely idolizes the Muppets and when he's given an opportunity to visit Muppet studios, he jumps at the chance. But the excitement he feels is short lived when he learns of a plot by the rich oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to tear down the iconic studios. With the help of Gary and Mary, Walter sets off to reunite the "old gang" and help raise the needed funds to allow Kermit et al to save their old stomping grounds. Richman tells Kermit that they're washed up, old news, yesterday's big thing. His opinion is echoed by others in the movie who say that the Muppets are no longer relevant. Without being overly preachy, this speaks to the cynicism of today's television audience. In a time where people are obsessed with reality television, the average viewer is hard to please and even harder to captivate. Gathering around the television used to be a family event, a special time. Today's television has lost that magic.

The original score by Christophe Beck (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) is accompanied by original songs like "Me Time" and "Muppet or Man" - the latter of which features, hands down, my favorite cameo of the movie. The songs are true to Muppet form and allow the film to stay current, but at the same time bring back the old Muppet magic. The only downfall of the film, in my opinion, was a number by the tycoon Richman. The rap song "Let's Talk About Me" is overreaching and overdone. It tries too hard and is the only portion of the movie which sets this film apart from any of the others of the franchise. One blip in two hours? I'll take it.

I implore everyone to see this movie. I don't care how old you are, how cynical, how much you think you are above seeing The Muppets, you will not be disappointed. In a theater with over 300 seats, 85% of which was filled, there were toddlers and septuagenarians. The bulk, however, was people just like me, twenty-somethings who have felt the magic of the Muppets since childhood. But when we sat down in the theater, we weren't 78, or 51, or 25, we were all one age. The Muppets was a great equalizer and the point of the film isn't to reboot a franchise, it's about entertainment. I wasn't 24 anymore, I was 4 years old sitting in awe of these fantastic characters and their story was alive for me once more. Ladies and gentleman, the Muppets are back.

Have you seen The Muppets? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook! Don't forget to join on Google Friend Connect!

Chuck Norris is a... melee hunter?

2011-11-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

Really, Blizz? Pretty sure that since your next expansion is introducing the Monk class, that you should have gone with Chuck Norris as a Monk. Also, having Chuck Norris as a spokesman would have been relevant about 6 years ago, but right now I'm just not feeling it. While I do like the "Hi, I'm X and I'm a X" commercials, this is probably my least favorite of those released.

So this commercial premiered during today's Bears-Chargers game on CBS. The toon looks a lot like him, but honestly, it looks like they put a bunch of different abilities in a hat and drew them out to choose the animations for Norris' in game persona. Also, Chuck's in martial arts gear. Why would you put him in martial arts gear if he's playing a hunter? Just makes no sense.

I applaud Blizzard for releasing one of these commercials. It's really important to keep the game relevant in a time of slumping numbers and while people are falling into end of expansion doldrums. 4.3 should revive that, but we'll see.

What do you think of this commercial?

Crafty Geeks: Christmas Shopping Guide

2011-11-20T15:09:00.001-05:00

With Thanksgiving less than one week away, the Christmas shopping season is most certainly upon us. Instead of purchasing gifts from a Big Box store, why not consider browsing through Etsy or purchasing a locally made item? Geeky crafters take time and put their heart and soul into their products. To ensure Christmas delivery, you'll want to place your orders as soon as possible. Here are some of my favorite Crafty Geeks. Check out their inventory and place an order for your favorite nerds!

Lesley, aka The Pink Toque aka GEEKSOAP, makes wonderful geektastic handmade soaps. She's a gamer geek and loves World of Warcraft and Star Wars. She has created unique designs such as Game Cartridge soaps, D20 soap on a rope and these fantastic Game of Thrones inspired soaps. You can choose your house: Stark or Lannister. Lesley sent me a sample of both, and I must say, I enjoy the Stark. The hints of pine make you feel like you're in Winterfell. However, the patchouli in Lannister reminds me of yearly trips to the Renaissance Fair, a most happy memory.

Image courtesy GEEKSOAP

Find her on Twitter and Facebook! Also, check out her Cthulhu store on The Pink Toque!

Kylee of Luxury Lane Soap uses organic ingredients to ensure that her soap is earth friendly. In addition to bath soap, she also make shampoo and conditioner to make your hair smell as geeky as possible. Her Clean Caffeine body wash comes in both Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper scents so you can enjoy your favorite caffeinated beverage even in the shower! Her original soaps include the limited edition Borg Cube soap and Han Solo in Carbonite.

Image courtesy Luxury Lane Soap

Check out Kylee and Luxury Lane Soap on Facebook and Twitter!

To quote the great Cookie Monster, "Om nom nom nom." Geeky Cookies has been merging confectionery delights and all things geek since 2009. Leo creates cookies based on some of geekdom's favorite things including D20 cookies, Starfleet uniforms, and even Codex's staff (as seen in The Guild.) A new edition to the Geeky Cookies lineup are Browncoat Brownies. Based Firefly, this new brownie is called The Captain Mal, after Malcom Reynolds, captain of Serenity.

Image courtesy of Geeky Cookies

Check out Geeky Cookies on Twitter and Facebook!

Your favorite gamer needs a proper dice bag. Luckily, Dragon Chow makes products to fill such a need. Lyndsay, of Dragon Chow, is a Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 player, and her dice bags were nominated for an ENnie award, which is part of the gaming convention Gen Con. Her designs include TARDIS bag, Firefly, and even Crown Royal bags. (What gamer hasn't used one of those to hold their dice?)

Image courtesy Dragon Chow

Follow Dragon Chow on Facebook and Twitter!

Paper Tiger Gifts, made by Stacy, features fun and unique paper gifts for geeks, gamers, and anyone who loves pop culture. Her inventory includes greeting cards and notepads with bacon and zombies. Who doesn't love bacon and zombies? A line of Dungeon and Dragons notepads help your favorite DM keep their notes in order. You can also write notes to your favorite Honey Badger! (Not like they care anyway.)

Image courtesy Paper Tiger Gifts

Check out Stacy and her paper goodies on Faceook and Twitter.

I hope you now have a few gift ideas in mind. Share them with your friends and family and let them know what YOU want for Christmas too!

What's on your Christmas list?

New trailer for The Hunger Games is released

2011-11-16T22:30:00.001-05:00

I have not read this series by Suzanne Collins, but it's definitely on my to-read list! The film adaptation of the first book, The Hunger Games, will be released this March and stars Louisville, Kentucky native Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class, Winters Bone - for which she won an Academy Award) and Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are Alright, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant), who is from Union, Kentucky. Check out the trailer after the break!

The movie, based on Collins' trilogy, also stars Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) and is set in a dystopian society where teens are chosen from each district to fight to the death in a survival competition known as The Hunger Games. Also appearing in the movie are Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, and Elizabeth Banks.

The Hunger Games opens March 23, 2012.

Steam has been hacked

2011-11-10T20:46:00.001-05:00

Valve is the latest in a string of companies to have their information accessed by outside means. On Sunday, November 6, the Steam's forums were attacked, which lead to an in-depth search by investigators. They concluded that a database containing personal informal such as user names and passwords was accessed. Valve founder Gabe Newell released a statement regarding the attack. While there is no evidence of credit card number violations. it is probably wise that everyone with a Steam account go ahead and change their password. I, for one, even changed the associated email address.

I am truly sorry this happened, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Gabe.

Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

Epic Skyrim Rap

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim releases this Friday, 11-11-11. To get you through the next few days Youtube user Dan Bull has released an Epic Skyrim Rap. It's got mad flow, dog. For shizzle, my nizzle. In all seriousness, it's a very cleverly constructed rhyme and incorporates a lot of aspects of the game, e.g. the ability to use magic in one hand and wield a weapon in the other. Pretty sweet. Check out the video after the break!

Are you checking out Skyrim this Friday? Leave a comment and say what you're looking forward to!

"Transylvania Mania" hits Rupp Arena

2011-11-04T21:50:00.004-04:00

Photo courtesy of The Ramber

Most folks I know are huge fans of Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein." How could you not be? It's amazing! The touring production of the Broadway musical is at the Lexington Opera House this weekend. One of the songs from the production is called "Transylvania Mania." Conveniently enough, Transylvania University, where I am a history major, played the University of Kentucky Wildcats in basketball on Wednesday evening. Shortly before tip-off, faculty, staff and students from Transy joined with dancers from the Town and Village School of Dance of Paris, Ky. to perform "Transylvania Mania" flash mob style. Video after the break!

Transylvania-Mania Flash Mob from Rupp Arena on Vimeo.

The dance number, which featured vampires, Frankenstein monsters, and mummies, allowed the school to poke fun at its name and identity as "the vampire college." Members of the Transylvania community who participated in the flash mob were given free tickets to a production of "Young Frankenstein."

Have you ever been in a flash mob or seen one up close? Share your story in the comments!

Blizzard's Diablo III Promotion

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Site | Forums | Youtube

Announced at BlizzCon this year is a stellar promotional offer for World of Warcraft/Diablo players. If you sign-up for a WOW annual package (which can be paid monthly at 14.99) you will have guaranteed Beta access for Mists of Pandaria once it is available for play. You will receive the full version digital download of Diablo III with its release in 2012. In addition, you will also get an exclusive World of Warcraft Mount, Tyrael's Charger, that will be made available to you with the release of patch 4.3.

The sticky details of this promotion is simply that the account must have existed in full content prior to October 18, 2011 (BlizzCon). This is not applicable to accounts that are made in attempt to abuse this offer.

Mists of Pandaria Preview Trailer

2011-10-27T15:49:00.000-04:00

To add to my recent coverage of the Mists of Pandaria expansion for World of Warcraft, I share with you the expansion preview trailer that was released at BlizzCon. This trailer (is seemingly in Thrall's voice /swoon) covers the entire expanse of World of Warcraft's history. From the moment of the "vanilla" launch through Burning Crusade and back to Azeroth as we battle the Lich King; finally the world ends in such a Cataclysm that the world is vulnerable to Deathwing the Destroyer. But now, here we are on the brink of reparations and new adventure...

Pandas and monks and expansions, oh my!

2011-10-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

World of Warcraft players are no stranger to the information that the new expansion is going to be Mists of Pandaria. What this means is simply that a new player race, Pandaren, will be available as well as a new non-heroic class, the Monk. The new continent of Pandaria will also be open. It is all a lot of amazing information and it has caused the typical troll to sneak their way in but it still seems like the idea of panda bears have been pretty well received.

The concept with the Monk class is that they will have a resource called Chi that they will use to harness both the forces of light and dark. Monks will have the ability to be healers, as they are prone to in "real life". Monks will also have the ability to be melee DPS, hopefully as kick butt as they are in Dungeons & Dragons (3.0). A new spin on the idea of monk but a refashioned WoW character is that Monk Brewmasters will also be able to tank.

It was released that this class will be available to other races but the choices, as usual, are limited in what races will be able to attain the appropriate level of spirituality needed to harness the chi. The only races not available to achieve this class are Worgen and Goblin.

As far as factions go, this expansion and race bring a long awaited avenue to the game of neutrality and choice. Until Level 10, a Pandaren is neutral. Upon reaching level 10 and leaving the starting zone, the player is given the option to choose Alliance or Horde and the choice is permanent. At the moment, the Pandaren option is set in the Horde column, but that is simply from the first glimpse at character creation. The creation screen option for the Pandaren is beautiful though.

No doubt that this expansion may bring some new aspects to the game and there is a possibility of an influx of returning players. From re-desigining talents, to Poke-Catch-Em-All, we will see a new face for World of Warcraft.

*Images via WoW Insider and Gamespy

Code for discount on products from DriveThruRPG.com!

2011-10-23T21:54:00.001-04:00

We are now affiliates of DriveThruRPG.com and will be part of their blog program. What this means for you, oh gentle readers, is that we can hook you all up with reviews of hot games as well as some codes for free and discounted products! Who doesn't love free stuff?!

Use the code DiceintheFall for these selected products:

Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion [Pinnacle Entertainment]
Realms of Cthulhu [Reality Blurs]
Karma Roleplaying System Core [Bards and Sages]
FantasyCraft [Crafty Games]
Fat Dragon's Dragonshire Deluxe [Fat Dragon Games]
Ninja Burger RPG (2nd Edition) [aetherial FORGE]
Heavy Gear Blitz! Locked & Loaded [Dream Pod 9]
Hero's Handbook: Dragonborn [Goodman Games]
Splicers RPG [Palladium Books]
Caladon Falls [Savage Mojo]
Legend of the Five Rings (4th Edition) [AEG]
Dungeon Dwellers (Rev. 2nd Edition) [Empty Room Studios]
Fuzzy Heroes (2nd Edition) [Inner City Games]
Ave Molech (2nd Edition) [Morbidgames]
Book of Alignment (OGL/Pathfinder) [Emerald Press]
Horrific Universe: 12 Months of Horror [Bailey Records]
Directors Cut Survival Horror [Crispy Zombie Productions]
Friar's Almanac (Complete) [Dark Spire]
Distant Vistas [Draken Games]
Stories in the Ether, Issue 1 (Bundle) [Nevermet Press]
d-Infinity Volume #3: Children of the Night (Gen Con Special Edition) [Skirmisher Publishing]

The code is good through November 10th!

Uncharted 3 launch trailer released (Plus bonus video of Harrison Ford playing the game!)

2011-10-19T14:05:00.000-04:00

We're about two weeks away from the launch of the third game in the Uncharted series. This time, Nathan Drake is searching for a 16th century artifact, only to be pitted against a "shadowy clandestine organization." There are elements of the occult, secrets and treachery. In short, it. looks. awesome.

Sony has just released the official launch trailer for the game, which comes out November 1. Watching it, you totally get a sense of what the game is all about. There are a few minor spoilers, but I think playing the game you'll get so immersed in all of the action, you won't even realize.

Check out the trailer and an extra special video after the break.

I've made it abundantly clear my admiration for Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones. Here's a Japanese trailer for Uncharted 3 which features him playing the game!

Uncharted 3 will be released on November 1 and is for Playstation 3, which by the way is $249.99 now. (I'm contemplating buying myself one for Christmas just so I can play Uncharted-- the added Bluray player is just a bonus. :-D)

Felicia Day is a bad*** elf

2011-10-18T11:21:00.000-04:00

Dragon Age: Redemption, a webseries tie-in to the Dragon Age series of video games, premiered online last week. Episode 2 was released today as we follow Felicia Day's character Tallis, an elf assassin, on her quest to track down a mage. I think that the suspense with the last two episodes has been great and I look forward to seeing them each week!

In a recent interview, Day talked about the how she prefers the filming for the web to a TV pilot or movie script. She said that when you work on the web, there is minimal interference with corporations. There's a bright future for web content, so I'm excited to see what's next for Felicia Day and my other favorite web stars.

Watch the trailer here and the first two episodes after the break!

Videos courtesy of Machinima.

What do you think of the series so far?

Gamebreaker to team with WoWInsider and Wowhead for epic Blizzcon party

2011-10-01T19:18:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm not going to Blizzcon. That would be pretty sweet, but it doesn't make much sense because I'm not playing WoW right now. To satisfy my need for all things World of Warcraft, I follow posts from WoWInsider, WoWhead/Zam and of course watch Legendary on Gamebreaker.tv. Those three entities of awesomeness are teaming up to host a reader meetup at Blizzcon that sounds like it's going to be pretty sweet.

You do not need to have a ticket to Blizzcon to attend the party, which will be held at the Anabella Hotel on October 20. There will be awesome swag, a chance to meet your favorite personalities from Gamebreaker, WoWInsider, and sites like Tankspot and Zam. It sounds like it is going to be a ton of fun and if you're not in California, like me, you can watch a live stream of the party on Gamebreaker.tv!

There's even a Facebook event page for the party. So, if you'll be in the Anaheim area on October 20, even if you're not going to Blizzcon, check out the party, starting at 5pm PDT.

Disney meets the Lantern Corps

2011-10-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

This is one mashup that I wouldn't have predicted, but that totally makes sense. SilverwingFox posted this rendering of the Lantern Corps on his DeviantArt account. He provided explanation for why he chose a particular character and they totally fit. Even though my favorite Disney Princess is Ariel, I totally get why he chose her for the Orange Lantern. Hope you all enjoy this!

Red Lantern Stitch-Based off his initial behavior
Orange Lantern Ariel-She's a horder, and incredibly selfish within the context of her own movie
Yellow Lantern Jack Skellington-He likes to inspire fear
Green Lantern Mulan-Most Disney characters fall under Will, so I just picked Mulan and gave her a Jedi ish outfit
Blue Lantern Beast-He has a lot of hope. And don't ask for what smartass
Indigo Lantern Aladdin - he's very compassionate, even more so in the series, so he fits
Star Sapphire Jessica Rabbit-She has great love for her husband
Black Lantern Flynn/Eugene Ryder-Fitzherbert-He died and came back to life, it's a no brainer
and White Lantern Rapunzel-She brought Flynn back to life, also DUH

Around the Web: I Tried to Play Alliance

2011-10-01T00:53:00.000-04:00

I love World of Warcraft machinima. It's a thing. And I love when WoWInsider posts new videos to check out. This video by Palette-Swap Ninja isn't technically a machinima, but it's a wonderful parody of Thomas Dolby's 80's hit "She Blinded Me With Science." It sounds so much like the real thing it's creepily cool. The visuals aren't stunning like many machinima out there, this is simply a lyric video. I would love if they could create a video to go along with this. Even a live action video like "Arcade Gaming Shrine."

Not only is the song aurally pleasing, it also voices real opinions that someone playing Alliance for the first time might have. "Everyone made fun of me for playing a gnome..." "That worgen looks like it should be Horde..."

Enjoy the delightful goodness!

The Bookwyrm's Geek Reads (1)

2011-09-20T15:36:00.001-04:00

The Bookwyrm's Geek Reads is a new feature where I, the bookwyrm, take a look at the vast amount of books loved by geeks everywhere and bring to light some amazing selections and suggest them to you, our lovely readers (oh! a double entendre!). Be sure to let us know in the comments if you have read any of these suggestions or if they're on your list! Up first...

Thrall: Aspects of the Twilight by Christie Golden

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: Gallery Books (July 19, 2011)
Age Group: Mature Audience
Pages (Hardback): 309
ISBN-13: 9781416550884
Genre: Fantasy/Lore

When Azeroth was young, the noble titans appointed the five great dragonflights to safeguard the budding world. Each of the flights' leaders was imbued with a portion of the titans' vast cosmic powers. Together, these majestic Dragon Aspects committed themselves to thwarting any force that threatened the safety of the WORLD OF WARCRAFT.

Over ten thousand years ago, a betrayal by the maddened black Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, shattered the strength and unity of the dragonflights. His most recent assault on Azeroth—the Cataclysm—has left the world in turmoil. At the Maelstrom, the center of Azeroth's instability, former Horde warchief Thrall and other accomplished shaman struggle to keep the world from tearing apart in the wake of Deathwing's attack. Yet a battle also rages within Thrall regarding his new life in the shamanic Earthen Ring, hampering his normally unparalleled abilities.

Unable to focus on his duties, Thrall undertakes a seemingly menial task from an unexpected source: the mysterious green Dragon Aspect, Ysera. This humble endeavor soon becomes a journey spanning the lands of Azeroth and the timeways of history itself, bringing Thrall into contact with ancient dragonflights. Divided by conflict and mistrust, these dragons have become easy prey to a horrific new weapon unleashed by Deathwing's servants . . . a living nightmare engineered to exterminate Azeroth's winged guardians.

Of even greater concern is a bleak and terrifying possible future glimpsed by Ysera: the Hour of Twilight. Before this apocalyptic vision comes to pass, Thrall must purge his own doubts in order to discover his purpose in the world and aid Azeroth's dragonflights as they face the Twilight of the Aspects.

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Christie Golden is typically the perferred World of Warcraft author over Richard Knaak. This book has my all-time favorite character featured in the world that is devastated by The Cataclysm. While the writing style of Golden is unknown to me, the praise of the lore this book has received cannot be denied. At a 4.04 stars rating on Goodreads, this book gives more information to what is going on with Thrall's decision and the state of the Dragonflights against Deathwing.

As an avid follower of Thrall, I cannot wait to read this selection. If it is not my first World of Warcraft novel, it will be second only to Arthas or The Shattering.

Explore history of Westeros in A Game of Thrones: Genesis

2011-09-12T23:57:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, George R. R. Martin put up a post on his blog entitled "A Taste of Cyanide." It detailed the new fantasy strategy game being released by Cyanide Studios based on the lore of A Song of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones: Genesis, which is set to release on September 28, immerses the player in conflicts and intrigue between the Houses of Westeros. The game allows players to take different avenues to claiming power: economic, militaristic, or political, with many choices allowing you to complete your goal. More info and teaser trailer after the break!

Thar be dragons!

Players will be able to experience the 1000 years of history leading up to the action in A Game of Thrones. You will be able to interact with characters like Aegon the Conqueror and experience the battles of his invasion and claim for the Iron Throne and possibly come face to face with Whitewalkers. You will undertake a single player campaign which allows you to build prestige for your house as you lay claim to the Iron Throne. There are opportunities for assassinations, deception, but as well as brute force as you crush your opponents. Like with most strategy games, you'll deploy units to help do your bidding. Examples of units in AGOT: Genesis are Great Lords, Noble Ladies, and even Bastards. According to the AGOT: Genesis website, "A bastard appears when a Great Lord takes too long to marry." You can utilize marriage for political alliances.

Martin also said that a division of Cyanide is also developing an online role playing game for Game of Thrones. You can check out A Game of Thrones: Genesis on their website and Facebook page. You can pre-order it on Steam now for a 10% discount at a price of $35.99. A Game of Thones: Genesis will be released September 28, 2011 and is for PC.

Infographic: The Evolution of Star Trek

2011-09-09T17:30:00.001-04:00

45 years ago yesterday the original Star Trek series premiered on television and it boldly went where no TV series had gone before. Today, William Shatner has a horse farm in Kentucky where his wife is a member of the local arts scene. We're proud to call The Shat an honorary Kentuckian! Infographic after the break.

Source: SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Video Game Review: Dead Island

2011-09-09T00:08:00.010-04:00

The world seems to have a love-hate relationship with zombies. We hate those undead, rotting walkers who want nothing more than to feast on our brains (with a nice Chianti...sorry, bad joke) and turn us into one of "them". But gosh darn it if we don't love watching movies/TV shows, reading books, and playing games that feature zombies. Thank goodness then that Polish video game developer, Techland, released Dead Island earlier this month. Having only played the single player story mode, I can definitely say I love this game. It's not perfect, but heck, what is?

The story of Dead Island is pretty typical. Taking place on a fictional island located off the coast of Papua New Guinea, you wake up from a night of partying at the island resort only to realize a zombie apocalypse had occurred over night while you slept (even for a game about zombies, that seems a bit unrealistic to me). Your goal is to wonder the island helping the other survivors (via quests) and ultimately find a way off the island. From there you can choose one of four characters to play as, each having a different specialty with weapons: Sam B-blunt weapons, Logan Carter-throwing, Xian Mei-sharp weapons, and Purna-firearms.
The game features an open world where you are free to explore and complete quests, talk to people, collect items, and of course, kill zombies. Progression in the game is done RPG style (which I'm a fan of) so that completing certain tasks will earn you XP that level up both your character and your enemies. At each new level, you may gain one new skill from one of the three skill trees: Fury, Combat, and Survival.

Weapons/combat is probably my favorite aspect of the game. It is a first person shooter, which I was skeptical about since I'm quite terrible at them, but turned out to be quite manageable. From searching the island and buying or trading with the dealers at the different encampments, you can acquire a plethora of about 45 different weapons. Anything from boat oars and guns to machetes and molotov cocktails. One fun aspect of the weaponry that I particularly enjoyed was the ability to customize each weapon with different mods (ex. nailed baseball bat, electric machete, etc.). Secondly, I enjoyed the ability to throw every weapon at your target. This comes in handy when health or stamina might be low or you simply do not want close quarters combat. One drawback the weapons in the game have is that as they are used, they become damaged, weaker, or even broken. This requires frequent use of work benches to repair damaged items. However, one may see this as a positive aspect of the game since it makes the game more realistic and prevents easy slaughter of all zombies.

Speaking of health and stamina, it is these two facets that also aid with preventing the game from being too easy. The health meter starts out quite small, though it does increase slightly at each new level, and does not regenerate over time. Sodas, snacks, and med-kits are the only way to regain health, though not always available when needed. The stamina bar, which does replenish over time, decreases for common things such as running, combat, and jumping. Depleting your stamina will keep you from dealing blows, movement, and will increase the chance of critical damage dealt to you.

Visually and audibly, Dead Island is pretty good. The scenery of the island is quite beautiful and very well done. Small details like room decorations and clothing are well handled. I was also very impressed with the gore (blood squirting, gashes, decomposition, etc.). The game is very aware of where you strike the zombie so if you swing at the head, there's decapitation or if you slice across the chest, there is a gash right where you slashed. I was very happy with the accuracy and quality of the combat. One complaint would have to be with the humans portrayed in the game. For such a beautiful game (yes, beautiful game), the figures were rather stiff and didn't quite seem to mesh with the visuals of the rest of the game. The dialogue between characters was nice. The voice actors were appropriate and did well not to make it sound like a script was being read. I very much appreciated the zombie vocalizations as well. When I heard a faint moan growing louder in the distance, my adrenaline actually started pumping. What slightly annoyed me, however, was the lack in variety of comments made by your character as he/she periodically talks to his/herself. It gets very repetitive and boring.

All in all, I have to say I really like this game. While the story is somewhat "been there, done that" and the graphics have room for improvement, the combat and in game adventures are quite enjoyable. What sets this game apart for me, however, is the human aspect involved. This is not just another stab 'em hard, blood and guts game. You get to deal with wives grieving their turned husbands, fear induced insanity, and children making the ultimate decision regarding the fate of their zombie parents. All of these things make the experience more realistic by invoking emotion, and in my opinion, that's a sign of a very successful game. My advice: get the game!

Kentucky For Kentucky celebrates kick a** Kentuckians

2011-09-08T23:04:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I noticed a Facebook page called Kentucky for Kentucky had been created. The goal: to spotlight the Bluegrass state and the amazing contributions and cultural influences it has made since its entered the Union in 1792. Some notable people include George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Josh Hutcherson, Diane Sawyer, Ashley Judd, Lee Majors, Jeri Ryan... okay the list goes on and on. It's been my mission since I founded KGG to spotlight the awesomeness of Kentucky's geeky side with features on comic book shops and gaming shops as well as other interesting stories. Our site is called Kentucky Geek Girl after all and we're very proud of our state!

Kentucky For Kentucky has set up a Kickstarter project with a lofty goal: to broadcast a Superbowl commercial highlighting the kick a$$ contributions of Kentucky. The $3.5 million dollar project would allow the ad to air on the 2012 Superbowl and has a deadline of November 7. Even if you're not from Kentucky, please consider a donation to this very cool project. It's time people stop talking smack about the great Commonwealth of Kentucky! The Facebook group and Kickstarter project is the collective brainchild of Whit Hiler, Griffin VanMeter, and Kent Carmichael, all members of the Kentucky advertising industry and lovers of the Bluegrass state. They want to user the Superbowl to show how awesome Kentucky is and we definitely commend them for their efforts.

"Our motive is Kentucky. We're all from Kentucky, we all love Kentucky," said Hiler. "We want to ignite Kentucky pride around the country. Have some fun and shed light on how kick-ass the great state of Kentucky is."

Elementary, my dear geek!

2011-09-08T21:48:00.003-04:00

Semesters are finally starting at colleges across the country this week and with it comes new classes and fulfilling the wonderful general education requirements. For my history major, I'm taking The Age of Samurai and Europe 1914-1945. For my Anthropology minor, I was able to get into a class on Explorers and Anthropologists where I'm going to be doing a project on representations of explorers and adventurers in popular culture. (Cue *Dun duh dun duhhhhh*) Transylvania University (where Leila, Jenna and myself have attended college) has a history of offering some pretty awesome classes. There have been Foundations of Liberal Arts (Freshman writing and composition) courses on Appalachian stereotypes, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Jenna and I took a course on comedy called Laughing Matters, and Jenna had a class entitled Vampires in Literature and Film. Some classes have even studied ghost hunting! Pretty awesome stuff. Transy isn't the only university to teach some pretty interesting and geeky classes. Check out a list after the break!

Philosophy of Star Trek (Georgetown)

I. Is time travel possible? Could you go back and kill your grandmother? What is time?
II. What is the relation between your mind and your brain--are they separate items or identical? Can persons survive death? Could a machine someday think? Is Data a person?
III. What is a person? Must you have the same body to be you? Same memories? When do we have one person, and when do we have two (think of the episodes where people "split" or "fuse")?
IV. Do you have free will, or are you determined by the laws of nature to do exactly what you wind up doing (while believing you have free will)? Or both? What is freewill?

Theory and History of Video Games (Swarthmore)

Historical, cultural, and formal perspectives on video games, tracing their emergence as new medium, big business, and social force.

Biology of Jurassic Park (Hood)

Even though they are extinct, dinosaurs can serve as models to understand many biological principles, including patterns of biodiversity, evolution, extinction, community ecology, homeostasis and behavior. To understand these principles, we will answer questions such as: How many species of dinosaurs were there? Are birds really dinosaurs? Did dinosaurs show parental care? Were dinosaurs “warm-blooded” or “cold-blooded?”

Zombies in Popular Media (Columbia College)

This course explores the history, significance, and representation of the zombie as a figure in horror and fantasy texts. We will pursue an intense schedule, using critical theory to think about zombies as they appear in literature, comics, and films. Our daily readings and discussion will focus on critical evaluation and reflection about the zombie trope, and your final project will ask you to integrate these ideas in a project within your discipline.

Invented Languages: Klingon and Beyond (University of Texas at Austin)
Why would anyone want to learn Klingon? Who really speaks Esperanto, anyway? Could there ever be a language based entirely on musical scales? Using constructed/invented languages as a vehicle, we will try to answer these questions as we discuss current ideas about linguistic theory, especially ideas surrounding the interaction of language and society. For example, what is it about the structure of Klingon that makes it look so "alien"? What was it about early 20th century Europe that spawned so many so-called "universal" languages? Can a language be inherently sexist? We will consider constructed/invented languages from a variety of viewpoints, such as languages created as fictional plot-devices, for philosophical debates, to serve an international function, and languages created for private fun. We wont be learning any one language specifically, but we will be learning about the art, ideas, and goals behind invented languages using diverse sources from literature, the internet, films, video games, and other aspects of popular culture.

Have you taken a geeky or cool college class? Let us know in the comments!

University of Kentucky holds world's largest water balloon fight

2011-09-07T17:09:00.001-04:00

Brigham Young University set world record for the world's largest water balloon fight in 2010. The University of Kentucky is nothing if not ambitious, so Christian Student Fellowship sponsored a fight during K-Week (freshman orientation/move-in week) on August 26. Over 175,100 balloons were used in the fight.

Balloons were provided by KAOS, a company that makes water balloon launchers. 8.957 members of the University of Kentucky community participated in the fight which was held at the Johnson Center (athletic center) at UK.

As Transylvania alumnae, we're super proud of our friends at the University of Kentucky. Good job, guys!

Around the Web: Adele & Angry Birds

2011-09-04T21:16:00.000-04:00

Adele's hit song "Rolling in the Deep" is a fantastic song and makes for some amazing parodies. We've seen the World of Warcraft machinima to this song, but now I introduce you to something new. Angry Birds is a puzzle game that has taken the world by storm. Set for iPhone & Android you can play Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasonal, or Angry Birds Rio. There are plushies and even a board game in the works around these birds. It is driving people insane! Some new phones even come pre-installed with it!

Check out this hilarious video (from Key of Awesome) and laugh your tail feathers off!

Hugh Jackman to lead Les Miserables cast

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

In my first Broadway Geek post, I talked about my love for Les Miserables. Due to scheduling conflicts, shooting on Wolverine 2 may be pushed to Spring of 2012, which could allow Les Mis, starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, to begin production in February. I. am. stoked. Jackman has a fantastic voice. He won a Tony for The Boy From Oz and has hosted the ceremony several times. He also was Executive Producer of Viva Laughlin, a musical series which appeared briefly on CBS, in which he had a small role and did a number or two. Not only can he sing, but he can dance as well! I would absolutely love to see him in a movie adaptation of one of my favorite musicals.

Broadway World has reported that Anne Hathaway, who is currently filming The Dark Knight Rises, is being considered for Fantine, a role that has been filled on the stage by Patti LuPone and Lea Salonga, and by Uma Thurman in the 1998 movie adaptation of the book. Amy Adams and Rebecca Hall are also being considered for the role.

Screen Rant reports that Paul Bettany is in talks to portray Javert, Valjean's antagonist. I'm a huge fan of his and would love to see him in this movie, though Broadway World has said that Russell Crowe is being considered as well. Tom Hooper, the Academy Award winning director of The Kings Speech, is set to direct. Helena Bonham Carter, who is no stranger to movie musicals, is being considered for a role, as well as Hayden Panettiere, Miranda Cosgrove, and Geoffrey Rush.

There's already an awful lot of awesomeness surround this movie and it hasn't even begun production yet. I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Update 9/8

Less than a week after I posted this story about Les Miserables, a casting announcement has been made about Inspector Javert. Russell Crowe has been cast to play the antagonist to Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean. I've not heard Russell Crowe sing (that I can recall) so I cannot judge how this will play out, but I'm a huge huge huge fan of his. In fact, a combination of Jackman and Crowe is going to provide much sexiness to this movie. Geek Tyrant is reporting that the musical's original producer Cameron Mackintosh is producing the film and the original score by composer Claude-Michel Schoenberg is going to be used. As someone who appreciates the brilliance and complexity of the music of Les Miserables, I appreciate this announcement. The announcement of Russell Crowe as an addition to the cast is definitely exciting. I'll keep everyone up to date on more details as they are forthcoming!

Gizmodo blogger threatened by the awesome

2011-09-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

Two days ago, I read the Gizmodo article where Alyssa Bereznak blasts Jon Finkel for omitting his gaming habits from his OKCupid profile. As I have talked about before, I'm a gamer, but Magic the Gathering isn't my forte. So, I didn't know who he was, let alone that he was a World Champion MtG player. Was I impressed? I sure as hell was. What didn't impress me was Bereznak's lack of class in writing the article. I was a bit confused as to why her article appeared on Gizmodo, if only because it was about an online dating site, thus making it semi-tech. She didn't just talk about having a bad dating experience, she blamed the bad experience on the fact that Finkel was a world champion Magic the Gathering player.

Bereznak, an Intern at Gawker Media, the parent company of Gizmodo, prefaced her article with a section where she explains that what she has written may be perceived as "mean." This is a total case of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." However, in this case, if she wanted to talk about the bad experience, she could have omitted his name and not totally invaded his privacy.

This story sounds mean. It's about a girl judging a boy because he's a nerd (like so many of us!) that she met on OkCupid.

Who is this "us" that she's referring to? If I wound up on a date with a world champion of anything I would be in awe, not disgusted. Since when did it become a problem for someone to be passionate about something? To strive for greatness? I'm jumping ahead a bit, now. If she claims to be a nerd, then why doesn't she appreciate his hobby even if it isn't something that interests her? I'm not at all experienced with CCGs, but I find them interesting. I'm not sure if it's for me, simply because of the monetary investment, but I digress. Even if it wasn't her cup of tea, she shouldn't find it necessary to denounce the entire hobby on the internet.

The writer feels that because Finkel plays Magic, he's not the normal guy that she assumes he was when she initially checked out his profile. Apparently normal, suit wearing, hedge fund dudes, can't indulge their geeky sides every once and awhile. (In visiting my FLGS, I've seen plenty of suit-wearers in the Friday night Magic drafts.) The discussion of Magic was raised when Bereznak mentioned that her brother was a gamer. In the article, she quotes Finkel as having said that he participated in the game when he was younger and that he was the world champion. What she failed to mention that he became world champion in 2000. What she failed to mention is that he has won hundreds of thousands of dollars playing Magic in both single and team play.

Having been supposedly turned off by Finkel's hobby the first go around, Bereznak didn't politely agree for the two to go their separate ways. No, she went out on a second date and fired off a series of questions related to Magic.

At dinner I got straight down to it. Did he still play? "Yes." Strike one. How often? "I'm preparing for a tournament this weekend." Strike two. Who did he hang out with? "I've met all my best friends through Magic." Strike three.

Why does it bother her so much that he plays this game? Did she feel threatened by his success? Did she think that because he plays with his good friends that there wouldn't be any time for a romantic relationship? She doesn't divulge the answers to these questions. She simply uses a checklist to find what she considers to be faults. The thing that grinds my gears about this is because she doesn't know shit about the game (which she fully admits). "Oh no, I don't understand it, it must be god AWFUL." That's narrow-minded and shallow thinking and she should be ashamed of herself.

I'm going to be completely honest in thinking that she went out on the second date on purpose. She probably talked to her editor about it and knew that there was potential for a story. (I'm reminded of the movie "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.) When it boils down to it, she was trolling on OkC while drunk and as a result decided to exploit someone as a result. Very classy, Alyssa.

I have a profile on OkCupid and I've been involved with a couple of guys from the site, one I dated for almost six months. On my profile, I include that I play D&D. Hell, I even say that I'm a blogger. Do I think that you have to divulge every bit of information about yourself in your profile? That would be absurd! What would you have to talk about when you actually found someone (that wasn't a snarky, narcissistic bitch) to go out with?

Shame on Alyssa Bereznak and her editor. Shame on Gizmodo. Shame on all people who make snap judgments about people before getting to know them.

For the record, I'd TOTALLY go on a date with Jon Finkel, Jeffrey Dahmer play and all.

Teaser for The Hunger Games premieres during VMAs

2011-08-29T22:29:00.001-04:00

One of the most anticipated movies of 2012 is The Hunger Games, based on the first of a dystopian trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The story follows a sixteen year old girl named Katniss, played by Kentucky-native Jennifer Lawrence as she survives in the ruins of what once was North America. Another Kentucky-native Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta and Liam Hemsworth was cast as Gale. Check out the video after the break!

Over at Within Pages, Leila gave The Hunger Games high marks! Have you read the book and the rest of the trilogy?

Williams-Sonoma unveils the Marvel Kitchen Collection

2011-08-28T21:24:00.001-04:00

When I saw the Star Wars accessories last year, I was ecstatic. Last week, on their facebook page, Williams-Sonoma posted about superhero cookie decorating classes held at their stores. After a brief moment of sadness for missing such an amazing event, I delved into the Williams-Sonoma website in order to take a look at why they would host superhero decorating classes (okay... why wouldn't they?!) The reason: The Marvel Kitchen Collection! Holy fondant, Batman! These new items look freaking awesome.

The new Marvel line features nine themed items including cookie cutters, cakelet pans, and aprons. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is featured in his own cupcake decorating kit and comic book cookie cutters. Other favorite fighters for justice include The Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Wolverine. Who hasn't wanted to make their own 3D Wolverine head? I know I have! The Marvel Heroes cupcake decorating kit allows you to adorn your favorite tiny treats with your favorite do-gooder.

The release of this line coincides with the release of Marvel's comic "Spider-Man and The Avengers #1" which is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma. You can pick one up in store or download a digital version from their website. The partnership was formed in order to raise awareness for Share Our Strength, an organization whose aim is to end childhood hunger. The food-centric comic is 12 pages and features Avengers butler Edwin Jarvin teaching a cooking demonstration for kids. When the demonstration is attacked, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Giant-Man and The Wasp come to the rescue. Writer C.B. Cebulski and artist Todd Nauck are the creators behind this comic.

The comic and Marvel Kitchen Collection are both available at Williams-Sonoma now, both in store and online.

Bollywood Geek

2011-08-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

While Jenna, Tasha, and myself are all geeks, we have our own facets that we bring the world of geek. Take for example the fact that we have a Greek Geek and a Broadway Geek. Then there is me, the Bollywood Geek. While I am not alone in my love of Bollywood, I swoon over it. My favorite movie is Om Shanti Om!

In this video from Pyaar Impossible, Alisha has been dressed up as a nerdy, unattractive girl and Abhay is trying to show her that it is impossible to receive the same attention as pretty people. I giggled at the stereotype of the geek and thought it was a little heartwarming. Not the super geekiest thing in the world, but what would the word geek mean if we were as super hot as she is? :)

1 Beauty + 1 Geek = Pyaar Impossible!

Greek Geek: Guess the Goddess!

2011-08-26T01:48:00.005-04:00

So, I realize this isn't really a typical "blog post", but I just had to share it as part of my Greek Geek section. When I came across this picture, I literally bounced on the couch and shouted/repeated, "Oh my God! This is so cool!" (did I mention I'm a nerd?). The lovely ladies of DC have been re-envisioned as Greek goddesses in what I believe is a "stroke of genius". I have not been able to find out who the artist of this piece is yet, but whoever it is, I am sending out major vibes of a job well done! See if you can figure out which DC darlings are pictured!

Around the Web: Rolling with Mad Deeps (Adele Cover)

2011-08-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

I love the song "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele. I've been a huge fan of hers since "Chasing Pavements" a few years ago. I've seen lots of people on the Youtube try to cover her songs, but this is the first World of Warcraft Machinima that I've seen. I have to hand it to Xander and PaddyDCups for this great interpretation. They take real concerns of WoW players (Read: Raiders) and bring it into musical form. The vocalist's talent really shines through in this parody.

(via GeekGirlDiva and WoWInsider)

Around the Web: OK Go covers the Muppet Theme

2011-08-23T17:18:00.001-04:00

Okay, folks, show of hands? Who's excited for the new Muppet movie? I'll admit that I didn't see The Smurfs, but I've been hesitant to see many things that have either rebooted, revived or remade things from my childhood. I still to this day haven't seen Alvin and the Chipmunks. But with Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) at the helm of this film, the first Disney-released Muppet movie since Muppet Treasure Island (1996), I think we'll be okay. Amy Adams also stars and I absolutely love her.

Muppets: The Green Album released today. It's the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational Muppet soundtrack ever and it includes 12 new covers of classic Muppet songs. Of course, the Muppet Theme, Mahna Mahna, and It Ain't Easy Being Green are all on there as well as Rainbow Connection. The album features OK Go, Weezer (with Hayley Williams), Rachael Yamagata, The Fray, Alkaline Trio among others. Clearly, there are a lot of great artists on this record! Here is the newly released video for OK Go's cover of The Muppet Theme.

Documentary Review: The Raid

2011-08-22T23:45:00.001-04:00

When I heard that a feature-length documentary on World of Warcraft was being produced. I was very intrigued. Last summer, I watched a documentary called “The Dungeon Masters” which chronicled the lives of several Dungeons and Dragons players in a year following Gen Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the world. In the documentary, we met the players and learned about their lives inside and out including how they started gaming and why, what obstacles they have overcome in their lives related to gaming, and so on. I was very impressed. So, when I set out to watch The Raid, I was expecting something comparable. I feel that while there many positive things about The Raid, there were several points which detracted from the film.

The documentary premiered on Gamebreaker.tv in conjunction with Typefrag and Curse Gaming. Over 19,000 viewers experienced the premiere along with Gary Gannon, Mike B aka Fony and the creator of the film Kevin Michael Johnson. The opening sequence features several people who are leaving their day-to-day lives to come home and get on their computers. From that, the documentary jumps right in to explanation of what World of Warcraft is and why many people participate in it. The viewer is introduced to three figures: Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games, Edward Castronova, Professor of Telecommunications, Indiana University, and Bonnie Nardi, Anthropologist and author of "My Life as a Night Elf Priest". Their comments provide context and enhance the discussion.

At the beginning of the documentary, we also meet members of the guild Months Behind. Their guild leader is Josh Allen, a.k.a Lore, who is a personality on Gamebreaker.tv and Tankspot. Besides Lore, we also meet several other members of the Double Dragon raid team from Months Behind. Their commentary drives the story and discussion of the documentary. However, we do not know who these people are in their daily lives. We see their faces, we see their in-game personae, but we learn nothing of who they really are and what they do in their off-gaming time. I feel knowing a bit more about them would allow viewers who do not play WoW to connect with them beyond knowing that they are “hardcore raiders.”

Anthropologist Bonnie Nardi

The story of the documentary is the progression of the guild through Icecrown Citadel, the last tier of content in World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King. Double Dragon emphasizes the difficulty of the raid dungeon and how much of a bad ass The Lich King is. Viewers get to see in-game footage of the guild downing the bosses which is strategically placed between commentary by the guild members, Castronova, Nardi and Schell. You also get to hear the amazing voice work which is a part of World of Warcraft. The audio is very clear and the in-game footage is interesting. The soundtrack of the documentary, which is all original music, fits the movie very well. I was very impressed by the cinematography.

Following an in-depth explanation of the game, the commentary touches on main aspects of the gaming experience. In the discussion of stereotypes and stigma against gamers, Josh (Lore) talks about how most say that females are bad at video games. “There are two scales. Either really really nice or total bitches. Either really good or really really bad.” In the after-movie discussion, Josh scolded Kevin Johnson, the film's creator, for including that in the movie. As demeaning as it is, the statement is a testament to the candid nature of the comments by the guild members in their personal interviews. The members of Months Behind make it clear that they all are not the stereotypical gamers. Julie (Fearwards) says that they have people of all walks of life in their guild. The problem with this, however, is that there is no in-depth discussion of the types of people in the guild, aside from Julie saying that an officer for the DEA is in the guild and that he'd been shot recently. Diversity does not one person make. It would have been neat to see the progression of a guild that was newly formed or didn't have very much experience together. This was filmed at the very end of the tier when the Lich King was on farm status by many guilds.

Something that really hit home to me was the topic of addiction. Video game addiction takes precedence in the discussion and guild member Curv explains that he let many things in his life suffer as a result of playing World of Warcraft so frequently. Curv says that his school suffered and over several years he gained thirty pounds. He also stopped participating in his favorite past-times because of WoW. Castronova calls this problematic media usage. During Icecrown Citadel raiding, Double Dragon spent 22-24 hours per week raiding. Josh says that it isn't so much about the amount of time as it is the “specificity of the time.” Still, this is a lot of time when you have a life other than the game. Julie added that on many occasions, she put raiding before her “real” life, saying that upon being invited to parties, she would say that she had other plans so she would not miss the raids.

One topic that I found incredibly interesting was the group dynamic of the game. For her senior thesis, Leila wrote about the group dynamic in MMOs. I was very proud of her hard work and it was great to see many of the topics echoed in the discussion. Anthropologist Bonnie Nardi discussed Johan Huizinga and his play theory. He thought that “play was valuable and important and defines what it means to be human.” This was echoed by Castronova when he talked about the community aspect of the game, that MMOs are breaking down boundaries in communication. Jesse Schell put it very simply that a game like this is a bunch of people working toward one common goal. The idea of the village was discussed and that a guild can function like a village for people providing support. These were very thought-provoking topics because most people will only focus on the negative aspects of the game. Another positive idea is the skill-set that is required to play games like WoW. Specifically, raiding can utilize many leadership skills as well as planning and management which are coveted skills highly looked upon by prospective employers. However, due to stigma placed upon the game, one could not put a “hobby” like this on their resume.

Aside from a lack of connection with the members of Months Behind and the length of the film (it was only around 45 minutes long) I thought it was really well done. The cinematography and music were complimentary and the interspersing of in-game footage among the commentary was appropriate. I have a huge appreciation for the talent of Kevin Johnson and hope that he continues to work on films like this. However, knowing that some of their original footage is now in the DVD extras, makes me wonder why it didn't go in the film in the first place. I won't dwell on the negatives, however. I am eager to watch the extras in the context of the film. Johnson said that he would like to possibly work on a documentary with one of the top raiding guilds in the world who work toward world-first achievements in WoW, but said that it would be a huge undertaking. I encourage everyone to watch The Raid because it does provide insight into the world of raiders. It would especially be beneficial for those who have never played WoW or an MMO and have questions.

The Raid, produced by Kevin Michael Johnson, will soon be available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.

John Barrowman makes me happy inside

2011-08-21T11:24:00.002-04:00

Okay, I will admit that I'm really behind on Doctor Who watching. That doesn't stop me from absolutely adoring John Barrowman, and becoming a tad obsessed after I saw him in the Cole Porter musical biopic De-Lovely. His charm, his style, his voice... what not to love? In "The Doctor and I" he takes a number from the Broadway musical Wicked and adds his own Jack Harness twist. It's totally swoon-worthy!

Broadway Geek

2011-08-19T15:09:00.000-04:00

Most wouldn't necessarily associate Broadway musicals with geekdom. However, a new definition of geek is emerging.

Any person who has a deep, borderline obsessive, passion for something.

One passion, for me, is theater. I've always loved Broadway and have spent many a day listening to my Broadway Pandora station and various cast recordings. I was in choir in high school and college and loved getting to perform my favorite selections. A few years ago, for a Broadway showcase, I performed "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q.

This year, is the 25th anniversary of the Tony Award winning Les Miserables, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It is the longest running musical in the world and one of my all-time favorites. On the cusp of the French Revolution, the musical follows the stories of Jean Valjean, Fantine and Cosette among others. The story is amazing and all of the songs are so powerful. I've not been able to see a performance of Les Mis yet, but because of the 25th anniversary, there will be a touring production so I'm hoping to catch it soon.

Enjoy, Lego Les Miserables!

Blog Swap: Summer Reading Favorites

2011-08-17T12:46:00.001-04:00

I, Tasha, have participated in the 20-something Bloggers Summer Blog Swap! Folks with blogs of all types have swapped with a randomly assigned partner to talk about summer.

I didn't have any particularly exciting summer stories, so I shared with her readers a story about my after-school kids who are all returning from summer break. You can check out the post over on Mom and Dem. My swap partner is Meghan, who writes Mom and Dem. You can hear from Meghan after the jump.

Meghan lives, works and plays in Dallas and loves to say inappropriate things at inappropriate times. Last year, she started Mom and Dem, a blog to catalog all of her random (and hopefully funny) musings on life and family and ridiculous things in the world. Her favorite way to get get her Geek Girl on is to read.

The other day my little sister was complaining about all the summer reading she had to get done before school starts next week. I was laughing thinking about how these days, I would love to have some lazy summer days just to sit around and do nothing and read. But, alas, I’m an adult now and unless I want to do that reading under a bridge somewhere, I need to be at work all day. (KGG note: True that! I have hardly any time to read for pleasure.)

But, I have some all-time summer reading favorites that I have to recommend. Some are funny, most are fiction, all are pretty light-hearted (I mean, let’s be honest … I will probably be reading these under an umbrella with a pina colada in my hand so they should be pretty breezy!)

Imajica by Clive Barker (Goodreads) Don’t let the size of this one get you intimidated. It is definitely not something you’ll read in a day or two at the beach, but the time invested is totally worth it. Typically, I’m not a fantasy reader and words like “magic”, “alien” and/or “dimension” make me nervous, but this is a captivating read that will take you from the familiar surroundings of Earth to different worlds that are described in the best detail. The story kept me intrigued until the very end and I COULD. NOT. put it down. It really is a rollercoaster of fantasy and new ideas and pure fun. It makes my list of summer reads, despite the length, because summer is just the perfect time to get away, even if it’s from the comfort of your couch!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Goodreads) I love young adult fiction, especially those classics we all remember reading growing up. Even though this book isn’t all smiles and laughs, it totally transports you to another time and I can always put myself right smack dab in the middle of New England as a fifth sister (or maybe I’ll just be Jo … a bratty, overdramatic writer? Sounds about right.)

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (Goodreads) An awesome trashy read about three girls trying to make it in show business and really screw each other over in the process. Sex, drugs, glamour and more drugs. It’s pretty much a soap opera that you can read. This is a mindless classic that I always recommend to friends when they need a good beach book.

The Last Shot by Darcy Frey (Goodreads) I’m an absolute sucker for sports books and movies, even more so when they involve an underdog (which, they usually always do!) Summer is a great time to delve into a summer book because of the utter lack of good sports on TV – I’m a football and basketball girl, so I can say that. This book follows the true lives of four young basketball players just trying to make it. In some parts, I couldn’t even believe it was non-fiction. This might be my one exception to light-hearted. There are some parts that seem so unfair and you feel for the kids and their situation, but I just couldn’t put it down! This is not a beach read as much as a put-your-life-into-perspective-when-you-are-complaining-about-working-in-the-summer read.

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Goodreads) Not much to say about this one except I want Tina Fey to be my best friend and make me laugh out loud every single day like I did when I was flying through this book. A must read for anyone who loves to laugh (aka EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET!)

What are your can’t-miss summer faves that you always recommend to your friends?

(HUGE THANKS to 20-Something Bloggers for organizing the blog swap and to Meghan for getting her geek on for us!)

Arkham City Mr. Freeze Trailer

2011-08-15T18:38:00.006-04:00

As the October release date fast approaches, Rocksteady has once again blessed us with a sneak peek of one of our favorite villains in the newest trailer for Batman: Arkham City. Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze, will provide a chilling (yes, I went there) challenge for the caped crusader. I think the suit looks top notch and the voice/tone/attitude are very appropriate, so I'm very excited to get the controller in my hand and watch the awesome unfold. I just hope I don't annoy my fiance with the multiple Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions I know I will do!

EPIC GIVEAWAY: We have a winner!

2011-08-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered in our contest for A Song of Ice and Fire signed box set. Thanks also to Mr. George R. R. Martin for signing it for us at the event at Joseph-Beth last week! Through the magic of Rafflecopter and Random.org we have a winner!

Congratulations to Jheri! In response to "Who is your favorite sci-fi/fantasy author?" she wrote:

I really like Brian Jacques, JK Rowling, and Rick Riordan. It's too hard to pick just one! haha

We hope you enjoy the series!

Be sure to check the contests page for upcoming giveaways!

Around the Web: Nyan Cap

2011-08-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

Nyan Cat is everywhere, for reals. Captain America has been out for a few weeks and it looks like this video was made in anticipation of the film.

Video game news: New WoW expansion, Skyrim CE and more

2011-08-09T21:19:00.002-04:00

Will Mists of Pandaria be the next expansion for World of Warcraft?

Last week, Blizzard Entertainment trademarked the name Mists of Pandaria. Speculation has begun about World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria being the next expansion for the nearly seven year old franchise. Lately, player base has been diminishing. It is plausible that Blizzard developers have decided to bring in the Pandaren, a mythical race of beer drinking Kung Fu Pandas, to lure some of the prodigal players back. Everything is purely rumor and speculation now. Don your tinfoil hat and read this excellent post from Anne Stickney at Wow Insider. In this Know Your Lore column, she breaks down the possibility of the Mists of Pandaria actually being the next ex-pac. My personal opinion is that Pandaren should not be a playable race. They're neutral and could kick anyone's butt, why join a faction?! If anything, open Pandaria up for exploration. The Cataclysm rocked the entirety of Azeroth, not just the side of the globe we see when we hit M.

More after the jump.

Bethesda releases specs for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collectors Edition

Skyrim will be released on November 11 and is available for pre-order now. You can get the collector's edition for Xbox 360, Playstations 3 and PC. Bethesda has said that the Collector's Edition is extremely limited, as it contains some high quality features. With the CE, you get:

Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 12” tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater. He stands perched atop one the game’s many dragon walls that teach the player the lethal language of dragons.

‘The Art of Skyrim’ Official Art Book. Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-color illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 9 3/8” x 12 1/8” coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments, and weaponry of Skyrim. With a foreword by game director Todd Howard and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists, readers will be guided through the game’s iconic visual style.

‘The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ DVD. This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team as they take you from concept to creation and provide insights into the story, gameplay, setting, legacy of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and much more.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collector's Edition retails for $149.99.

Freddy Krueger DLC available today
Okay, this one is kind of left field for me. How in the hell did Freddy end up in Mortal Kombat? Regardless, he is available for download today on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for Mortal Kombat. Freddy will set you back 400 Microsoft points or $4.99 on the Playstation Network. You can check out some of the gameplay in this trailer which was released at Comic-Con.

If you're not currently playing World of Warcraft, check your a Battle.net accounts to claim 7 days of gameplay. This is given mostly when your account has been idle for several weeks. I'm going to be checking out the Elemental Bonds quest chain involving Thrall and the Firelands.

Reboot of the DC Universe

2011-08-09T01:04:00.006-04:00

With August 31st fast approaching, the big buzz in the comic book world is the new reboot of the entire DC universe. DC announced in early June that following the 5 issue Flashpoint series, they would be introducing all new #1 issues of 52 DC titles. In an attempt to make the DC universe more modern as well as provide a good jumping in point for new readers, our comic characters will undergo some slight changes in appearance, age, and origin as well as be a part of new storylines and mythology. DCE Senior Vice President of Sales Bob Wayne sent out a letter regarding the announcement (via Bleeding Cool):

“[T]he new #1s will introduce readers to a more modern, diverse DC Universe, with some character variations in appearance, origin and age. All stories will be grounded in each character’s legend – but will relate to real world situations, interactions, tragedy and triumph.
“We think our current fans will be excited by this evolution, and that it will make jumping into the story extremely accessible to first-time readers – giving them a chance to discover DC’s characters and stories.
“We have taken great care in maintaining continuity where most important, but fans will see a new approach to our storytelling.
“Some of the characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes. Our characters are always being updated; however, this is the first time all of our characters will be presented in a new way all at once.
“Dan Didio, Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza have been working diligently to pull together some of the best creative teams in the industry. Over 50 new costumes will debut in September, many updated and designed by artist Jim Lee, ensuring that the updated images appeal to the current generation of readers.”

The 52 reboot (which begins August 31st with the release of Justice League #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee) also marks the beginning of the comic digital age. Starting with Justice League #1, a digital copy of each new issue in the 52 titles will be released for sale alongside the print copy. The print industry has been losing money since the arrival of gadgets like e-readers and online copies of books, and since the comic book industry is no exception, DC has hypothesized that this new feature will hopefully increase revenue.

So far, I've heard pretty mixed opinions regarding the idea of the reboot. Some seasoned readers are not pleased with the changes that will be made regarding costumes (for example, Harley Quinn's costume in Suicide Squad) and plot features (like Barbara Gorden being "cured" of her condition to return as Batgirl). Others have projected more positive attitudes in regards to seeing where the DC writers will take some of the world's most beloved comic characters. So far, I'm excited for it. On one hand, I think the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" might apply. But I'm always open for new ideas, and seeing characters first developed 50+ years ago in a time and setting more relevant to today is very appealing to me. Regardless, I'm sure what the masterminds behinds DC have up their sleeves will be interesting if anything and will hopefully usher in a new and improved era to comics!

Here is the list of all 52 reboot DC titles:
1. Justice League #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
2. Justice League International #1 by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti
3. Teen Titans #1 by Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund
4. Suicide Squad #1 by Adam Glass and Marco Rudy
5. Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales
6. Superman #1 by George Pérez
7. Superboy #1 by Scott Lobdell and…
8. Supergirl #1 by Michael Green, Mike Johnson and Mahmud A. Asrar
9. Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
10. Detective Comics #1 by Tony Daniel
11. Batman: The Dark Knight #1 by David Finch
12. Batgirl #1 by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes.
13. Batwoman #1 by J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder
14. Catwoman #1 by Judd Winick and Guillem March
15. Red Hood And The Outlaws #1 by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort
16. Batwing #1 by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver
17. Nightwing #1 by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows
18. Batman And Robin #1 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
19. Birds Of Prey #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz
20. Green Lantern #1 by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
21. Green Lantern Corps #1 by Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna
22. Green Lanterns: New Guardians #1 by Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham and Batt
23. Red Lanterns #1 by Peter Milligan, Ed Benes and Rob Hunter.
24. Aquaman #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
25. Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello #1 and Cliff Chiang
26. Flash #1 by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
27. Green Arrow #1 by JT Krul and Dan Jurgens )
28. DC Universe Presents #1 by Paul Jenkins and Bernard Chang
29. Savage Hawkman #1 by Tony Daniel and Philip Tan
30. Blue y Tony Bedard and Ig Guara
31. Fury Of Firestorl Simone, Ethan Van Sciver and Yildiray Cinar.
32. Mr Terrific #1 by Eric Waller Robinson
33. Captain Atom #1 by JT Krul and FreddieI
34. OMAC #1 by Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblatic Shock #1 by Felicia Henderson, John Rozum, Scott McDaniel and Jonathan Glapion.
36. Hawk And Dove #1 by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld
37. Deathstroke #1 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert
38. Legion of Superheroes by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela
39. Legion Lost #1 by Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods
40. Grifter #1 by Nathan Edmondson, CAFU and BIT
41. Voodoo #1 by Ron Marz and Sami Basri.
42. Stormwatch #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
43. Animal Man #1 by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green
44. Swamp Thing #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette
45. Justice League Dark #1 by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin
46. Demon Knights #1 by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert
47. Frankenstein: Agent Of SHADE #1 by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli
48. Resurrection Man #1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino
49. I, Vampire #1 by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino
50. Blackhawks #1 by Mike Costa and Ken Lashley
51. Sgt Rock And The Men Of War #1 by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick
52. All-Star Western #1 by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Grey and Meridat. (Vigilante by Darwyn Cooke)

Around the Web: Gollum the Ring Bearer

2011-08-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

I have a part-time job at a historic house where people have weddings. I've seen dozens of weddings in the last three years, but I have yet to see something like this. This clip is from the British version of the television show Four Weddings. The American version is broadcast on TLC and both feature four women vying to have their dream honeymoon. The women attend each other's weddings and rate them. The bride with the top score wins.

Maybe this is something to think about as Jenna plans her wedding!

Diablo III Upcoming Beta Testing

2011-08-08T18:06:00.000-04:00

Two decades have passed since the demonic lords, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, set out across the world of Sanctuary on a vicious rampage, twisting humanity to their unholy will. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils, the memory fades slowly.

When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram Cathedral seeking clues to defeat new stirrings of evil, a fiery harbinger of doom falls from the heavens, striking the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. This fire from the sky reawakens ancient evils and calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells once again.

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In 2000, Blizzard released the epic RPG Diablo II and a year later Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. Now, ten years later, Diablo has returned in a swath of fantastic glory in Diablo III. In its final stages before release, Blizzard has announced the beta tests are coming.

In this stage of the beta testing, you will be able to experience game play for all five of the character classes:

Barbarian
Witch Doctor
Wizard
Monk
Demon Hunter

Game play will start at each the starting locations for the classes; further game content upto and including The Skeleton King encounter will be available for testing.

A new feature has been developed into the game design referenced as the randomizer. This will allow each play-through to be feel like a new experience with randomly assigned monsters, maps, events, and loot. This is expected to be successful in re-angling the game for continued play and enjoyment.

Lead Content Designer Kevin Martens has paired with Blizzard Insider to provide an interview covering thourghtful questions about the progression of game development. In the interview they cover internal testing, game balancing, story design and much more. Check out the interview at Blizzard Insider.

If you're interested in opting in for the beta test, you must have a Battle.net account. As always it is enouraged that for your Battle.net account you have have Blizzard Battle.net Authenticator. Using your Battle.net account, visit Beta Profile Settings. To complete your Beta Profile, you will need to download the hardward scanner. This analyzes the hardware you will be using for your beta testing, so they can acknowledge all system types.

As always, opting in to the beta does not guarentee you an invite but I wish you the best of luck. If you are selected you will receive an email with further instructions from Blizzard.

Be sure to let us know your experience if you are invited!

The Return of The Guild

2011-08-06T16:39:00.002-04:00

The Guild, a mini-web series featuring the lovely Felicia Day, has returned for its fifth season! After an adventurous road of rival guilds, play offs, boss fights, and much more the Knights of Good have embarked on the journey to a gaming convention in the Season 5 premiere. On a wonderfully special note, in addition to the Jones Soda, Steve Jackson Games will be releasing a Munchkin Booster Pack for The Guild! The 15-card deck is expected to release in Spring 2012!

The Guild premieres this season on Tuesdays through XBox Live and Thursdays on the web through MSN.

Check out episode one! It gives pretty accurate recounts of the character and their personality quirks. This season features "locations in four cities, 75 speaking roles and 263 extras". Producers expect this season to be "the most ambitious season yet".

<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=y02jncib&from={from}' target='_new' title='Season 5 - Episode 1 - Road Trip!' >Video: Season 5 - Episode 1 - Road Trip!</a>

Around the Web: 8-Bit Game of Thrones RPG

2011-08-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This video includes spoilers for Season 1 Game of Thrones and A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. It is also NSFW.

It's Game of Thones week at Kentucky Geek Girl and we found this awesome video on College Humor!

Not going to lie, I wish this was a real game.

Awesome Visual Effects Reel from Game of Thrones Season 1

2011-08-04T17:14:00.002-04:00

Disclaimer: If you've not watched the show or read the books, but want to, there might be a bit of spoilerage in here.

This video reel showcases visual effects created by BlueBolt for Season 1 of Game of Thrones, the hit TV series on HBO. The footage is set to the fantastic opening theme composed by Ramin Djawadi. The video shows how the various locations in Westeros were created including The Wall, which is a massive structure. As someone who always likes to watch the making-of featurettes, this is a welcome video.

Season 2 begins April 2012.You can pre-order Season 1 now from Amazon!

George R. R. Martin draws hundreds to Joseph-Beth in Lexington

2011-08-04T00:26:00.003-04:00

Last night, author George R. R. Martin drew a crowd of around 900 to Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. In case you've been living under some sort of rock, Martin is the author of five books in the epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" which has inspired the HBO series "Game of Thrones." The first season of GoT garnered massive attention to both Martin and the books, which I think is absolutely spectacular. The series was nominated for 13 Emmy awards including Best Drama and Best Supporting Actor. Peter Dinklage, who is a total rockstar by the way, totally deserves the award which Martin expressed to the crowd last night.

The signing in Lexington wasn't even supposed to happen. George R. R. Martin specifically requested that Joseph-Beth Booksellers be added at the end of this leg of his tour for the newly released "A Dance With Dragons," the fifth book in "A Song of Ice and Fire." Joe-Beth was particularly sentimental for Martin because he came to Lexington on his initial tour for "A Game of Thrones." That book tour was drawing crowds of less than a dozen, but in Lexington, hundreds came out to support him. Fifteen years later, Lexington showed that it still loves its fantasy and it still loves George R. R. Martin. But Lexingtonians weren't the only attendees of last night's signing. According to the store's Facebook page, people drove down from Columbus, OH and up from Tennessee and South Carolina to see the author.

George (we're on a first name basis, you know... okay not really, but that would be cool) opened up by telling the crowd about his experience at Joseph-Beth fifteen years ago. He jokingly said that he even had one signing that year that had -4 people. "I drove four people out of the store," he laughed. He said that he loves opportunities where he can meet his readers, but said that book signings are sadly not the right place for a conversation. With nearly one thousand people in attendance, having a personal conversation with every single person would cause the event to last hours. So, Martin suggested coming to one of the six science fiction conventions that he attends per year.

He answered some frequently asked questions before the Q&A started. He explained that "A Dance With Dragons" took five years due to being a "monstrous tome." ADWD is actually the second half of "A Feast of Crows" the fourth book of the series and tips the scale at 1500 pages. Martin said that he hopes to keep the series to seven books, but that is yet unseen. However, the titles for the next two books are "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring." When discussing the possibility for the series to have been made into a television show, he said that he knew it couldn't be on any of the major networks, that it had to be on cable. For many networks, fantasy and sci-fi was placed in the earliest time-slots because it was considered to be more family friendly programming. "'A Game of Thrones' and its sequels are many things, but 'kiddie stuff' is not one of them," he said.

During the Q&A, George R. R. Martin was asked a question about the craft of writing itself. When talking about writing he said that on good days there is a part of him that is lost in the story. He talked about character creation and said that for a writer the easiest character to write is the one that is most like them. Bran Stark was the hardest character for him to write, though he had to get into the mindset of all of his characters, especially his viewpoint characters (of which there are sixteen in ADWD.) He laughingly said that he needed to get his axe ready. The question was asked about the role of women in the world that he has created. Martin explained that it is a patriarchal society, but many of the women have done (and are doing) their best to overcome this in their own way. I think of Cersei and how she works hard to take control or Sansa how in AGoT, she is so conventional. There are so many characters to love, to hate, and to mourn, as the case may be.

One who doesn't read lives a single life, but a reader lives a thousand lives. ~ George R. R. Martin

Image by Leila. He's signing my book!

In all, the signing was an amazing experience. I sat with my best friend and fellow Kentucky Geek Girl, Leila and our friend Jake who was actually the person who got me interested in reading Martin's books. I had my very own copy of AGoT and ADWD signed, and of course the box set for the giveaway. I was able to take some really great pictures as we had a fine view of table where he sat to speak. I even was able to present him with a small poster that I made of the Geek Girls Book Club Logo. I told him about the GGBC and thanked him on behalf of the other members. He said,

Keep geeking out.

I'm still excited from it all.

Epic Giveaway: Paperback box set of "A Song of Ice and Fire" signed by George R.R. Martin

2011-08-03T00:01:00.019-04:00

Winter is coming and what better way to be prepared than by reading George R.R. Martin's epic series "A Song of Ice and Fire"? Martin was a special guest at Joseph-Beth Booksellers here in Lexington last night and we were lucky enough to get him to sign this box set! I've read A Game of Thrones and am currently reading A Clash of Kings. We just wanted to share the wonderousness that is this series with all of you! Watch for a post this week where we discuss the awesome book signing, but for now, please enter this contest and help us celebrate a huge milestone for our blog!

Details:
1. One (1) winner chosen by Rafflecopter.
2: PRIZE: Paperback box set of "A Song of Ice and Fire" signed by the author George R.R. Martin
3. You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter form.
4. Comment to win: Who is your favorite science fiction/fantasy author?
5. Giveaway ends 8/10 at 12:01am
6. The BOX is signed, not the individual books.
7. Use RAFFLECOPTER to tally up your entries.

Are you ready?

2011-07-31T10:50:00.000-04:00

Geek Girls Book Club to begin American Gods read on Monday!

2011-07-31T00:42:00.003-04:00

The Geek Girls Book Club is about to begin its fourth book in August 1. This month, the feature book is American Gods by author Neil Gaiman in honor of its 10th anniversary. I'm excited to read this because I love his work. I also love to read his tweets! Jenna has become a huge fan of his graphic novel Sandman. She and Jeremy dressed up as Dream and Death for FandomFest 2011! (You can check out our facebook album for pictures!)

There's still time to join and participate in the discussion for A Game of Thrones, July's book. Participants in the Facebook and Twitter discussions can win cool prizes designed by the wonderful Cara!

Shout out to Nicole, the woman behind GGBC! Without her awesome leadership the GGBC wouldn't have flourished like it has! If you want to learn more about the Geek Girls Book Club, head over to the blog, join the Facebook group, follow along on Twitter, and join us on Goodreads.

Have you read American Gods? Let us know what you thought! Join the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads!

Captain America: The First Avenger Review

2011-07-29T00:33:00.003-04:00

I've been a Marvel girl most of my life. It all started with reading Spiderman at the soda fountain of a local drug store when I was no older than four. My Saturday mornings were soon filled with the Fox Kids line-up of X-Men, Batman (Yes, I do know it's DC) and Spiderman cartoons. While I've never been a comic book connoisseur, I have always appreciated good cartoons and movies and I'm not alone. Most everyone you talk to say that they include a comic book movie among their favorite flicks, most notably Batman, either Christopher Nolan's version or the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films. If I was asked to pick a favorite, it would have been the original X-Men movie from 2000. I still haven't seen X-Men: First Class so I cannot compare though I will try and see it soon so I can share my thoughts. That being said, Captain America: The First Avenger may just have taken over as my favorite comic book movie.

Image Courtesy of Comic Book Resources

The first thing you have to realize about Captain America is that it is set in the Marvel Universe. While many aspects of this universe parallel our own there are many differences, superheroes being one of them, of course. In the beginning, most Marvel comics were set in New York City. In Captain America, for example. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is from Brooklyn and the beginning of the film features New York quite a bit. We meet Rogers after he has applied for entrance in the United States Army several times. He has seen the footage of the war in Europe and he desperately wants in on the action. It doesn't matter the capacity, he just wants the opportunity to do what's right. Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) sees something in him and selects him as a candidate for the Super Soldier program. Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) is hesitant about Rogers, but Agent Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell) also sees something in him. He soon proves his merits and becomes Captain America.

Image courtesy of Comic Book Resources

Captain America: The First Avenger flows really well. I think it has a good sense of continuity and fluidity from scene to scene. This was achieved largely in part by having such a great director. Joe Johnston in conjunction with the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely did an amazing job of capturing both the innocence and eagerness of Steve Rogers and the era itself. Your emotions are stirred for the folks in the theater as they're watching the newsreel about the soldiers overseas in World War II and it's as if you're transported back to that time. The coloration was muted and felt very antiquated. I loved those little touches the most. There were nods to the original Captain America comic book which helped to capture the spirit. Cap's costumes are awesome and I think that comic book fans will be very pleased with the way they are depicted. The shield rocks, too!

Image courtesy of Comic Book Resources

Chris Evans did an amazing job as Steve Rogers. I feel like he really embodied his goodness, though I feel as if he held back to a certain extent. Though he was Captain America, he did very little proper leading. There were only a couple of moments where he was incredibly take charge. I think that the side of Steve Rogers that was captured most with this movie was the fact that he is an incredibly loyal friend, a diehard soldier, and someone who will not give up and who never backs down. Steve becomes Cap and this American symbol, but he stays true to himself and his ideals. He doesn't let this power go to his head and he stays the selfless person that he always was.

Image courtesy of Comic Book Resources

Captain America had an amazing supporting cast. I really enjoyed Haley Atwell's portrayal of Peggy Carter. She was definitely no nonsense and it showed. To be the only woman in the primary cast, she definitely held her own against the men. As I said before, Sebastian Stan's Bucky was great. It's funny how Steve was his sidekick before the transformation into Captain America. I'm sure that will help fuel the fire if we get to see Stan portray Winter Soldier. Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci were both excellent. They're two of the finest actors I've seen and were a perfect fit for their respective roles. Dominic Cooper is Howard Stark. The look, the swagger. I think he was just awesome in the role. It'll be great to see Captain America interact with Tony Stark. "Oh, btw, I knew your dad..." and such.

Image courtesy of SciFi Mafia

And what of the super-villain of Captain America? I can't see anyone else playing Red Skull. Hugo Weaving has such a wide range and can play characters like Elrond, V, Agent Smith as well as voice Megatron. He brings depth and dimension to the characters that he portrays and I was very impressed by the way he embodied Red Skull. He made me hate him which is the point, right? My only real qualm is the final battle between Cap and Red Skull. I feel like it left something to be desired. There's so much back and forth and build up you think it's going to be epic and then it falls a bit short. There are some great action sequences, but this is not as action packed as most super hero movies.

Overall, I'm very happy with Captain America: The First Avenger. It had a lot of weight on its shoulders and I really think that it delivered. Don't forget to stay past the credits for a teaser for The Avengers, though, let's face it, most of you have probably watched it on the internet anyway. Everyone in my theater cheered, of course. Oh, and please remember that this is not a movie specifically about World War II. I mean, yes, he is a solder in World War II but this is much more than fighting Nazis and punching Hitler in the face. I'm an American history major and I still was okay with the way the war was portrayed. Cool your jets, people!

Captain America: The First Avenger stars Chris Evans, Haley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci and is in theaters now.

Have you seen Captain America: The First Avenger? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

The Penguin and Solomon Grundy Trailer Released for Batman: Arkham City

2011-07-26T21:57:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, San Diego Comic Con (which I WILL attend before I die!) hosted it annual celebration of comics, sci-fi, pop culture, and everything fan related. As part of the festivities, Rocksteady studios (responsible for 2009's critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum) and writer Paul Dini unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming sequel Batman: Arkham City featuring two of the most anticipated villains: the Penguin and Solomon Grundy.

I played Batman: Arkham Asylum shortly after it was released and was absolutely blown away by it. State of the art graphics, a great plot, engaging fight scenes, and fun side games made one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Naturally, when word was released that there would be a follow up sequel set to come out later this year, I knew my year would be spent in impatient longing. Rocksteady has been kind enough to periodically release new trailers and bits of information regarding game content. As of now, confirmed returning characters will include Batman, Joker, Victor Zsasz, Harley Quinn, the Riddler, and Poison Ivy and new characters Catwoman, Robin, Hugo Strange, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Talia al Ghul, the Penguin, and Solomon Grundy.

From the trailer featuring the Penguin and Solomon Grundy just released at Comic Con, we can see this is going to be a very dark game with serious undertones. The Penguin has obviously been rendered in a more realistic fashion, which in one sense I feel will add to the overall feeling of gritty reality the makers are trying to convey. On the other hand, I think this version of the legendary villain (lacking his classic beak nose, round and robust figure, but with the addition of a cockney British accent) may negatively affect opinions since the makers have taken away what makes the Penguin so "loveable".

Solomon Grundy, the undead zombie-like villain who has fought multiple heroes in the DC universe, makes a very brief appearance at the end of the new trailer. Filling the bulky, over-sized role previously held by Bane and Killer Croc, Solomon Grundy will undoubtedly pose quite the threat for the Caped Crusader in what looks like an epic boss battle.

As anticipation continues to grow, enjoy the latest trailer for Batman: Arkham City:
WARNING: Trailer does contain some video game violence

Stop sippin' the Hogsmeade Haterade

2011-07-26T00:45:00.000-04:00

I have been a fan of Harry Potter since 2000 when I was in the eighth grade. My grandmother had purchased Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for me because she thought that I would like it. When she presented it to me, I hadn't actually read any of the books. Going with the recommendation of a close friend, I checked books one through three out of my school library and read them quickly. I was drawn into Hogwarts and immersed myself in this fantastic world. The movies began coming out the next year and that was a whole other dimension added to my experience of reading Harry Potter. I anxiously awaited each movie premiere and saw the last five movies at midnight.

When I read through the books for the first time, I instantly identified myself as Gryffindor. Who wouldn't? They're supposed to be the "heroes" of the story after all. Harry Potter is one and those in the story we most care about are all members of the prestigious house, with the exception of Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw. As I've gotten older, though, I find myself identifying more with the ideals of Hufflepuff. Though I'm smart, like Ravenclaw, I am a nice person. I believe in standing up for what is just and I am loyal to those I care about, even if they themselves are Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I decided that for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I would participate in the ceremonies and put together a cosplay outfit. As I did some research, I discovered that there is massive hate against Hufflepuff and I demanded to know why.

Most people, it turns out, think of Hufflepuffs as useless. They're not particularly good at Quidditch and apparently the house doesn't churn out the best wizards. Hufflepuff is the least discussed house in the Harry Potter series and the only thing we really know is the fact that Helga Hufflepuff accepted pretty much anyone. They're stereotyped as being "a lot o' duffers" but really, they're just very misunderstood. We do not know enough about them to know if they're not all that exceptional. Is it because they're not the most ambitious or the bravest? They're the most accepting house and yet they are the least accepted. Though Hagrid tells Harry that Hufflepuff is better than Slytherin, some people still choose to be in that house. No one ever seems to want to be in Hufflepuff. This, my friends, is a travesty.

I was among five that I saw at the theater for the HP7 part 2 premiere who had donned the yellow and black. People looked at me strangely (even more so than normal) and I had one girl apologize to me for my house choice. It just so happened that she was a Slytherin and very vocal about that fact. Some of her friends stuck up for me and my house, but she was unrelenting. I smiled at her and turned the other cheek, as I believe that Helga Hufflepuff would have wanted. I'm okay with being nice. It's who I am. I think that it is important for people to realize that there are positives and negatives with all of the houses. Rivalry exists to a certain extent, but if you look at a lot of the Harry Potter fan fiction and message boards, people just seem to detest Hufflepuff and can't give a good reason other than "they're useless."

Let's take a look at some of the more famous and influential Hufflepuffs:

Nymphadora Tonks - Tonks was sorted into Hufflepuff and went on to be a member of the Ministry of Magic. She was a talented Auror who worked with Mad Eye Moody and was a member of the New Order of the Phoenix. She fought bravely at the Battle for Hogwarts.
Cedric Diggory - This Hufflepuff was a participant in the Tri-Wizard Tournament alongside Harry. He was a fair competitor, house prefect and seeker for the house Quidditch team. He was, as most can attest, the quintessential Hufflepuff.
Susan Bones - Susan was a member of Dumbledore's Army and a loyal supporter of Harry Potter. She comes from a long line of great wizards and her Aunt was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Even if Helga Hufflepuff took all "the rest." Nowhere does it say that the rest implies mediocrity. I believe that a Hufflepuff would rather lose than cheat. They would rather help a friend achieve greatness than be great themselves. I believe that Helga Hufflepuff had high morals and she accepted "the rest" because it was the right thing to do. No one house is inferior to another and though both the movie and book series are over, it is time that people put this prejudice behind them. With the release of Pottermore, maybe we will see a whole new side of Hufflepuff, non?

Oh, and according to canon, Neville Longbottom marries Hannah Abbott, who is a Hufflepuff and fellow member of Dumbledore's Army.

People, don't hate, appreciate! And if you still have doubts, just watch this:

A Glass of Epic

2011-07-25T13:30:00.002-04:00

The web series written by Felicia Day, The Guild, is a hilarious show featuring six characters that get together to play an MMORPG; they all happen to be in the same guild even though they are entirely different people. It is obvious in the show that the have nothing in common outside of the game and it makes for a hilarious set up.

The show has had four amazing seasons and 2 fantastic music videos. As a special note, Season 5 is premiering tomorrow (July 26)! It is destined to be fantastic. You can catch up on the previous series at The Guild! There are duels, arch rivals, expansions, guild halls, one night stands, and clueless-social phobe Codex! I strongly encourage the watching of this awesomeness, each episode is around 4-8 minutes long. You won't regret the time spent!

In honor of such a wonderful set of geekdom, Jones soda is releasing a special edition featuing all of the characters.

Vork: The Guild Leader & Warrior
Tinkerballa: The Snotty Vixen & Hunter
Zaboo: The Love Struck Horn Dog & Warlock
Codex: The Awkward Star & Cleric
Clara: The Not-So-Great-Mom & Mage
Bladezz: The Kid & Rogue

And simply because it is this amazing, here is their first music video "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar"! Enjoy!

3 decades of Indy: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

2011-07-25T00:44:00.003-04:00

In 1981, the creators of Jaws and Star Wars set out to make their next big movie. Steven Spielberg had said that he always wanted to do a Bond-like film and George Lucas approached him with a character that was "better than James Bond." It's hard to believe that the Indiana Jones franchise is only thirty years old as Indy is one of the most iconic characters in American film. The series has been parodied, referenced, and paid homage to countless times, but was an homage in itself. The film was based on the black and white serials from the 1930s and 40s which Spielberg had grown up with.

The Holy Grail is in the bag, by the way.

From the hat and whip to John Williams' famous Dun-da-dun-dah, Indiana Jones is ingrained in our national consciousness. Raiders of the Lost Ark opened on June 12, 1981 and became an instant sensation grossing $384 million worldwide and receiving 9 Academy Award nominations with five wins. Raiders came together quickly as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Lawrence Kasdan all contributed the ideas that they wanted to see make it in the script. However, Raiders almost ended up a completely different film than we know it today. Dr. Jones was nearly Indiana Smith. Spielberg said that the name didn't sound right and suggested Jones instead. Harrison Ford almost didn't get cast as Henry Jones. Tom Selleck was up for the role, but had commitments with Magnum P.I. and wasn't able to be in the film. Harrison Ford was Steven Spielberg's pick. He'd seen a screening of Star Wars and said that Han Solo was Indiana Jones. The rest is history.

The first Indiana Jones movie that I ever saw was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the third of the series. We still have my Grandpa's VHS tape of it somewhere. So, not only does the movie interest me greatly because of its subject matter, there is also a sentimental attachment. My 21st birthday party had an Indiana Jones theme and it was the year that Crystal Skull came out. We had paper fedoras and I still have the little Indy and his pit of snakes that was a centerpiece for my cake. I even did some Indy cosplay for this year's Fandom Fest in Louisville. I played a character named Joan Harrison, my own homage to Indy, for a Call of Cthulhu campaign. She was going to be an archaeology major at Miskatonic University. Yes, my obsession runs deep.

Indiana Jones trivia:

R.L. Stine penned a series of Indiana Jones adventure books similar to Choose Your Own Adventure
A character with great resemblance to Indiana Jones appears in the World of Warcraft. Harrison Jones is a integral part of the zone Uldum in the Cataclysm expansion.
Had Sean Connery not been available, Gregory Peck was being considered for the role of Henry Jones, Sr.
In Raiders, OB-CPO was the call-sign for the sea plane that Indy hires to get out of the South American jungle. This is a joke aimed at Star Wars fans. OBi Wan, C3-PO.
A series of Indiana Jones novels was published in the 1990s. One shares a name with the first Harry Potter book. It is called Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone.

Which of the Indiana Jones films is your favorite? Have you ever donned a fedora for some Indy cosplay? Share your story and post a picture on our Facebook!

Forsooth! Knights of Badassdom trailer is truly awesome.

2011-07-24T11:51:00.004-04:00

Good morrow! Verily thou hadst heard of The Knights of Badassdom. Ye olde trailer has appeared on YouTube and 'tis most splendid! Good sirs Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, Danny Pudi, Ryan Kwanten and the good ladye Summer Glau star in this film about Live Action Role Players. This movie looks most hilarious. I bit thee watch it and laugh heartily.

Have you ever LARPed? I think it'd be really fun! Except when you summon a demon, of course.

Fare thee well!

Greek Geek

2011-07-22T02:39:00.006-04:00

For those who may not already know, I am not just a huge geek when it comes to comic books, video games, and movies. Arguably, my geekness may actually be at its maximum when it comes to anything ancient Greek related. I hold a Bachelors degree in Classics from Transylvania University, which is just a fancy way of saying I paid a lot of money to spend four years reading mythology, interpreting dramas, and memorizing dates of battles that happened a good 2000-3000 years ago. As thrilling as this all may seem (yes, this is sarcasm), it was actually a great experience for me since I've had a love affair with ancient Greece since I was about 10 years old.

I hope for this to be the first of many installments of "Greek Geek" in which I will share my geeky love of the Hellenistic world. Who knows? Maybe I'll recruit some other Greek Geeks to join my phalanx!

I thought as my first Greek Geek post it would only be appropriate to share something Xena related. One of my very first inklings of Greek passion came from watching Xena: Warrior Princess as a little girl. Here is an awesome violin rendition of the show's theme song with the added bonus of Xena cosplay!

My Spidey Sense says... teaser trailer!

2011-07-21T19:16:00.002-04:00

We've been waiting for it and here it is... the teaser trailer for The Amazing Spider-man. It comes off the heels of the leaked trailer for The Avengers, which will go live in about 5 hours with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger. I was very excited to see this trailer released. I've always been a huge fan of Spiderman ever since I was a kid and tried my hardest to love every moment the Tobey Maguire trilogy.

If you're in a reader, click through to watch the trailer!

Andrew Garfield looks the part in this teaser which shows us that the movie is going to cover a lot of the same ground that the Sam Raimi films did. I believe that Martin Sheen will be a great Uncle Ben and I am a huge fan of Sally Field. Over all, I think that there is no where that The Amazing Spider-man can go but up, especially after the sad excuse for a movie that was Spiderman 3.