Geekage Linkage

Since nothing really blog-worthy has happened lately, I thought maybe my readers would appreciate a few links and a clip or two to check out. I, like many others, have my favorite sites and blogs that I check on a daily basis, but these sites can only up-date so much in a week. So, in the event that you need something to occupy your time a bit while on the great interwebs, I found a few things to fill in for you.

1. This first clip is an old Monty Python skit that never keeps me from really loling, no matter where I am. That's why I avoid it while at work or in other public places where I might get a few people looking askance at me when I laugh hysterically to myself.



2. Equally hilarious is Simon's Cat. What's so freaking funny about this clip is that this is what cat's do!



Finally, a few links for my fellow geeks to visit. These links can take up as much time as you need them to, because of course they have archives, but a couple also require you to actually start from the beginning. A little warning, tho: A few of the following links can be a little inappropriate for those that are sensitive to language and innuendo. Otherwise, enjoy!

First up, Starslip Crisis. As of yet, I haven't come across anything offensive in this web comic, so feel free to enjoy it whenever! This is one of the comic's that requires you to begin at the beginning in order to follow what's happening. It's a daily update, so the archives are quite bulky. Don't worry, tho, because reading them is never a chore, and it'll save you when there's nothing on TV.

Next is Questionable Content. As you might gather from the title, it has some questionable language and innuendo, however, it's not pornographic, which is what I first thought when I read the title. Nope, just good ol' fashioned Indie soap opera funnies. Oh, and this one also has a linear storyline, so start at the beginning if you want to know what's going on.

Another web comic-slash-blog link that I've linked to before (although not under its name) is Penny Arcade. This one also has some bad language, and possibly some offensive images as well, although I've only seen one comic that bothered me with its imagery. More often than not it's just goofy, and the blog is a good way to keep on top of what's going on in the gaming industry.

Another comic that's floating out there,PvP, I haven't kept up with, so I can't really warn about language/imagery, but it's fairly well known, and entertaining to boot. I'm starting at the beginning comics, so feel free to do the same, although I have yet to recognize a linear plot.

My last link, GeekSugar, is also one of my favorites, as far as actual blogs go. It keeps me up-to-date with all the cute and fab tech, fashion, and sites I could ever ask for.

So there you have it: links for when you have absolutely nothing to do. Be sure you LITERALLY have nothing to do, or you might get caught up and then you'll end up doing nothing productive all day (I've SO been there!).

New Entertainment

First off, if you haven't downloaded the latest Firefox, DO IT NOW. It looks better, and it has nicer features. Not only does it drop down on the address bar to give you the address you may be looking for if it has been previously visited, it also gives a brief description of the address, in case you can't remember where the heck www.jfhhr.com takes you. I've installed a few add-ons myself, such as Colored Tabs, FireNes, and PicLens (check those out if their names appeal), but I've kept the standard theme because I like it's clean, minimalist look and feel.
On a different note, I've finished two books hours away from each other. My friend gushed over new sensation Stephanie Meyer, and I was hooked. Of course, I'd been eying her newest adult fiction release, The Host, ever since it came out in May, so I read that one first. It tells the story of an alien take-over where the aliens actually use the human body. Not only does it tell this story from the alien's perspective, but it tells it from the human's perspective as well, because the human who is taken over by "Wanderer" is not letting go. She convinces her alien enemy to join the human side, and together they go out in search of the human's brother, and the love of her life. Tears, people! There will be tears!
As soon as I finished that novel, I immediately moved to the first in her Twilight series (the aptly named Twilight), which I finished in a day. I was a little unsure about it at first, because of it's young adult spin, but I have to say that I liked it. Kudos to the author for getting me to like a novel situated around a teenager's life. It tells the story of a teen who moves to the rainiest place in America, Forks, where she discovers a whole new kind of love. Definite page-turner, and no raunchy sex parts! I'm a little upset at myself for not having bought the following two books in the series, because I want to continue with my reading bender, but I had to settle for another book. This is why having a "too read" pile is a good idea. I had Orson Scott Card's Empire waiting for me, which I've already started.
I seriously can't seem to help myself! I gobble up whatever I have to read whenever I can, and if you give me a day to myself, chances are I'll spend it with a book (or two).

Interesting Blog Fodder

So, I tried out this meme from another blog because I thought it might be interesting. It was fun to see how things might turn out, and to have to think about some of my answers.

Becky's Blog

First of all, this is my (secondary) source.

Here are the questions and my answers:

1. What is your first name?
Just know me as Geek Girl. :)

2. What is your favorite food?
Potatoes. It's weird, I know, but I love french fries and baked potatoes and mashed potatoes. . .

3. What high school did you go to?
CHS

4. What is your favorite color?
Green (any doubts with that picture?)

5. Who is your celebrity crush/hero?
I wish I could look like Angelina Jolie.

6. Favorite drink?
Hmm . . . Any guesses? :P

7. Dream vacation?
Ireland (I put in Alaska first, but it was all nature-y.)

8. Favorite dessert?
Sweets. Srsly, anything sweet.

9. What you want to be when you grow up?
Duh! A Librarian!

10. What do you love most in life? That answer will remain to be dissected another day, but for now I will just say "dreams".

11. One word to describe you.
I typed in "short". :/

12. Your flickr name. (I don't have one, so I used one of my internet usernames.)
Geek Girl!!!

They Say Owners Resemble Their Pets . . .

You're a Hyena!
You have quite a sense of humor, though many others find it derisive rather than appealing. You are perceived as being a coward, but actually have moments of great bravery and have even stood up to those much larger than yourself. You like hanging out in groups and are always making a lot of noise. Disney thinks you are an idiot.


The funny thing is that I have a chihuahua/rat terrier mix that DOES resemble a hyena.

All That Icks

It may surprise some people, but Geek Girl does not have a totally awesome librarian job, or a fun and creative tech savvy business to run. Oh, no. Geek Girl is an average, everyday college student Office Monkey like many other college students out there. Sometimes, my Job asks me to do ridiculous stuff. Sometimes my Job asks me to do pointless crap. Sometimes, my Job asks me to do things that require my own judgment. Today was one of THOSE days. We got in some new mouse pads; sleeker, thinner, less mushy. They looked more sanitary, too, not at all like the spongy ones we're currently using that probably soak up any number of bacterium and other icky stuff from the hundreds of people that use our computers. Well, we got in these nice, new mouse pads, but there were only five. So, Boss Lady asked me to go around and dispose of the worst used old ones and replace them with the newer ones. My issue? All of them looked truly disgusting and used to me. So I threw away the first five I came across, and replaced those. Seriously, any employer should be happy to have me, because not only did I throw away five science-project-worthy petri dishes, I also did it in a pleasing straight line that draws the eye to the sleek lines of our mouse pads, and not to the ugly clunkers we call "computers."

On a cooler note: they finally figured out what to name Pluto and similar planets, although I can't say whether they should call ALL of them "Plutoid'.

Winner!

I, like many others, regularly keep track of certain blogs that I find interesting and entertaining. On one of these blogs, the blogger is giving away a free book every month right out of her own bookshop. Not one to pass up the chance for a free book, but pretty sure I would lose, I signed up. And I won! I won a free book! And I got it in the mail today!

At first, I thought, "Oh, hey, look! A package!" Then I thought," Oh, hey, look! It's my book I've been waiting for!" I was a very happy camper. Along with the book came an adorable little bookmark with a drawing of the store's resident kitty cat, Sam, and underneath is all the store's information. This book not only looks good, but bulks up my "to read" pile, which always makes a book geek like me ecstatic. I prefer to have several books waiting in the wings for when I complete my current readings. One must have several to choose from, after all.

Not Here

As it mentions on the right side of my blog, I am a college student. I am currently enrolled in summer class(es) in order to get my degree plan finished as fast as possible. Recently I bought a used textbook for my class, the first of two, and although it wasn't expensive, it certainly wasn't cheap for someone on my budget. I took it home and read the first chapter before the next day as it was required reading. I then promptly put the book down, and forgot about it until the next day, when I needed to read the 2nd chapter for the following class day. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where that book has gone! I know that it MUST be in my house, or maybe in my car (hadn't thought of that, should probably check). How on Earth does a textbook just DISAPPEAR?

On the bright side, I've found a couple of flip-flops that have been missing! :P

One Novel in One Day

Today was my first true day off in what feels like forever. I had no real obligations that couldn't be put off until tomorrow, so instead I spoiled myself. I took a long morning nap, and spent almost the entire rest of the day playing casual downloaded game demos and reading one of my new novels, which I finished. It has been so long since I have been able to read a book for as long as I want to without having to put it down and go. It was so nice.
The novel was by one of my newer favorite authors who pens fantasy novels: Patricia Briggs. I've gotten into her Mercy Thompson series, but I've read all of those novels that are out and am eagerly awaiting the release of the newest next month. In the meantime, I decided to try one of her other novels, of which she has several. I chose one that was not part of a series, because - let's face it- when you start to get into fantasy novels, you end up reading "endless series'" and adding to it is probably not such a great idea. Besides, I plan on beginning the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, very soon.
Anywho, the novel I chose was The Hob's Bargain. I enjoyed it, and would probably give it a three and a half out of five. Just the kind of novel one wouldn't mind reading to while away a day. It's got your basic supernatural/fantasy features, with a heroine that I find I can identify with, and the ending nearly had me in tears. Just great for a day of lazy reading.

It's Just Wrong

I went to a bookstore yesterday and was APALLED at how much it took to buy four paperback novels. I have to pay more for my gas, my milk, my corn and my flour, but when the heck did they decide that books had to be more expensive, too? Are they using some sort of magical ink? Did they use eighty blind monks to bind them over the course of a six month period? Is the paper suddenly genuine vellum? Why is each novel ten dollars?!

I've been complaining about the prices of books for awhile now, but it really bothers me when I have to PUT A BOOK BACK because I'm not comfortable spending over forty dollars for four novels that will last me a week, a week and a half - tops. I know, I know- someone is going to make a smart comment about the local library, but it's cheaper for me to buy my books than pay the fine. Seriously, I'm going to have to wait until next pay day for that. And besides, it's never guarenteed that they have what I want: usually what I'm looking for is either checked out or "lost." So, HA to the Smarty-Pants people!

New Book Not So Great

I've been reading a book that I had high hopes for, a science fiction collector's edition novel containing the first three novels in the Annja Creed/Rogue Angel series by Alex Archer. This novel is pretty thick, and mixes archeology, history, and mystery together in a creation that I'd hoped would make for good reading. In fact, it's this very creation - really the mixing of history and mystery, not to mention supernatural- that keeps me reading.
The author has managed to write moments of interest interspersed in the story, but it lacks a *sparkle* that I was really hoping to find. I suppose I've read too many really great fantasy novels (it only takes one) and too much Orson Scott Card, and such readings have made me look for equal greatness in all the novels I read. But Rogue Angel is sort of cut and dry; smash and grab; straight-forward. It just doesn't float my boat, you know? And I really hate it when a novel fails my expectations, especially one with so much potential. Its only saving grace is that it may be based on a comic book: I wouldn't mind taking a trip into the comic book/ graphic novel scene.

It's Driving Me Nuts!

On another book lovers blog, I discovered a neat little tool that can "read" your blog and rate its readability. You can find it and utilize it for your own blog here. I'm not sure how low it goes, but the golden star for me would be to achieve "Genius" status (I'm a geek, so sue me). My problem happens to be that I have not even reached "College." I'm stuck at "High School" level. And that drives me nuts. Has anyone been to high schools lately? Kids these days (which is a phrase I thought I'd be saying a lot later in life) are complete idiots. Most high schoolers do not possess the reading skills of a third grader. Seriously, I am not making this stuff up!

I was once a reading and English tutor for one of my local colleges, and most of the students I tutored were older than I, however, they usually had a grade level reading ability. Some of them were excusable. For example: one student spoke English as a THIRD language, so I can understand that it must be hard to get through some of the reading assignments, not to mention the labs and writing assignments, but most of the students I tutored simply did not pay attention, or did not stay in classes, long enough to achieve an appropriate reading skill level. It's anyone's guess as to how they graduated high school, but the entire point is to say that a "high school" readability level for my blog is insulting. Yet somehow, no matter how I tweak and change and whatnot, I still maintain a steady "high school" readability. NOT FAIR!

Being Girly (While Buying Dad Birthday-Boy Stuff)

This weekend I made a trip up to my hometown to be there with my family for my father's birthday. This trip was a last minute decision, since I had no idea my dad's birthday was on Saturday, so my sister and I made quick plans to head to the nearest mall (30 minutes away) and shop til we ....er, found him something good.

Our first stop at the mall was Best Buy. My father only really likes two things: books and computers (and their games), but since my mom already took away the easy gifts: Best Buy gift card and Walden books gift card, I had to actually consider what he might like. I came up with Rambo, old-school style, preferably in a convenient three-disc package. But they were all sold out. Seriously, who BUYS Rambo?!

Our next stop was Walden books, just because I'd just gotten paid and I was in a book buying mood. We also went to several other stores and tried on lip gloss, and gasped over cute bags and cuter shoes. We bought him some awesome cards at Hallmark, and traipsed about going into whatever store caught our fancy, before we realized that the mall was actually closing.

We raced to Target, where I found the one and only Rambo DVD they had, and so made up for it by purchasing a super old school Three Stooges DVD. I even managed to color coordinate the card I got him with an adorable blue plaid birthday bag and dark blue and light blue tissue paper. I'm sure he totally appreciated the way it all matched so well.

Shopping, being loud and girly that day put me in a super good mood, which is hard to get in these days, since I've been feeling crummy lately. Missing an SO will do that to a girl. :/ I needed that girly day, for my sanity if nothing else.

Can You Say Annoying?

Since I've been so busy with finals week and wonky hours at work, I haven't really had much to blog about, except finals (boring) and work (uneventful). Well, uneventful except for today. When I was hired on as a part-time worker at my current place of employ, it was understood that I was a student, and there was no dress code stipulated. As a result, my fellow student co-worker and I dress like what we are - college students. Jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops? No problem. As long as we wear our tags stating that we actually work there. My co-worker has already been "talked to" however, by our department head for wearing a dress. First of all, let me point out that the department head IS NOT our head boss. If what we wear is really a problem, our head boss would be the one calling us on it. Second, allow me to mention that the only "immodest" part of this dress was the fact that it had little straps, and not sleeves, however my co-worker wore a little jacket over it, so it was not possible to really tell.

Today, I was "talked to" as well. I wore what I always wear: jeans and a t-shirt, and a comfortable pair of cute slip-on sneakers by Sketchers. Allow me to explain my problem: I am petite, and very slim, yet my legs and torso are long for my frame. As a result, it is hard for me to find jeans that fit around my waist (or hips, as the case is) and are still long enough. Shirts are impossible: I wear an extra small, which fits me except that I have a bust size, which I'm guessing designers don't realize some small women have, so my shirts are usually a little on the short side. However, if I buy a regular small, the shirts are baggy and ill-fitting and I look like I'm wearing a potato sack. So, my issue (which I didn't realize WAS an issue until today): you can see a small strip of bare skin right at the top of my hips, right above where my pants rest and just below my shirt's hem. The director of my department told me that I "need to cover up." I assessed the damage and realized that I wasn't revealing much at all. Even my behind was covered.
Not only was I mortified that she felt the need to point that out, but I was really irritated. So what did I do? I went into the main office, and asked another co-worker for two pieces of packing tape. Then I tugged and taped my t-shirt down. My co-worker thought my department head was "weird", which just goes to show that I wasn't revealing excessive amounts of skin, and I just muttered to myself because I was darn pissed. Grrr.

Myst on What?!

Nintendo is coming out with . . . get ready! MYST! I played this game when I was younger, and it really fostered in me a love for adventure games, not to mention appreciation for well rendered graphics and loving details inside a gaming environment. This appreciation is evident when I peruse any game, whether it be adventure or first person shooter. Graphics are a big decider for me. (You can see just how beautiful the graphics are in Myst in the picture to the right. This is not a publicity shot; it is really part of the inside world of Myst.)
At first, however, I was a little wary of how well it would play on a hand held, not to mention how good the graphics would be because, in my opinion, a huge part of the appeal for Myst was its amazing worlds. After speaking to a fellow geek (who happened to have the girliest looking DS I have ever laid eyes on. Baby blue? No thanks), I was informed that the graphics are prerendered, which means that they should do just fine on a hand held. As far as the point-and-click aspect of it, since DS has a nifty stylus for its touch screen, it should work out beautifully. The only problem, I think, is that smaller details will be lost on a smaller screen, since Myst was originally meant to be played on a computer monitor. I suppose only time will tell . . .

New Book!

Ok, I am aware that I have neglected to write a new post for awhile. This is not intentional; I have just been going through finals week, which (between work and final papers and projects) has left me little time to blog anything worth reading, really. However, as a literary geek, I am constantly buying new books to replenish my diminishing "must read" pile. Recently, I purchased a book, Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters That Ruled Europe, by Nancy Goldstone, that I had assumed would be a historical novel, the story of 4 sisters in the thirteenth century who practically ruled Europe due to their smarts and advantageous marriages. As soon as I returned home, I started to read it, just to see if it was as interesting as I'd anticipated. However, it was MORE interesting than I'd anticipated. It is not a work of fiction, but an actual historical biography, and I am just fascinated by it. The sisters become the Queens of England, France, Sicily and Germany, and apparently they wielded subtle yet strong influence over all that went on under their reign. I've only started reading it last night, but I have been reading it whenever I get the chance. Now I just need to avoid the temptation to stop working on such-and-such project to read just one. . .more. . . chapter.