Weekly Geek Outs - 09/02/16

Greetings!

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

• 11.22.63

I shamefully finally finished watching this show on Hulu this past week. I put it off for way too long since I was initially intrigued way back when I caught the first two episodes. Unfortunately, the show didn't improve much for me. It built up to the culminating moment and I felt it like it didn't pay off at all. I liked the time travel story and thought James Franco did well, but overall it was pretty underwhelming, which was a real bummer.

• Newseum

I'm going here this weekend with my partner and making another day trip out of it exploring more of our DC home. I'm thinking we'll hit up somewhere for lunch and another local brewery. There is so much to do in this city, I don't know if we'll ever even scratch the surface of it all, especially with Baltimore, Alexandria, Annapolis, and the surrounding burbs to get to as well!

• Sustainability

I was recently appointed to the company-wide sustainability committee for my job. I'm very excited about this opportunity and to become more involved at work. It is something I'm really passionate about and want to do all I can with this new effort to help my company be as environmentally conscious as possible. It felt pretty validating too to be honest. I always appreciate the small wins like this, and it came pretty unexpectedly so it was a nice surprise.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Promise of a Pencil

The Promise of a Pencil is the story of how Adam Braun was able to create the global education for-purpose company Pencils of Promise from humble beginnings of just $25 to creating hundreds of schools around the world.

This book falls into a common category with many other books, like Start Something That Matters from the TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie. This one resonated with me more since I have a bit more of a personal connection with it now. My company, 2U, is a corporate partner to Pencils of Promise, and I got to see Adam Braun speak at this year's company meeting. It was great and we also had cool VR headsets that helped us see the impact of a school built in Africa. I've known of Adam and Pencils of Promise before, but now it has more of connection to me than it did before.

This book was great. There are a lot of cool aspects of Adam's story that I appreciate, like his connection to Semester at Sea, and his feelings about college:

"While high school encouraged conformity, college taught me it was okay—even desirable—to question what I thought I knew."

He also values the privileges and opportunities those who came before him granted him. His family has been through a lot through the generations, and it cements for him a value that has driven his work:

"I believe that where you start in life should not dictate where you finish."

I really like that sentiment, and I have experienced firsthand the power of education to help transform someone's life. Millions of children around the world are deprived of this opportunity, and Pencils of Promise works to create sustainable change in global education.

The story of Pencils of Promise is captured well in this book through different "mantras" and it felt generally relevant, not just for someone wanting to become a social entrepreneur necessarily. I'd recommend it to anyone, as I think everyone appreciates education and would benefit from the stories and lessons from this book.

You can find The Promise of a Pencil at your favorite book retailer.

One last quote to end on:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Movie Review Monday: Save the Date

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2012 romantic dramedy Save the Date, starring Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, and Mark Webber.

The film follows sisters Sarah (Caplan) and Beth (Brie) as they both go on different paths in their love lives. Sarah is trying to figure out what she wants while she begins to get serious with a long time boyfriend, and Beth is planning her wedding, committed to her partner for the long haul.

I labelled this movie as a romantic dramedy (drama + comedy) because it isn't laugh out loud funny but it does have some funny moments. It deals with something many people struggle with as they grow up; figuring out who you want to be with for the rest of your life. A tried and true premise for a film, this movie brings a modern veneer to it but not much else. It is sort of a timeless story that plays off the journey of Sarah mostly in a very subtle way. She's a frustrating character but one that I think people can empathize with either from their own lives or people they know.

I enjoyed this movie enough. It was pretty average and I didn't like the ending that much. It wasn't enough of anything to really engage me (much like my last review for American Ultra). Save the Date was a little better than that film, but it still wasn't great. It didn't resonate with me and I won't really think much about it now afterwards. I liked all the actors in it though and they did a fine job with what they were given.

You can catch Save the Date streaming right now on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 08/26/16

Greetings!

Here's what is on my mind this week:

• Cloverfield

I caught this movie recently via Hulu after really enjoying 10 Cloverfield Lane. I never saw it when it came out back in 2008, but after seeing it now, I don't feel like I missed much. I really appreciate how they did some unique franchise building with 10 Cloverfield Lane, and it had to start somewhere, but the original movie just felt frustrating throughout. The found footage still was a neat stylistic novelty but it always creates more plot holes than it is worth I feel like. Witnessing an alien invasion from the ground is pretty cool, but it only carries the movie so much. The characters were mostly annoying and the driving force of the movie just felt silly.

• Strengths Finder

I took this assessment again the other day for work, and was pleased to see that most of my Strengths were the same from the last time I took it three years ago. Before, they were Ideation, Connectedness, Intellection, Input, and Adaptability. Now, there are Intellection, Input, Connectedness, Learner, and Responsibility. I love Strengths as a mindset and a way to approach teams and our roles in the world. We all have something valuable to offer, and we shouldn't feel like we all need to fit into the same mold. When we all bring our unique gifts to the table, we all win and we can do many more amazing things together.

• Not Safe with Nikki Glaser

My partner and I have been keeping up with this show on Hulu lately, and we love it. This show finally gives comedian Nikki Glaser a platform that works for her. The show revolves around exploring sexuality with a genuine, comedic curiosity. She's always been awesome on @midnight, and after some other ventures, this seems to be something that works for her. She gets to do some awesome recurring segments like Tinder Tap Out, and gets to have an avenue to talk about important topics like the gender pay gap, sexual assault, and more. I highly recommend checking it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: American Ultra

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action movie, American Ultra, starring Jesse Eisenburg and Kristen Stewart.

I'm going to put this out there at the outset here, I was very misled as to what this movie was going to be. I thought it was a spoof of Bourne Identity based on the trailers that came out, but it was not anywhere close to that. While it had some funny moments, it was more straightforward than I was hoping for. It wasn't a bad movie overall, I just felt like it is something different that the studio didn't really know what to do with or how to best market it.

The premise is that a stoner, Mike (Eisenburg), finds out his is a actually a secret agent after the government comes to kill him and his training is activated. His girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart) works to help him figure everything out and fight back.

The action is pretty good in this movie, and it has some funny beats like I said. The whole package is entertaining enough but it feels like a sort of half baked (pun intended) idea. It isn't enough of a comedy or enough of a spy movie or enough of an action movie to satisfy any of those cravings. In the end, it's a sort of average, forgettable movie that while it didn't feel like an entire waste of time, I wouldn't have been upset if I missed it in hindsight.

I caught American Ultra streaming on Hulu, and you can check it out there too if you so choose, but it isn't all that I hoped it would be.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 08/19/16

Greetings!

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

• Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Ultimate Edition

Long story short, they got me. I bought this extended cut of the movie on Blu-Ray. Not worth it, does not make this complicated movie any better (see my review for more detailed thoughts). This movie is overstuffed as it is, and the scenes cut help weave some minor plot points together better, but the movie is still not great. Wonder Woman is still awesome though and should have been in the movie more.

• Capital Area Food Bank

I'm going to volunteer here with my partner with the great Day of Service Paid Time Off benefit I have with my job. They recently implemented this initiative and I'm excited to take advantage of it. I have more days to use and I look forward to building a relationship with this great community organization.

• Thought

I've said this a few times in conversation recently, and thought I'd share it with you: I didn't even know my job and the company I work for now existed when I started job searching last year. Now that I'm here, I couldn't be more grateful I stumbled upon this company and this job. My thought and advice for those worried about figuring out what is next for them or what to do with their lives; it may just be out there waiting for you to discover it. Or it may not even exist yet, either way, you just need to be patient, do good work, and put yourself out there. Luck happens more often to those that are prepared for it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Spy

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action comedy, Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham.

I rented this the other day to watch with my partner rather than going out to see a movie and we were very pleased. The powerhouse team of Paul Feig and McCarthy create comedy gold again with Spy. It's a silly, fun action comedy spoofing the antics of spies, which certainly isn't totally original territory, but they still make it feel fresh with their unique charm. In light of enjoying the recent Ghostbusters film in theaters, this movie proves why they were on such a roll going into that movie.

We follow McCarthy's character, Susan Cooper, who goes from lowly desk worker in the CIA, to full fledged spy and we see all the antics in between. Cooper's goofy aliases and silly spy gadgets were my favorite parts. The ensemble is great in the movie too. Everyone plays their parts well, especially Statham and Law as very distinct agents. Statham being the sort of meathead, do whatever it takes action hero type he is known for, while Law is the classic Bond-esque agent.

Spy is definitely worth a rental. I don't know if I would have loved it if I paid full price at the theater, but it was a fun romp for a lazy night.

You can find Spy at Redbox or any of your favorite VOD providers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 08/12/16

Greetings!

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

• Stranger Things

My partner and I watched through this intriguing new series from Netflix recently and really enjoyed it. It is a fun, mysterious '80s throwback horror thriller, with some great music and solid storytelling. It isn't the most original thing ever made, but it is enjoyable and I appreciated the nostalgia aspect of it as well as there being a cool character named Dustin! I definitely recommend checking the show out. It is only eight episodes and it hopefully will be back for another season. Chalk this one up as another hit for Netflix!

• Anniversary

I have two anniversaries to celebrate this weekend; my three month work anniversary (nothing major, but just a nice milestone) and my three year anniversary with my partner, Jenn. We're going to Alexandria, VA which is close to us. We haven't checked out that area yet and we're going on a party boat with an open bar, so it should be pretty fun! Stay tuned to my Instagram for photos from this weekend.

• Future

I've had some interesting epiphanies lately about me, my future, and what I want to invest time on. I don't know why they're hitting me when they are now, but nevertheless, I'm trying to listen to the universe when it feels like it is giving me a sign. I've had some half baked ideas of what I want to do with my future, and I think it is time to let them go to focus on different, better goals. I also realize generally the value of my time and my energy. I want to be able to give that to myself to stay healthy, to my partner to not just give her my "leftovers", and to my work so that I'm not so distracted all the time. I mean this last one to say my actual job (which I love and want to be able to invest in) as well as the other work I do (writing, podcasting, etc.). I don't have anything concrete in my mind yet, but I'm trying to figure out the best balance for myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Night Owls

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 dark comedy, Night Owls.

l stumbled upon this movie on Netflix recently, and for whatever reason, I've had a penchant for watching dark comedies and other movies involving suicide and the end of the world. What I think makes this a solid premise for a story is that it forces characters to confront their issues with themselves and each other. I must say though, it can get kind of depressing.

The premise of this film is that a young man, Kevin (Adam Pally) and woman, Madeline (Rosa Salazar) have a one night stand but soon, Kevin realizes that something else entirely is going on when Kevin stumbles upon Madeline trying to kill herself. What follows is a long night of Kevin and Madeline struggling to come to terms with each of their own lives.

I enjoyed this movie. It's the sort of small, contained, personal story that is hard to find nowadays. All it entails is two characters in a house talking. What it accomplishes though is impressive. It's not a perfect movie, but it is entertaining enough as it explores the effect of committing too much of our happiness to other people. We are all flawed, and we need to create happiness for ourselves.

I don't want to spoil any more of the movie. As always, half the fun is the revelations that happen over the course of the plot.

You can stream Night Owls right now on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 08/05/16

Greetings!

Here's what is on my mind this week:

• Creativity

I had a great chat recently with Craig Bidiman for the podcast about art therapy. We got into the creative process and the value of having creative hobbies. I write, I podcast, and I enjoy engaging with the creative products of others. Other people draw, do coloring books, paint, sing, or any number of other things. It doesn't matter what you do or if you do it for others or just yourself. It just matters that you do it. It is important to nurture different parts of ourselves outside of our day to day lives and work.

• Collaboration

I've had the opportunity recently to collaborate with Kayley Robsham writing for the Check I'm Here blog. I really enjoy bouncing ideas around and I think active, positive, and focused collaboration helps produce better outcomes. I work now in a far more collaborative environment then where I came up before, so I feel spoiled with all the different venues for great collaboration going on right now. I also enjoyed featuring a lot of great content from other writers for my #SAGeeks series. They were able to write about a lot of different things that I could never get to myself. It is important to bring other people in to help us do the things we can't or the things that don't come as naturally for us. The world would be better for it if we all could contribute our unique strengths to the greater good.

• Communication

In addition to my writing, podcasting has been a very fulfilling creative endeavor for me in many ways. I've been able to have conversations with amazing people in our field, learn many different things, and build up skills I wouldn't have the opportunity to otherwise. My new job also really helps me cultivate my communication abilities. I have to talk to a lot of different people about a lot of different things every day. Communication has always been a struggle for me. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to build these skills as well as use my experience and expertise from student affairs to help serve students in a very unique way.

Thanks for stopping by!