What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 02/06/15

Greetings! Here's what is going on in my world.

• Bob's Burgers

I just started watching this show on Netflix (link above) after hearing a lot about it. It seems like a show that is very popular on the Internets. It is quirky, odd, silly, and a pleasure to watch. It's the perfect kind of mindlessness for me to enjoy after work. I'll consume a few episodes and then move on with my evening. I look forward to continuing to binge through this series!

• New Tech City's Bored & Brilliant

I was recommended to check out this endeavor by a good grad school friend of mine. It is an effort to help people be more mindful and detach from their various smart devices. It recommends some easy tips that you can immediately put into action so that you can let go of the hold our modern technology has on us. I've started to do some of these things and it really does help. I'm still not where I feel like I could or should be, but doing some of these things are a great place to start.

• Medium

I've seen various random blog posts hosted on Medium over the years. It has a distinct, simple interface and now that I have started to ship some of my content from here to Medium, I've seen the publishing side of things as well. It is impressive in how simple but functional it all is. It tickles the minimalist part of my brain where it only has what it needs and it does that well. Nothing more or less. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to get into the blogging game, I'd recommend starting with Medium.

Thanks for stopping by!

Our Sustainable Energy Impact, By the Numbers

I've been searching for a while for a good infographic that captures the impact of saving energy, much like I did before with waste.

This one from the Mother Nature Network (albeit from a few years ago) serves to convey the point the best I've been able to find so I wanted to share it out to send home the point I always try to make that saving the environment, saves money.

One big tip I've found that isn't clearly represented on here is unplugging any electronic when not in use. An easy way to do this is by smart power strips that only draw energy when needed or just simply allow you to easily turn off multiple electronics (like TVs, game consoles, sound systems, etc) when not in use. Otherwise, energy efficient light bulbs (which you turn off when not needed), temperature control, and conserving water are great ways to save on electricity and help the planet while you're at it.

With everyone making small changes like this, we can make a big impact.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: i, Geek - Confessions of a Geeky Mind

 

"So, to come to my core point: don’t limit yourself. Explore, try new things. Open yourself up to things that are outside your comfort zone. Learn. Live. And love more than just one genre or show."

I read through this book pretty quickly after it was recommended while doing a recent episode of my podcast. It was a book I hadn't heard of before and seemed interesting enough to me (especially since it is available for cheap on Amazon Kindle). The author, Joseph Dickerson, collects blog posts of his from around the Internets and curates them in this book under a few general categories like technology, design, Star Trek, and some others.

The book is a under 200 pages and I'll admit, even with it being very short, I skipped over some of his posts about user interface design, as it wasn't relevant to me at all. It is his day job and I know I like to talk about higher education so I can understand why he put it in there, it just feels out of place. I really enjoyed what he wrote about Star Trek (which is a lot of this book), since it feels a lot like what I have written and feel about the show and what makes it great. Frankly, the whole book feels like something I've been thinking of writing for a while now; simply a collection of my best blog posts curated around common topics.

Much like I have, Dickerson writes about the life lessons learned from a geeky life, and how we can all gleam some morsels of wisdom from video games, books, movies, and television. The above quotes is one of my favorites from the book. We could all use some time out of the ordinary, even if it is taking a chance on a new story (in whatever medium you prefer). I know I've found some awesome things by just taking a leap on something that just feels right.

Especially for the low price on Kindle, I recommend this book for a leisurely read on a weekend with a nice cup of coffee/tea. It has some worthwhile portions and I'm sure others will find certain sections more enticing than I did.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Food, Inc.

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie the 2008 documentary Food, Inc.

I've heard about this film before and just never got around to seeing it. It got into my Netflix queue recently and I decided to finally just sit down and watch it. Focusing on the production of food in our nation, it is a harsh critique of the machination of the whole process, which has negative consequences for our health, our planet, and our collective souls.

What I appreciate about the points made in the film is that it isn't a movie trying to make you into a vegetarian or vegan. It showcases how we can responsibly raise meat as well as how all vegetables aren't created equal either. We should be conscious of what vegetables and fruits are in season locally as well as how animals are treated and raised. A big takeaway from the movie on this is encouraging people to go to their local farmers' market for more natural, wholesome, and responsibly raised food (and make sure they accept EBT!).

Our diets are a major aspect of our wellness and more people should have access to nutritious sustenance. Fast food and other artificial, empty meals are easier and cheaper for people to obtain. You should also make sure to drink plenty of water (get a glass refillable bottle!) and avoid things like high fructose corn syrup (it is in a lot more than you think). Vote with your dollars to support local, natural, and sustainable food options.

If you're looking for another good documentary about food, diet, and weight loss, check out Hungry for Change, which is a great look at our eating habits and how we can make simple, powerful, positive changes for ourselves and our families.

You check out Food, Inc. streaming right now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 01/30/15

Hey there! Here's what's going on in my world this week.

• The Wire

I'm getting back to working on this series, which is available in its entirety on Amazon Prime (it's also in HD, which looks great). I'm almost done season two and I just have to say it again, this show was ahead of its time. I'm sure there is way more to see which will further cement this feeling but I can start to tell already why this show is so revered. All the actors are awesome and the story is very well done, with great diverse characters to boot. Definitely get to it now if you've been waiting to watch it all like I have.

• Broad City

This is a relatively new series on Comedy Central which just premiered its second season (and also just got renewed for a third). It is executive produced by Amy Poehler and was a popular webseries before being adapted into a full television show. The premise is simply following the wacky antics of Ilana and Abbi as they live their lives in New York City. This is just one of the awesome set of shows that Comedy Central is building up, such as Workaholics, @midnight, and Drunk History. The first season is available on Amazon Prime.

• Comedy Bang Bang

This is an IFC series featuring Scott Aukerman and Reggie Watts in a faux talk show that plays off typical sitcom and talk show tropes to hilarious ends. I never really watched much of it until recently, as much of the show is now streaming on Netflix (click above). They have guests on the show and everything is mildly improvised and also just random and weird. I enjoy it and watch episodes when I need something mindless to watch. I'd put it in the smartly stupid category like Workaholics.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Smarter Than You Think

"We have to interrogate our most destabilizing new technologies and be aware of their dangers (economic, political, and social), to flat-out avoid the tools we find harmful—yet not be blinded to the ones that truly augment our thought and bring intellectual joy."

After having it on my list of things to read for a while, I recently finished this book by Clive Thompson that explores the positive influence technology is having on our lives. I found this book to be a refreshing, engaging, and relevant look at modern technology and this book is chock full of awesome numbers, figures, and stories that drive home the main points.

While any book about technology that comes out these days is instantly out of date once it is published, Thompson does well here to focus on the broad strokes of what current technology offers us and how it is helping us. He also focuses on communication technology which is of interest to me personally rather than anything too scientific. The fact that he fills the book with just the influence of communication tools further supports how it is changing the world in a massive way. The way we share information, how we learn, and how we are governed has changed dramatically in the past few years.

Some of Thompson's examples of are the revolutions happening in the Middle East, the numerous times a problem has been solved quickly by an online community, and just the sheer amount of information being shared on social media every day. We're communicating with each other more now than ever before, and that impacts our friendships, our families, and our work. Some jobs are being created, others are being made obsolete. We can know what is happening all over the world in an instant and also find communities of people who love what we're passionate about, no matter how niche it might be.

I am optimistic in general and also just love social media so I'm very happy to have been able to read this book and share it. It gives a lot of objective facts about how all these new tools are making our lives better in meaningful ways. I don't see any of it going anywhere soon so we are going to keep reaping the benefits of being more connected for years to come.

I wanted to share some of my favorite excerpts, so here they are:

"I calculate that we’re composing at least 3.6 trillion words daily, or the equivalent of 36 million books every day. The entire U.S. Library of Congress, by comparison, holds around about 35 million books."

"When you gaze with wild surmise upon the Pacific of strangeness online, you confront the astonishing diversity of human passion."

"The things we think about are deeply influenced by the state of the art around us: the conversations taking place among educated folk, the shared information, tools, and technologies at hand."

You can find Smarter Than You Think at your favorite book retailer!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: To Be Takei

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is the recent documentary, To Be Takei, examining the life of the fascinating and one of a kind, George Takei.

For those uninitiated, George Takei played Sulu on the original Star Trek television series and subsequent movies. He has transformed over the years into an Asian American and LGBT icon through his tireless work to advocate for the rights of both groups, speaking from his personal experience in a Japanese internment camp as a child as well as his efforts to have his marriage recognized with his partner Brad.

This film is a small look into Takei's life, which is as busy as ever even though he doesn't do any major acting any more. He has numerous speaking gigs, signings, brief cameos, and produced the musical play Allegiance about Japanese internment which premiered a few years ago in California. People love George Takei and they support him wherever he goes, even in the digital realm where he has millions of fans from all over the world.

I enjoyed this look into George Takei's life. It feels very raw and real, and you see intimate glimpses into his and Brad's marriage as well as the authentic opinions of those around Takei. If you you're a Star Trek fan, you owe it to yourself to check this movie out. It's a light, fun, and unique treat and a fine way to honor an amazing man who is sure to be remembered for generations to come.

You can check out To Be Takei, streaming right now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 01/23/15

Hey there! Here is what's going on in my world!

• ACPA 2015 Convention

I've finally got to booking everything (with the help of my institution) for my trip. I'm excited to check out Tampa and have a bit of a professional vacation as it were. I'll be presenting at the conference with my colleague from Rutgers, Krista Kohlmann, about our Rutgers Changemakers initiative that I had the privilege of working on with her. I recently had a thought (especially since last year's convention) about how expensive these endeavors can be for professionals so I think I'm going to try to quantify my trip to give a glimpse of how inaccessible these conferences are for the average professional (and graduate student or undergraduate student even). Be on the look out for this blog post to come!

• Spring Semester

I had a wonky and long weekend here at my institution, as we had RA training, spring move-in, and spring orientation all over the span of a few days. This whole past week has felt long and I haven't been in the same groove with the blog as I had been the first few weeks of this month. Once I have the weekend to recuperate and devote to some upcoming posts, I'll be back with it. I am excited to get back to work and see my first spring semester here. The fall was an interesting glimpse into parts of the higher ed world I haven't seen or been a part of before. I feel like I'm learning new things all the time and developing my professional demeanor with every meeting and decision I am making. I definitely need to reflect on this first year once it is all said and done!

• Adulting

Something I have had the chance to do recently (even with the aforementioned wonkiness) is buy some things for my place to make it feel a little more like home. I've hung up some more stuff on the walls (courtesy of my lovely partner), and I ordered some furniture from IKEA (a first for me). For some reason I always grumble about getting stuff like this or delay needlessly but once I get the stuff and put it up, it makes me happier. I suppose I am content with what I have and don't think I need anything else, but once I have the new thing, I can appreciate it. I think I'll need to get better with this since I have a lot of old stuff that needs replacing or just more adult things like better cookware, furniture, and better bedding.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pocket These Podcasts: What I'm Listening To Lately

Podcasting has been experiencing a renaissance recently. With the continued success of some foundational shows and the current breakaway success of some few shows, podcasting has become more mainstream in a big way. The quality is increasing, the topics or more nuanced and deep, and the audience is growing exponentially. I've been a fan of the medium for years now, and I'd like to share a few of the awesome new shows I've been listening to lately.

Startup Podcast

I was recommended this show by the incomparable Tom Krieglstein and have enjoyed following along with the story. It is basically the journey of a guy (Alex Blumberg) following his heart, starting a business (podcast network in this case) and his trials and tribulations. He is authentic and reflective throughout the whole process. He makes some mistakes, fumbles a bit, but eventually reaches his goal. It is a great look into how a startup might come to be today, and has some great tips for those interested in doing the same. Even if you're not thinking about starting a business, the story is still entertaining to listen to, so I definitely encourage you to check it out.

Invisibilia from NPR

This is a relatively newer show compared to the others on this list. As the name might suggest, the show examines the invisible forces that influence our lives. While there have been only two formal episodes, you can find a guest episode on This American Life and the two episodes that have been released are fascinating. The premiere episodes was on thoughts, their power, and the history of our understanding of them. The most recent episode is about fear. I'm really intrigued to see where the show goes from here!

Nerdette Podcast

I'm not sure how I originally stumbled across this show, but I'm glad I did. It's a NPR podcast out of Chicago that is a short snippet of interviews, nerdy Q&As, and their signature segment, nerd confessions from their audience. The confessions range from the humorous to the deeply emotional and are amazing since their listeners feel comfortable enough to share them out with the world on their show. If your into smart, nerdy things and good conversations, check this show out. It's light, engaging, and perfect for a listen on your commute or during your lunch break.

Honorable Mentions: Serial (obviously), Nerdist, How Did This Get Made?, School of Greatness, Smart People, This American Life, Freakonomics, Invisible Office Hours, Reply All

Top Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2015

2015 is looking to be a standout year with some awesome big films on the horizon. While 2014 has its triumphs, the slate of movies coming down the pipeline have me really excited. Only time will tell if I still feel the same way this time next year, but for now, here is what I'm looking forward to this year in movies:

Avengers: Age of Ultron

This is pretty much a given. The two trailers we've gotten so far look amazing and I'm a big fan of what Marvel has been churning out lately with their movies and television offerings. Ant-Man has me curious but doesn't make the list since I have only seen the one trailer and have no basis for the character. Once some early reviews come in for that one I might come around but for now, Age of Ultron is going to be my big movie for the year that I know should be great.  If you haven't kept up with Marvel's movies and television shows, I recommend you catch up since this should be the movie event of the year!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2

After seeing Part 1 this past fall, I am very eager to watch this final chapter. The previous movie did a good job of setting this one up for success and I have really gotten into the whole Hunger Games universe. It's an engaging, smart, mature story that is something good for young adults to explore. I haven't read the books so I don't know how it ends, but I have heard the ending isn't great so I'm curious to see if it is changed for the film at all. I didn't really expect to like this film series but after three solid movies, I'm hooked!

Inside Out

A new original concept from Pixar, Inside Out is about those emotional voices inside our heads and how we make decisions based off them. As many others also do I'm sure, I have loved pretty much all of Pixar's movies. The Toy Story movies, Up, and Wall-E, are some of my favorites of the bunch. This premise looks like it could be really good so I'm excited to check it out. I'm glad they're making some unique like this too, since something like Monsters University was good, but felt like a good concept was there that could have stood on its own without the Monsters Inc universe hovering over it.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

While this one should be another given, I'm still cautiously optimistic about this one until I see a full trailer. The teaser did get me excited but we still don't know a lot about the movie or characters. I'm always stoked to head back into the Star Wars universe but this movie could end up not being able to live up to the high expectations it has just like the Prequel Trilogy, and perhaps now it has even higher stakes because of the lackluster former movies. It has to be amazing in order to reclaim all the lost faith in the franchise, it can't just be okay. We'll see what comes of this soon as we see more and learn more about the film.

Pitch Perfect 2

The first film was a breakaway success, especially amongst the college aged crowd I am privileged to serve everyday. I enjoyed it as well, as it was a fast, fun, and smart movie with a great cast. While comedy sequels have classically struggled, I am willing to give this one a chance. Anna Kendrick is always awesome and I have faith she can carry the movie through well. This may be the most shaky movie on the list but I really hope it is good!

Thanks for stopping by!