Weekly Geek Outs - 06/24/16

Greetings!

With all of my shows wrapped up for the season, and no movies in theaters I need to immediately see, I haven't really been consuming much new entertainment lately, so there isn't as much of that this week (nor has there been the past few weeks). There is so much else going on in my life and in my mind that I want to write about and process.

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Transitions

I had a really quick turnaround to move my life hundreds of miles (again). I hope that this is the last time for a while that I have to do this. I know that transitions are hard for me. It upsets my routine, I move away from the people and places I know, and have to go through all the stressful changes to my address, driver's license, etc. I still don't feel like I'm settled yet, after being about two months in, but from past experience, I know I'll get there eventually. It doesn't make the transitioning process any easier to get through, but I know it is all for the best. I'm in an area that is better for me and my partner, closer to my brother, have a great job, and am setting up my own apartment that isn't in a residence hall. Looking back, this part of my life that has been awkward and difficult will be a fraction of the rest; a small footnote to what I know will be a fun ride with my partner by my side.

• Pressure

To put it simply, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I'm humble when it comes to my accomplishments, but I push myself to do well and to do good by my friends, family, and coworkers. I've realized lately that I need to give myself a break sometimes. Being too humble and putting too much pressure on myself is not a good mix. I need to value more of what I achieve and let it be enough. I think I do this on my good days, but with my life being stressful right now (see above) I've fallen into bad mental habits. I look forward to some of the stress slowly starting to fade away as things start to normalize here. That way I can hopefully be less hard on myself.

• Brother's Wedding

My brother is getting married next week in Delaware, and I'm his best man! It's surreal to think we're getting to this point in our lives where we're getting married, working, and starting our families. While it is stressful getting our lives started and not being able to hang out all the time, I'm excited for this next chapter for both of us. The wedding will be a small, intimate ceremony with close family and friends on the beach. It will be a great celebration of my brother and his future wife. Looking forward to heading to back to Delaware soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Write for our #SAGeek Series!

Attention fellow geeks! Mark your calendars, because July 13 is "Embrace Your Geekness Day!" (It also just so happens to be Harrison Ford’s birthday. Coincidence?) To celebrate this day (not to be confused with Geek Pride Day, or Star Wars Day, or Pi Day, or any other nerdy/geeky holiday), we’re launching a special month long #SAgeek blog series! Tell us what you geek out about. Video games, comics, RPGs, cosplay -- whatever it is, we want to know. Bonus points for stories that connect your geek identity to your student affairs identity. For example: Is your geeky hobby a source of balance and stress relief? As a geek, have you experienced workplace bullying? Does your geekiness help foster connection with your students? 

Email your ideas to me (dmr52289@gmail.com) so we can get the ball rolling.

The #SAgeek series will debut on July 13 (mostly because this "holiday" is as good a day as any to launch this awesome series).

Thank you for your time, attention, and help with this effort! (Also thanks to Lynne Meyer for the idea germ and for the continued help with this series)

Weekly Geek Outs - 06/17/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Agents of SHIELD

I finally finished watching the last few episodes of this past season this week, and it was a mixed bag for me. This whole series has been uneven, but I still mostly enjoy it, so I'll keep with it. For one, we were told the Secret Warriors would show up on SHIELD, and while they technically did, it was for like one episode. Also, there are some MCU connections, but for the most part, the TV side and the movie side live separately, and it is pretty much that SHIELD and the Netflix shows live beneath the movies. I really hope there are more, deeper, and more prominent connections going forward. It is something that is really holding the show back. Supergirl isn't afraid to bring in a version of Superman, and Flash isn't afraid to go all in on its fun comic book roots. Also, some of the plot points of this season were just goofy (I won't spoil them here). Otherwise, the action and characters are good on SHIELD, and they continue to explore neat little niches of the MCU. I continue to be optimistic about the potential of this show, so here's to season 4 (also RIP Agent Carter).

• Outcomes

I've been thinking a lot this week about goals and outcomes. The simple thought I'll impart on you without going into too much detail as to how I got to it, is that we need to know what success looks like in order to be able to achieve it and know if we have done so. Otherwise, our efforts may be in vain. It may seem like an obvious thought, but I had conversations this week that reminded me of its importance.

• Teamwork

Something else that was humbling this week was the reminder that I need to ask for help sometimes. I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to do well in my new job and prove I can do it on my own. The thing is, is that I don't have to. I have a team of people alongside me that can help and need to be brought in to know what's going on. I love collaborating but when it comes to getting work done, I tend to take it all in myself. I've been stressing myself out a little too much to do a lot of work and do it well while not asking questions when I should have or asking for help. I have a bad habit with that of thinking I'm bothering people or should know better. Especially with being new, I should ask questions and get help. We don't ever have to go it alone, we just need to find those people on our team and bring them in.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Justice League - Flashpoint Paradox

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2013 animated film, Justice League - The Flashpoint Paradox.

I love this movie. I watched it for the first time with my brother a little while back, and revisited it recently since it is now available on Netflix.

The plot follows Barry Allen (The Flash) as awakes in an unfamiliar world, ravaged by war, and where he is no longer the beloved Scarlet Speedster. He eventually discovers that something happened to alter the timeline, and he has to work together with these very different versions of superheroes from his world to get back to his own reality.

This is not a great movie for kids. It is rated an appropriate PG-13, since there is visceral violence, dark themes, and the story may be a little too much for a child. This isn't to say it is bad however. It is a really great story and overall movie. There are emotional moments, intense action sequences, and intriguing changes to the stories we all know about the members of the Justice League.

The animation in the movie is also well done from what I can tell. Watching it over again, I can notice some sequences of obvious CGI, but they're brief and don't take away from the overall experience. The entire package of this movie is fun to watch, and sets up a cool world that just begs to be explored (and you can in Flashpoint comics that were released). DC strikes gold again with this movie, and continues their positive streak of animated films.

Go check out Justice League - The Flashpoint Paradox, streaming right now, on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 06/10/16

Greetings!

Another week is in the books, and that means there is another set of (random) geek outs for you all!

• Haircuts

Moving is stressful for a bunch of reasons, one of them is starting off new with different grocery stores, restaurants, and (the especially worrisome for me) barber shops. I got my haircut for the first time since I moved this week, and it went well! I always dread getting my haircut since I haven't ever had a good, consistent relationship with a barber. It ends up being a gamble each time and it is hard for me to explain how I like my hair. This time was good, and while it is jarring every time I cut my hair shorter, I look forward to going back to this place (White's Barber Co. to give them a well deserved shout out) and starting to build a better relationship with getting my hair cut.

• Couches

My partner, Jenn, and I have been living pretty lean so far in our new apartment. We don't have a lot of furniture but we're making it work with what we have. One big thing we've been missing is a couch. We went and looked around after doing some initial research online ahead of time. It's tough deciding and purchasing these big items. It's exciting though too to build up our place and make it our own. We're not really fit for guests yet, but I also look forward to hosting folks for the first time soon!

• Driver's Licenses (& Other Stuff)

Last but not least, Jenn and I have to get all of our addresses changed on our various profiles, get new driver's licenses, and register to vote in Maryland. Jenn has been taking care of some of her stuff and I've been lagging a bit with going to the Motor Vehicle Administration (Maryland's DMV). It's just always one of those things that is a pain to do but is obviously necessary. Hopefully it isn't too bad when I go this weekend to take care of my driver's license. All of this stuff is the part of moving that is annoying, but hopefully we don't have to do it again for a while (at the very least we can stay in the same state for more than a couple of years).

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: A.C.O.D.

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2013 dark comedic drama, A.C.O.D (Adult Children of Divorce) starring Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, and Amy Poehler among others in a solid ensemble cast.

Two things to start off: this is my first new movie review in a while, so thank you for your patience, and I did not like this movie. I had high hopes with the unique premise and awesome cast (including two of my favorites, Scott and Poehler from Parks and Rec) but it ultimately did not pan out.

The great cast wasn't given too much to do to and the plot was middling and frustrating. Sometimes when movies showcase realistic, selfish characters, it is refreshing and insightful. This movie did not accomplish that. It was just frustrating. It also didn't focus enough for me. It had a lot it wanted to do and balance, but it ended up fumbling for me. I watched this with my partner, and she wasn't a fan either. We wanted more resolution and more to grab onto in terms of the plot and any takeaways. I get that it didn't resolve anything just like life doesn't. Life just keeps on going. But I have seen other movies do a far better job handling a lack of firm resolution.

If you're looking for an uproariously funny comedy or a heartfelt drama, look elsewhere. This movie doesn't give much but a few good moments in what ultimately feels like a meandering hour and a half.

I'll have something better for you next week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 06/03/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• DC

I've been living in the Greater DC area for almost a month now, and since I've only visited here a few times previously, I'm excited to explore with my partner. We've gone to some places for drinks, visited some museums, and are planning to do much more. We're grateful to live in an area with more going on as well as being closer to friends and family. Stay tuned for more thoughts from our adventures!

• Happy Endings

This show was recently put on Hulu in its entirety, and I enjoyed watching it back in the day when it was on. I've been rewatching it with my partner and we've both really been liking it. It was a fun, clever, unique show with smart and silly humor. It was right up my alley and it is always great to share things I love with my partner. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good comedy to watch through.

• Work

My new job has been picking up lately, which has been both a good and a bad thing. Good because I'm excited to do the work and get more involved helping our students as well as my team. Bad because it has taken up more of my time and energy away from the blog. I haven't been able to write as much as I like, nor have I been able to come up with new ideas to write about even if I had the time and energy. I know I just need some space and I need to make the time after I adjust to all the change that has been going on in my life. This blog means a lot to me so I want to keep it going. I appreciate folks patience with the lack of fresh, new content.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 05/27/16

Greetings!

I've been busy this week but was able to catch the season finales of some of my favorite shows on the air right now (still need to catch up on SHIELD...) so I wanted to share my (spoiler-free) thoughts on those episodes and their respective seasons here:

• Arrow

I've ordered these bullet points generally in order of my least to most favorite season finales. Arrow has been struggling for a little while now, with weak flashback stories and frustrating plot points. It's a shame since it was the genesis of the DC TV Universe, but the show hasn't really figured out a good path forward. With major characters being killed off or quitting being heroes, lackluster villains, and character moments being rushed or poorly done, Arrow has some structural flaws to address going forward. I would hate to see this show go on life support in terms of quality, but it seems to be trending that way. I have faith it can shape up, but I could also see it becoming a show that gets too comfy and gets lazy. I'll be watching season 5 but might let go of the show if it doesn't keep me engaged since there is plenty of other great TV on right now.

• Legends of Tomorrow

On a more positive note, LoT grew in a positive way over the course of its first year. Struggling with similar flaws like Arrow with its villain, LoT eventually got to a good place by investing better in the great cast of characters they have and keeping the tension at a decent place. Strange that time travel adventures could feel a tad boring at times, but nevertheless, LoT looks to be heading in the right direction with season 2, especially with the teaser that happened at the end of their satisfying season finale.

• The Flash

The Flash is still easily my favorite show of this bunch. It fully embraced its comic book roots early on, has kept a good pace (for the most part), and Barry Allan and the crew are just great fun to watch. While season 2 got a little darker, it was still great TV, and wasn't afraid of going down some different dramatic and intriguing turns, especially with the finale. I loved the inclusion of time travel within this show (for the most part) as well as the acknowledgement of alternate Earths. There still seems to be so much they can explore with all of that, so I'm more optimistic for The Flash than some of its sibling shows.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 05/20/16

Greetings!

I'm back after a short hiatus with an update on what has been going on with my life lately. Check it out:

• My New Job!

I started this new job last Monday (May 9) so it has been two full weeks at this new gig. It is totally different from my past experiences, and I like it. I work at 2U, which is a company that supports online academic programs for higher education institutions across the country. They have offices all over the world and do great work to bridge the gaps in modern higher education. Their main offices here in Maryland are super cool and laid back, with a casual dress code and plenty of snacks. I'm looking forward to not being the "new guy" anymore and getting more involved with my team. Next week is our company retreat in Orlando, where the entire global team will come together to get energized for the year to come. Stay tuned for more thoughts on all of this, and specifically moving out of a traditional campus job in the near future.

• My New Apartment!

I picked up the keys to my first apartment last Wednesday, so a lot of time recently has been spent packing, moving, and unpacking. I also went up to Maine to see my partner graduate last weekend and help her pack her stuff, so that kept me busy. We're finally settling in a bit and while we still have a bit of ways to go to make our apartment really functional, it feels great to have our own space together and already feels like home.

• My Birthday!

I'm turning 27 on Sunday! It is strange to think about my exact age sometimes, since I sure don't feel like I am almost 30 years old but I do feel pretty mature, especially with everything going on in my life right now. I'll be spending some time in Delaware with my brother this weekend, and then spending the long Memorial Day weekend with my partner. It will be great to toast to all the good happening in my life, to relax, and spend quality time with the people I care about.

Thanks for stopping by!