#SAGeeks - A Life of Geekiness

I've been pretty geeky my whole life. From playing video games for as long as I can remember, to old photos of me reading Spider-Man comics as a kid, to pretending to be all my favorite superheroes with my brother and my friends when we'd play outside as kids. I've always been obsessively into the things I love, wanting to know everything I can, and always appreciated learning and doing well in school. I was kind of awkward and quirky, which led to me not having the best time making friends, but I could at least always escape in the worlds of my favorite video games.

Life was hard for me at times because of my geeky tendencies. I'd sometimes rather engage in my own personal interests then go out and do anything else, or care to connect with other people based on what they were into. I eventually grew to appreciate my own enthusiasm for what I was into, and work to appreciate the same energy and passion in others. People love to talk about what they're into, so I found a way to connect and make friends even if we didn't share my niche interests.

Reading books like Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth and Nerds helped me come to terms with my geeky personality. It wasn't a flaw, like I felt for so long (especially during my hormonal teenage years). It was an asset I could use to my advantage. I could showcase my geek pride in my office and it would help me, not hinder me. There were other people who struggled like me, I wasn't the only one.

Creating this site and being a part of programs like Rutgers Geek Week and connecting with professionals in higher education who care about this stuff has really helped me develop as I continue through the early phase of my career. While I don't know what the next few years will exactly look like, I at least have a lot more confidence in myself and have a positive outlook for the future.

This #SAGeeks series will seek to shine a light on others like me who live an especially geeky life and work in the realm of higher education and student affairs. They geek out about a lot of different things; theater, board games, professional wrestling, comics, and much more. They'll talk about the highs and lows of being geeks/nerds and proudly featuring your passions. You'll hear from professionals all over the country. I encourage you to reach out and geek out with them!

Also, shout out to my editors Jenn Osolinski and Lynne Meyer who approached me with the idea in the first place. And check out my resources page for more geeky goodness.

Movie Review Monday: Serendipity

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2001 romantic comedy, Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.

I always knew about this movie and just randomly decided to watch it recently. It does feel a bit dated in some ways having come out 15 years ago, but the story is pretty evergreen. It follows John (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) as they try to figure out what to make of a chance encounter that leaves them both reeling. They have an undeniable chemistry but are both with other people. They figure if fate steers them back to each other, then they'll give it a try. What follows is a fun ride figuring out if life is sending you signs or not.

I feel like we can all relate to this movie. We all have those "ones that got away" that we wish we could reconnect with or look for fate sending us signals in our lives. Sometimes it can be silly but it is a nice sentiment to see the universe as a slightly more magical place, with soulmates, destiny, and signals coming from the universe.

There are some great supporting performances in this movie from Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon, and Eugene Levy. Where the film suffers for its sort of (for lack of a better word) serendipitous plot movements at times, it makes up for it with its message and implications. My partner and I enjoyed the movie enough and it has a good pace and doesn't go too long either. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light rom-com to pass the time.

You can catch Serendipity streaming right now on Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 07/08/16

Greetings!

Back at it this week after taking last week off for my brother's wedding (which was wonderful!). Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Parenthood

Jenn and I finally finished this series this week. Wow, such a powerful, emotional show. I really enjoyed watching it, especially with Jenn since we reminisced about our childhoods, what we'd want to as parents together, and just shared in the joy of this modern family drama. All of the show is on Netflix, and it is a good ride with great story beats that really resonated with us. It is a well done show with a lot of stellar characters and actors. If you liked Friday Night Lights, check out this show! If you want a wholesome, heartfelt show to binge watch, check out this show!

• Check I'm Here

I recently signed on to blog with the super cool folks at Check I'm Here, a great higher ed tech company that helps colleges across the country track, assess, and engage their students. My first blog post went up this week, and there will be much more goodness to come on there soon! I appreciate everyone's support there.

• Meetup.com

I found some meetup groups in Maine when I lived there to go out to, but none of them were based out of Meetup.com, so now being near two cities I knew I wanted to search for more cool groups around here. I've found some for me as well as some for me and Jenn. I look forward to meeting new people here as well as reconnecting with friends in the area. It's always rough transitioning and dealing with getting to know new people again, but I feel confident it will be okay.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Brewing Up a Business

"Of all that the world has to offer, it is innate human potential that is the most impressive."

I recently finished reading a book that I've been meaning to read for a while now, Brewing Up a Business, by Sam Calagione about the founding of Dogfish Head Brewery. I got the second edition a few years ago when it came out and actually got it signed by Sam when he came to visit University of Delaware to promote it. Dogfish has always piqued my curiosity since it is something from Delaware that a lot of people know of. I've had a few beers of theirs that I've liked, and recently (finally) visited their brewery in Delaware (they have a ale house here in Maryland that I need to check out too). Nevertheless, I've appreciated them as an ambassador of my (sort of) home state and was excited to sit down with this book after far too long putting it off.

I will say that this book didn't grab me in its entirety. There are cool parts, like the stories about the early days of Dogfish Head. There are also less cool parts, like going into how to balance your small business's budget (oversimplifying a bit here). I personally wasn't reading this book for the introduction to business lessons. I wanted stories and advice about life. I appreciate that the book has both, but it ended up with a decent portion of the book not being for me. I skimmed through the parts that started to lose my attention. It felt mostly like pretty boiler plate leadership and business tips that are very much currently part of the zeitgeist on sites like Inc or Fast Company (granted this book came out several years ago, so it was probably a little ahead of the curve).

There are some fine morsels in there (see the above quote which I love). There is also some neat connections for me personally between the obvious location for the brewery in Delaware, where I grew up, but also where I was born in Maine (the state as a whole, not my hometown). I really like craft beer, going to breweries with my partner, trying new things, and meeting the people who are passionate about their craft. It helps get a local flavor wherever I go and is a great way to relax and connect with others. I look forward to continuing this trend. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book to deepen the respect I have for Dogfish Head.

Go check out this book at your favorite book retailer or your local library. Sam Calagione also released another book recently, Off-Centered Leadership, so if you want more from Dogfish Head, check it out too!

Thanks for stopping by!

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!