You Who?

You know those certain activities or similar likes that you feel so strongly about that when you find others who enjoy them too you are insta-friends? 

Who is like that. Or at least it used to be. Now that it has hit more mainstream, it's kind of nice to hear people know it. It is difficult to explain Who. Honestly, have you ever REALLY tried? It is nigh on to impossible.

When they already know the story, conversation about it runs deeper than, "Wait that is his wife's mother, but his wife has been kidnapped. Wait! She's an infant! How old is her mom? Why isn't he with her mom?"

BECAUSE AMY HAS RORY. Come on people... let's not get carried away.

PS. The second poster is just a snap of the bottom of the poster, so you can read the text. I am playing with sizes. Although the original is 11x17.

Next time: I believe I am going to pay a mini-tribute to books. :)

Don't Trust Runners

This one is kind of near and dear to my heart for several reasons. 

Reason 1: I am a runner. A pathetic, heavy-breathing, slow-moving runner, but a runner none the less. If you were to watch me run, you would probably think to yourself something along the lines of, "That girl should pick a different means of exercising." It is really quite traumatizing.

Reason 2: I adore murder mysteries, and it is true: a surprising amount of bodies are found by runners in television murder shows. After all, it is those early morning runners that go where murderers dump bodies. Those people are crazy. (I am a late morning runner. Completely more sane. NOT!)

Reason 3: Last Halloween eve, while I was on my daily run in the backroads by where I live... IN THE RAIN, no less, and I happened to see a blanket tossed out in a ditch. It was worn and had clearly been in the elements for a while. I might have just run past it, if not for the fact that I saw bones sticking out. I live in the country, so I decided to check to see if I could determine if they were animal bones. Especially because as it was the day prior to Halloween, I was a little concerned about calling in what might turn out to be a bogus concern. Not touching (I know the drill), I climbed into the ditch (full of poison ivy which I am highly allergic to by the way) and peered at the blanket of bones. 

When I saw a chunk of roughly six inches long, blonde hair, I decided I should get an authority figure to check it out. 

I will probably never run a mile faster than that mile back to my house to get my phone. 

I reported it, and I think the dispatcher was concerned I was going to pass out, because he kept encouraging me to breathe. Then I returned and waited until the cops came, so I could point out what I had seen.

Long story short(ish), the officer assured me that they were dog bones. He could shift them after all and get a better view of the skeleton. And I went home drenched, but really, REALLY happy that I had not found a human body.

And now I have a creepy, non-murder related story to finding bones on a run.

Alice

Alice in Wonderland.

I can't begin to explain how much I love this story. If it even hints of Alice, I watch it. Which led me to watch way more of the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland than I would have ever watched had it not been in Wonderland. Also, I loved her shoes... how could you not! 

I was in the play. I've read the book(s). I've watched almost every version of it.

And I have to admit, it is because I love the slightly off-kilter nature of the story. It almost reads like one of Wes Anderson's scripts at times. All jumbles. This writing style greatly displeased one of my classmates in my VicLit class in college. His presentation included a unicorn and a seething hatred of Alice in Wonderland. It was absolutely hysterical.

Anyhow, I adore the language and the story. It is a fun, sun-shiny read, and contrary to popular opinion, you do not have to be high to enjoy it immensely. I especially enjoy the Cheshire Cat.

The two posters came from a minimalist poster project that I was working on a while ago. I really ought to redo them. Actually,

Tune in next time for: Alice in Wonderland Minimalist posters of quality!

BBC Fandom

I get a lot of inspiration from pinterest. Not just projects that others have done however, but words or phrases or ideas that I want to design myself. These two posters were the inspiration of a Tumblr feed where someone stated that they wished there was a channel called BBC Fandom. 

I would so watch that channel. I love the BBC, and while the following poster pays homage to only four series, I will admit to also fangirling over period dramas, pretty much anything with Judi Dench, Vicar of Dibley, Keeping Up Appearances, Monarch of the Glen, and.... well, I am going to stop now because otherwise I might never stop. 

Oh, yes. The four are (in order of appearance): Doctor Who, Sherlock, Torchwood, and Merlin. 

LONG LIVE THE BBC. 

Next on The Unabridged Geek Girl: I think next week I am going to do a tribute to Studio Ghibli films. I'm really very excited.

For the Sake of an Angel

So this might be a personal preference, but I love how water color looks. It's probably all the color. So when I wrote the tribute to Doctor Who last week and used that quote (from "Girl in the Fireplace"), I knew it was only a matter of time before I decided to play with it. 

This might be another SuperWhoLock tribute. I love quote from Sherlock about being on the side of angels... and it would hard to leave out Supernatural that has characters that are actual angels. I guess we shall see what we shall see. 

Whatever. I really need to make some kind of schedule. It will happen. Je promis!

Next post: I have no idea. I thought this would make me accountable. It kind of just makes me look unfocused.

Smashed through the Window, Ruffled the Hair, and Kissed Me

You don't need to visit Tumblr to know that Sherlock, with it's 9 episodes, is already a firm fixture in the nerd world. (SuperWhoLock exists for a reason.) It does help to illuminate how intense the fans are though. 

Sherlock is the BBC's reimagining of the fabulous Sherlock Holmes' adventures in modern days. If it was half decent, it was going to have fans. But then the fangirls got a look at Benedict Cumberbatch as the uber-smart (-a**) consulting detective, and their heartstrings gave a twang. He calls them the Cumbercollective. They are known by another name, but for the sake of the youngsters, I'll only raise my eyebrows suggestively. 

After watching the first season, I reread The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and it just made me that much more impressed with the show. You can enjoy it without knowing specific adventures, but I kind of like their nods to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's inspiration. That man was a genius. 

The show keeps getting better too. By the end of season 2, my friends and I were having Sherlock-viewing parties. And boy, howdy, they were fabulous. I won't mention our reaction to the first couple of minutes of season 3. Let's just say, adult women squealing like stabbed pigs could grate on the soul's of a saint. The men at the viewing probably would agree.

Granted, the hiatus's are enough to turn relatively normal fans into crazy, mouth-foaming eccentrics, but it is so very worth it. 

Also, I rather like watching the chaos. 

PS. If you want a free copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, you should seriously check out this link. It is a collection of more links that are all sites to find free ebooks. Ones that are no longer protected by copyright. I know that I have found some of my favorites that are no longer in print. And although it may not be as satisfying as your paper copy, at least you will always have access to it!

Next time: Another in our current series? I guess we shall see. 

Threw Me in the Impala and Drove Like Crazy

I decided to go with Supernatural next. Maybe it is because it is part of the SuperWhoLock trinity, but it might also have something to do with how much I adore the Impala. I have this slight thing for classic cars, and the Impala makes me happy on the inside.

Anyhoo, if you haven't checked out Supernatural, I will be honest, I didn't either until just recently. I am not a big scary anything person, so I figured a show like this could give me nightmares from the commercials. It was really a ridiculous amount of hilarious memes on Pinterest that finally made me watch it. 

And it is funny. If you like scary, the first few seasons are really well done. Then it gets on this other track, and it gets a little... weird. If you watch it, you will see what I mean. However, I usually hear that people loved the first few season or the last few. I don't know. There are good episodes everywhere. My personal favorite is when the Winchesters are stuck in a reality show world, "Changing Channels." 

I will now take a moment to mention Dean and pie. And Sam's hair. Aw, yes. Now you know everything.

You remember how I mentioned that Moffat likes to kill off his characters. Well, if you are a glutton for punishment, this is another good show for you. Except just when you think one of the boys is dead, they aren't. Very Sherlock. :) But everyone else. EVERYONE. ELSE. 

Those who have been watching are nodding their heads wisely. They know what I am talking about.

Aren't you excited?

Next post: Another in our series. I'm thinking Sherlock, but we'll have to see.

The Doctor Chose Me

Whovians.

I know you are out there: peering out from under your rather comfortable blanket, armed with custard and fish fingers, and all the available episodes of Doctor Who. I created this poster in your honor.

You know how I know you're there? You gave yourselves away. I typed in "cus" into Google, and THE FIRST THING it suggested was custard and fish fingers. Do you have any idea how many people have to search for that for it to become the NUMBER ONE default? Granted, off hand I cant think of many other things that people would be searching for that begins with "cus," but I have every intention of frolicking right past that point.

For those of you who are dedicated geeks (or not), but have yet to become one with the Whovians... let me just tell you, it is a happy, albeit strange, place. (My personal favorite realization is the following caption for this image.)

"Doctor Who must look so weird to the outside world. A guy in a fez holding a mop, talking to a Roman guy holding a dead girl" -pinner

Well, mostly. Actually, I lie. Moffat is the main writer. Anyone who has been on Tumblr or spent more than 30 seconds on the Geek page of Pinterest will have probably seen:

Let's just say Moffat gets his kicks from killing those we love. More proof? Try LINK.

Actually, as I write this, I feel like I should be warning you away. It's too late for me. Save yourself. But we all know that fandoms don't act like that. We want you to understand why we choose to suffer. And Doctor Who is absolutely magical. Poignant, hilarious. It is well worth trying. What's the worst that could.... oh, yes, well... it's worth it.

As stated so well by Madame de Pompadour in one of my favorite episodes, "The Girl in the Fireplace," "One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel." (I felt the wind from all the Supernatural fans letting out a deep sigh)

And that is Doctor Who. Not really. And I have every intention of talking about it again. And how much I want to be a companion. I just cross my fingers that I would be chosen... rather than the reject candidate. Pooor Mickey.

Next time: The next in our fandom series. Tune in for which group gets the nod next!

I Didn't Choose the Geek Life...

I realize this is entirely belated, and I apologize. Last week became the stuff of legends, and none of the good ones. But I am really looking forward to this post, mostly because I like encouragement. Especially when it is something that I already do. It's validation that I don't need but appreciate anyway.

So, you are ready to admit you are a geek? You may have heard the whisperings in you when you read a book for a class before it was due. It might have been a television show that you guilty pleasure. Or you've decided that music is your life: all kinds of music. Look, I don't know what brought you to the geek side, but welcome. You are here with friends.

What makes a geek a geek? What makes a nerd a nerd?

Well, I am usually all about arguing semantics, but in this particular case, I believe that it isn't worth defining the differences between geeks and nerds. I'm looking at the similarities.

Simon Pegg, Scotty in the new Star Trek, is quoted to have said,

"Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating."

By this definition, we are allowed to get excited. It doesn't matter if you are reveling in joy of the newest Green Arrow installment or the Green Bay Packers game. It is the simple fact that you are involved, captured, and holding onto this moment and event.

John Green, author and vlogger, said,

Never feel ashamed about that which you are passionate. How can you find yourself and what you wish to do if you are always constantly hampering your basic urge to use real emotion? 

As humans, we are constantly bombarded with ideals that others wish to instill in us. Or on us. I would like to add a disclaimer to say that I don't want to force you into the geek world. If you wish to live your life as an aspiring Vulcan, who am I to say that's wrong. But the catch is, it has to be you that wants it. Not your parents or your teachers or your significant other. Make the decisions about what moves you and then try to never let them go. 

They will change as you age. That is only to be expected. But the difference is are you letting them go naturally, or are they slipping away due to neglect or mockery? If you are ready to let something go, EMBRACE SOMETHING ELSE. You don't have to be anyone but you. 

One last quote, and I swear I will get off the soapbox.

"I'm a dork. I collected comics. I still love cartoons. I'd rather be at home on a Friday night than out at some club. My sense of humor is that of a geek. My likes and dislikes are that of a geek. I've memorized every crappy sci-fi movie there is, but still haven't seen Schindler's List."    - Nathan Fillion

Next post: Posters for the "I didn't choose the geek life..." or maybe an author suggestion. I haven't decided. But it will be great. 

Included

All righty. Here are the things that you can look forward to reading about/speculating about with me here at The Unabridged Geek Girl's Guide. (I should probably first mention that it is not written just for girls. I am a girl, and I am writing it. It should be suitable for genders and creatures of all kinds)

Ready? Brief list in no particular order:

• Books
• MUSIC
• Doctor Who
• History
• Crafting
• Sewing
• Crocheting
• Graphic Design
• Anime
• Sherlock
• Vintage Clothes
• Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli movies
• Food/Baking/Eating
• Certain forms of working out (on good days)
• Firefly
• Grammar
• Scooby-Doo
• Libraries
• Korean TV/Movies
• Comic books
• Crafting
• Dancing
• Superheros
• Movies
• Web Coding
• Sci-Fi/Fantasy

And I really cant even stop thinking of things that I geek out about, and I feel as though I will cover pretty much most, if not all of them, here. So be prepared. I will try to alert you with the post before what the next post will cover. But let's be real honest with each other, I could see something that I feel should be addressed, and then I will address it. 

I will try not to ever bash anything. If I was rather disappointed in the way something was portrayed or handled, I make no promises, but geeks should be kinder to each other. We all have our little obsessions. So if you want to comment, I welcome it, but I do ask that you aren't cruel. I refuse it.

Tomorrow: We discuss why everyone should have a bit of geek in them. Or nerd. WHATEVER you call yourself, tomorrow we talk about why it is the most perfect thing in the world, and why you should rock your passions rather than hide them under a bushel.