Geek Cleaning

We have all had to endure the chores of cleaning and we have all cleaned at different levels. There’s wiping everything down with a wet rag, dawning the hazmat suit to use industrial strength chemicals, tossing in a match and starting over. I have used the hazmat suits, when I was in the military. I have never gotten so far to just torch everything, but I have considered it.

At my house I am responsible for all the cleaning and that’s alright. It fits for our family. My wife is very relaxed when it comes to cleaning. On the other hand, I tend to be OCD about cleaning. I have my routines for cleaning the house that make it relatively easy.

However, there is one place I lack when it comes to cleaning and that’s my Geek cave. I have come to the conclusion that cleaning a Geek’s area is a lot different from regular cleaning and wwwaaaayyyy more time consuming. One inherent thing about

being a Geek is we all collect stuff. Lots of stuff. There are books, posters, board games, video game consoles, video games, costumes, action figures, models, and much more. When we collect all of this stuff we tend to cram it all into one small area. All that cramming makes it very difficult to clean.

I have lots of Star Wars Legos and several of them hang from the ceiling. Like everything else they collect dust, but those little Lego bumps make it impossible to clean the ships off. Then there are my action figures. I have to move all of them, clean, and then stand them all up again. Don’t get me started on my desk with its piles of papers, books, and little figures. What would normally take five minutes to wipe down, can be an all-day project. I’m not exaggerating about the all-day project, especially if I start playing with my stuff. 




There is one shelf that is the worst. It is the top shelf of my bookcase. Every square inch is covered in Lego Star Wars mini-figures. In between those mini-figures is a lot of dust. I dread cleaning this shelf because it takes so long to set them all back up. The last time I cleaned this shelf, which was sometime during this past winter, I simply took the duster and swiped all the mini-figures to one side. They laid there in a pile for over month before I took the time to set them all back up.

I should not complain. I have heard of a lot worse areas. All you have to do is turn on Hoarders. I guess I should be thankful for the small area I have for a Geek Cave and how little it is cluttered. I still do not want to clean that Lego mini-figure shelf!


Thanks to Spring Cleaning XD by RedKid11 @deviantart.com

Standing The Test Of Time

Nostalgia can be an amazing trap. I look back on my youth and the things I loved. One of the first things to pop through the haze of my memory is of course Star Wars and Star Trek. These two franchises have stood the test of time. Occasionally I will run past a movie or episode on TV or the Web and will have to stop and watch. As I watch feelings of summers past rush over me. Time spent with friends pretending to be our favorite heroes. Hours of playing with action figures and spaceships. After watching my favorite shows over again, I like to wander into my geek cave and pick up some of those old toys and fly them around the room. 

Unfortunately, there are shows I remember fondly that do not stand the test of my nostalgia. Lately I have been watching Star Blazers again, on the Web. The desire to watch it again is very much rooted in nostalgia. It aired in America in 1978. Yes, I’m that old and older. What I remember of this anime series is it had artwork unlike anything else on television at the time. At the time no one knew what anime was. It also had an actual story line and plot. You had to tune into every episode to follow the story. In the plot for Star Blazers there were several nail biters where you did not know if they were going to survive. As a matter of fact this was the first time I saw some of the good guys die. That was unheard of! 


What I see in the show now is technology that is sadly antiquated. In the show the consoles have levers, switches, and dials. Something I noticed this time around is every station has a flight stick, even communications. What does the communications officer need a flight stick for?!?

Then there is the dialogue. I know speech is going to change over the years and dialogue from almost forty years ago is going to be way different than nowadays. Still, when the fighters launching from the ship they should yell the command, “Launch!” Not saying calmly, “We’re taking off.” 

I know it is good drama to have tensions between different crew members. However, in Star Blazers there really is no chain of command except a captain and the crew. In each episode the crew tends to yell commands at each other and then yell back at one another.

Having said all this there is something refreshing about this old series. In television series today there are the main characters and they go somewhere and meet a group of people. There is conflict with the group of people and then a solution. The next week they do it all over again with a new group of people. With Star Blazers it was all about the mission to get across the galaxy to get a cure for the dying Earth and battle the bad guys all the way. I know some of you out there are going to say, “What about the new Battlestar Galactica? They were all about finding Earth.” You are right. That series is the exception to how it is done now on TV.
 

Yes, there have been plenty of moments of wincing while watching Star Blazers. The amazing series that I remember as a kid just does not stand the test of time. It is still a good story and plot. I hope the rumors I have heard that there is a reboot to modernize Star Blazers are true. I will be one of the first to watch it when the show hits America.

I'm Back

In my blog I like to write about all things Geek. I’ve talked about some favorite movies, anime, and manga. I’ve also talked about the Geek lifestyle and some of the positive things about being a Geek. From my point of view things have change a lot for Geeks. I believed it was much more acceptable to be a Geek. I felt things had changed since I was a kid. Back then it was bad news to be labeled a Geek. You were bullied and scorned for the things we liked and did. Now those comic books we read in secret are blockbuster movies. Those video games we played by ourselves in the dark are now a multi-billion dollar industry. Our dreams of being a superhero or our favorite Star Wars character are played out by hundreds of thousands loyal cosplayers at conventions around the world. The #1 show on TV is all about Geeks. Of course an old Geek like me would think things have gotten better.  

Lately I have seen things have not change as much as I thought. Personally a couple of months ago I got slammed on my blog. I got told I was spamming a site with all of my blog postings and no one wanted to hear what I had to say about being a Geek. I took that really hard and I stopped posting on my blog. 

 
While I have been on hiatus there were some other bad things I heard about. I have heard there is still a lot of bullying going on. Some of that bullying is being done by Geeks on other Geeks. I cannot even begin to comprehend that one. We are all Geeks. We all share the same love of all things Geeky. So what if one person’s Geek is different than your Geekness? We should be watching each other’s backs and sharing time together, after all there aren’t that many of us out there. 

 

Now I hear that girls at conventions are being harassed by the male Geeks….People!...We have spent our Geeky childhoods wishing and hoping for girls to be around us and like us for our Geekdoms. They are amongst us now! We should rejoice! We need to treat them with respect. If you are unsure how to act around a woman then take a class on manners.


 
Now let me talk to those Geeks out there that have been suffering. Do not get discouraged. I know, I did get discouraged when I got flamed on line for my blog and I gave up doing it. That was wrong of me. One unfortunate trademark of a Geek is being timid. We are easily frightened when we see aggression. The other trademark of a Geek is our quiet strength. No we are not in basements benching 300 lbs. We are the ones that no matter what we hold onto the things we love. That is our strength. Geeks seek out other Geeks and together we try to make the world better. Think of every technological advancement over the past 30 years. There was a group of geeks behind each and every one of those advancements. Think about all those blockbuster movies. Those are because a Geek said they wanted to see it on the big screen. Geeks are strong. Things will get better.   

Now to all of you out there let me quote Wil Wheaton, probably the most famous Geek of us all. He has one simple rule he lives by and he asks everyone else to live by. “Don’t be a dick!” Be good to each other. If everyone will be accepting of everyone else this world would be such an amazing place. 

Thanks To:
        Bullying by JazzySuika @ deviantart.com
        Zombie Bullying by FBende @ deviantart.com

Anime Geek: Robotech

Robotech is an anime series that will always be close to my Geek heart. When it first started airing on television in 1985, I still did not know it was anime, or at the very least derived from anime. All I knew was it was different than anything else that was being shown in the cartoon block after school. As I got older and kept revisiting this series, I learned more and more about the Robotech production history. I also learned that it was a foundation for a lot of other anime to come.

Robotech is an anime, but it was Americanized. This was during a time when bringing Japanese animation to the U.S. was a fairly new concept. There were concerns American viewers could not grasp a lot of the Japanese cultural references in the original Japanese version. The Americanization started with the title. In Japan the first series was known as Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. When it was brought here to America the title was changed to Robotech. If you have watched the series, you might have heard the Japanese title referred to in the episodes. 

 

In Robotech there are three series. The first was the Macross Saga. The next two were loosely connected to the Macross universe in Japan. The second Robotech series was The Masters, but in Japan it was called Super Dimensional Fortress Southern Cross. Again, Southern Cross is referred to regularly in the episodes. In Japan Southern Cross was not a continuation of the Macross series. It was created by the same people who made Macross and they used the Macross universe as a background, but that was it. When Southern Cross was brought to the U.S. it was given the new name and the story was changed up to tie in with the first series, Macross Saga. 

 

The third series in Robotech was called New Generation. Ironically this series was changed the least when brought to America, but had the least to do with the Macross universe. In Japan this series was called Mospaeda. It was produced by a completely different group of animators, who just happened to like all things Macross, so their technology and background story closely resembled the Macross universe. It fit so well that when it was brought to America, very little was done to change it, except the title and the character names. Another bit of irony is Mospaeda was created before Southern Cross. The American producers felt the story line worked best going in the order of Macross, Southern Cross, and finally Mospaeda.

To go back and watch Robotech now has a very old school vibe to it, but back in 1985 when the series premiered it was revolutionary. It was the first time an animation was not…well…cartoonish. Everything was drawn realistically and everything that happened in the stories had a real life feel to it. The characters got hurt and some of them died. There were also love interests in the stories. These things simply did not happen in cartoons back in the 80s. They rarely happen in cartoons today.

 
As I said the Robotech animation has an old school feel to it. During the first series, Macross Saga, used still frame shots were a lot. This is when they showed a picture of the action. Nothing moved, but to give a sense of movement they would slowly scan from one side of the picture to the next, usually while the narrator talked. In the following Robetech series, they got away from the still frames and the artwork became more up to date. The only other down fall was repetitive use of stock footage. Even though these animation tricks were annoying, you have to give the creators credit. They were trying to find ways to keep the animation within budget and these tricks helped them to do so.
   

Robotech helped pave the way for other anime and even U.S. animation. Robotech is the start of the popularity of pilot driven giant robots in Japan, which led to the massive powerhouse of Gundam. Cartoons in America used the staple of anvils and slamming into the sides of mountains. About the only action adventure cartoon before Robotech was Super Friends. With the popularity of Robotech we saw the emergence of Thundercats, G.I. Joe, and Transformers. Action based cartoons are now more of the norm. 

 

Since the time of the original series there has been a few attempts at a Macross / Robotech revival. There have been Macross movies and the animation in them is excellent. The only annoying part is they are stand alone and do nothing to move the original series forward. A few years ago a Robotech movie was created that was called Shadow Chronicals. It was supposed to be a jumpstart to bringing back the original series, but nothing has been done with it since. The last movie left us hanging with a lot of frustration wanting to know what happens next.

Even though Robotech is old school and it has been Americanized, I still think it is a great anime and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon lost in nostalgia. I’ll even admit to being such a geek that to help my nostalgia of this show, I used to wear a motorcycle helmet during the fight scenes. It sounds stupid, but it helps with the fantasy. Helmet or no helmet, I hope you take the time to enjoy Robotech! 

Geek Attire

Geek attire is nothing special. As a matter of fact I do not believe Geeks follow particular fashion trends such as Hipster, or … well … I’m a Geek, so I really do not know what the fashion trends are. Geeks are more likely to wear what they like and what is comfortable to them. The closest Geeks get to fashion of some kind are the logos, pictures, or memes that will appear on their shirts, bags, or other apparel.

Now some people will argue that Geeks do try to follow fashions and try to dress accordingly. I think the best example of this is the character Wolowitz, on The Big Bang Theory. He dresses up, I’ll give him that. The skinny jeans he always wears are the closest thing to fashionable, but his pants along with his shirts are usually some kind of bright color. I do not think dickies (The fake turtle neck) he wears is in style. His Beetles haircut went out of fashion about fifty years ago.


Geeks tend to find a “uniform” to wear. These are usually the same clothes, but with different colors or something. Sheldon is a perfect example of this. He always wears a long sleeve shirt with a short sleeve shirt over it. The t-shirt always has the logo of a superhero or a funky design. The one true reason Geeks like to wear a “uniform” is it is simply comfortable.

I am very guilty of having a uniform. During cold weather I always wear a hoody. I always have a t-shirt like Sheldon’s on underneath, but you would never know it, because I do not take the hoody off. It is the most comfortable thing to me. I have decorated my hoodies with various anime logos.

During warm weather you can see my Geeky t-shirts, but I usually have a dress shirt on over top of the t-shirt. I have always done an over shirt kind of thing since high school.

 

I have now added a stylish cap to my uniform. The cap is usually called a driver’s cap or gentleman’s cap. I like to wear it backwards. I think my glasses and backwards driving cap give me a certain sophistication and charm. The truth is I like to wear the cap to protect my bald head from the sun and cold. Yes, this is where you insert the old joke.

The great thing that is going on for Geeks today is there are so many different fashion styles it is easy to blend in as fashionable. It is even fashionable to make your own style. Being a Geek and dressing like a Geek is now fashionable, unlike 20 or 30 years ago. Dressing like a Geek was mainly because of a lack of fashion skills and invited ridicule and bullying. We Geeks of yesteryear blazed a very rough path to acceptance. It is because of us older Geeks who endured our younger years of torture to become successful is why Geekdoms are much more accepted now days. So, if you are a Proud Flag Flying Geek of today, you should thank one of your Geek ancestors. 

Thanks To:
      Geek by Kondang147 @ deviantart.com
      Bald Guy by Pilgrim John @ deviantart.com
      Geek Stamp by Anshky @ deviantart.com

Food Geek

Food Geeks, or Foodies, is a subject close to my stomach. I once heard the saying, “Never trust a bald barber. They will have no respect for your hair.” I feel the same way about chefs and food lovers. A good chef is someone who is going to have at least a little girth around the waist, because they love the taste of food and they are always trying new dishes. Same with a Foodie, how can a person love to taste and eat food, but look like a stick? A true Foodie and a good chef are going to have some roundness to them.

I believe Jimmy Kimmel is a Food Geek. Long before he had his own late night show, he co-hosted a show on Comedy Central called “The Man Show.” He did this piece on how to attack a buffet. His first rule was you never go near the salad. The salad is the cheapest thing on the buffet and you are wasting precious tummy space that could be used on steak and shrimp. Vegetables are alright, so long as they have been breaded and deep fried. Speaking of bread, rolls are only to be used to soak up a tasty steak juice. Finally, desserts are for when you are full and you just want to push yourself into that painful territory of stuffed. I think the thing to take away from Kimmel’s lesson on eating at a buffet was how to give yourself a heart attack.

I am not really a Foodie. I do not write restaurant reviews. I just can’t bring myself to be critical of someone’s hard work like that. I am also not a chef. I used to cook, but then I met my wife. I would cook for her. On later dates she would cook the same dishes I made and they would be a hundred times better. I decided there was no more reason for me to cook.

My tastes are typical male tastes. My favorite foods are pizza, Cheeseburgers, sandwiches, and steak. There are specific ways I like to have each of these foods. I’ll eat any pizza as long as there are no anchovies and no pineapple, but my favorite pizza is mushroom, olive, sausage, and bacon. There is a local place here that has an amazing beer batter pizza dough.

Again I love cheeseburgers in many different forms. My favorite cheeseburger has tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and swiss or provolone cheese. I actually forego condiments on my favorite burger. Yes, of course there has to be fries.

I’m not too particular about my cut of steak, but I do prefer it to be cooked medium to medium well. I like just a little pink. Most people think the steak is tough if it’s cooked that long. If done right, it is still really tender. I think Texas Roadhouse cooks the best steaks. I really do not care for sides with my steak. I just assume only have the steak, however I love my steak smothered in sautéed mushrooms.

Finally there are sandwiches. I think it is an amazing concept to take just about any ingredients you want and shove them between two slices of bread. It is so easy and fast. When I’m serious about my sandwiches it has to be a deli sub. I prefer wheat bread. My favorite is chicken and bacon with melted provolone cheese. I like some veggies on my sandwich such as sprouts, mushrooms, olives, avocado, and tomatoes. I usually just go with mayonnaise and oregano. The thing I cannot understand is the obsession with lettuce. Sandwich makers dump so much lettuce on you cannot find the sandwich. It’s like the maker gets a bonus if they get rid of a pound of lettuce for each sandwich sold. I can’t stand it.

I guess you would call my favorite foods “comfort foods,” but if you are going to eat food, don’t you want to be comforted. I get the idea you need to eat healthy items, but when it doesn’t taste good or it stares back at you then the food is not comforting. It’s actually kind of scary. The other thing about comfort food is it has to be that go to dish that you know you will like and at the end you will be happy. At our favorite restaurant my wife always orders the same chicken salad with blue cheese crumbles. I either order my favorite cheeseburger with bacon and mushrooms or I get chicken quesadilla. We both always look through the menu and we see meals that look really tasty, but then when the waitress shows up we always go for our comfort food.

I know we need to exercise and eat right. It is something that I will work on one of these days. My thing is I am trying to eat right, but I am trying to meld healthy eating with good tasting foods that I like. I am truly waiting for the Star Trek food processor that creates food out of thin air. The futuristic food processors make whatever food you want, but it is made from the nutrients your body needs. You hear me scientists! I’m looking at you! Get on that food processor. 

Thanks To:
      Japan is Eating by Skytabula @ deviantart.com
      Pizza Eating Kitty by Tracerhank @ deviantart.com
      Sandwich San by CaramelCat123 @ deviantart.com
      Love is Eating by Hjstory @ deviantart.com
      Exercise Devotional by TheMacronian @ deviantart.com   

Not a Geek for Summer

I foresee 6 months of grumpiness in my future. The weather is turning warm. The spring flowers are blooming. People are taking fun vacations. Children are playing outside. And, I hate it all. That’s right I said it. I am a winter person. Give me the snow and cold temperatures. Give me the holidays. Winter is a time I can bundle up without being accused of laziness. I am a fluffy individual therefore I am better built for winter. In the winter I can easily regulate the temperature to be warm. In the summer no matter what I try to do, I am hot.

So, until the weather cools back I am going to try to hibernate and avoid all the summer activities. When my wife is not looking, I’m going to crank up the air conditioner, bundle up and take a nap. I’ll dream of overcast skies and snowstorms.

Here now is a list of reasons why I hate summer. Maybe you will be able to sympathize.

1. The car in front of me is blowing cigarette smoke into my 

    car and in my face.

2. “Daddy, it's not bedtime. The sun is still up.”

3. Daisy Dukes and tank tops are a privilege, not a right!

4. $#%$&^$*%()*#^#% mosquitoes

5. Mowing, weeding, planting, pruning, fertilizing, watering, 

    harvesting

6. 20 motorcycles causing an earthquake as they go past  

    my house

7. Uncaged children

8. I'm sweating like a raped ape and my deodorant gave out 

    3 hours ago

9. Your deodorant gave out 3 hours ago

10. Cars racing up the street

11. Gas prices are higher

12. Everyone is freaking out how global warming is worse 

      this season. Global warming happens year round!

13. My neighbor shooting off illegal fireworks

14. My teen: “Ha ha you have to go to work. I get to play 

      video games all day”

15. I miss my hoodie

16. I'm sticking to chairs

17. The sun is up two hours before I have to get up

18. Children matinees

19. I've sniffed more pollen than a cocaine addict on a binge

20. Family Reunions

21. Droughts

22. Road Construction

23. Massive motor homes that can’t do the speed limit and 

      can’t drive a straight line.

24. Warm Soda. It makes hydrating really crappy.

25. No matter how far I strip down, I’ll never cool off.

26. No one wants to see me strip down.

 Thanks To:
       Grumpy by Amelia-Ami-Chan @ Deviantart.com 
       A Warm Bed by Faustsketcher @ Deviantart.com
       Winter Smile by Pluvias @ Deviantart.com