Weekly Geeks: Passion

I like The Weekly Geek Challenge this time around. It's all about passionate about besides books. It's also kind of a difficult question for me to answer since most of what I am passionate about is in some way book related like keeping journals, writing poetry, and collecting autographs.

There is one thing that really comes to mind that since coming out has really become a big part of my recent life. Last year a little show came out called The Big Bang Theory. I have to admit I was a bit late on the uptake with this show. I don't know why since it seemed to have everything I was looking for in a show. A show about brilliant minds, many references to geek culture, and it is funny. After watching it for a few weeks I wondered if the producers had followed me around in highschool taking notes of me and my buddies. This show brought back so many fond memories of my days hanging out in my one friends basement playing D & D every weekend, going to Star Trek movies with a Klingon Dictionary, and all the other geekdoms of my life. In fact, it helped me to get back into the things that I loved so much during that time that, for one reason or another, I had gotten out of over the years. I am fortunate that I have friends I can still geek out over as we get giddy as a school girl over the next episode of B Star G or the new Watchmen movie that is coming out. It also makes me feel good that, at least for now, people do get who we are. Here are some good clips.

Sheldon's Christmas Story

Penny Tells Howard Off

Rock, Paper, Scizzors, Lizard, Spock

Superman.... I can't tell you all the times my friends and I would argue like this. I remember won time getting really heated with a few friends over who would win in a fight between Captain America and Batman.

Very Naughty Children

1) The Week In Geek challenged us to read a chapter from a classic book and write a short review. Ok, so what do I choose? It wouldn't be any fun to choose something that I had read before or an author of whom I am at least somewhat aware of their work. Oh no, that would be too easy. So what possessed me to read the first chapter of E. Nesbit's "The Phoenix and The Carpet"? One thing I should have realized by the title is that this was a story meant for children. Perhaps it is the time in which it was written or it's very British style that made it not translate well for me. For one thing the children were all so very, very naughty as is usually the case with stories like this. Look at the four children in "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". They too were very, very naughty. Perhaps this is meant to give them a certain charm that could make an adult like myself smirk at my own impishness as a youth if it weren't for the fact they are so darn proper about everything. All the exclamations of "Oh so sorry" and such just don't sit well for me. I am not reminded of a British Dennis the Menace, but instead come off as being very stuffy and not very charming. I couldn't wait for this chapter to be done and cannot say I will read any more. Who is this lady anyway?

2) I wouldn't say I am intimidated by classic literature. Difficulty in literature doesn't scare me since I probably would give up on the book with a sigh of "oh well!" and call it a day. I mostly want to understand what would make someone consider one book a classic over another? I attempted to read books like The Scarlet Letter, Ulysses, and Moby Dick usually getting frustrated for one reason or another. Out of all honesty I finished Ulysses, but couldn't tell you a damn thing what I read. It still sits by my bed stand begging for me to try again. Then there is Germinal by Zola which, for whatever reason, I have to force myself to even get halfway through though I find the work to be quite readable. I am not sure what books I would recommend. Just because I like them doesn't mean others will. Jules Verne "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" is a good if not plodding read. Conan Doyle's "Hound Of The Baskervilles" was entertaining, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't seen the movie first.