How to Create a Unique Costume

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With Halloween approaching, I wanted to quickly share the way I come up with fun, unique costumes without feeling like I'm "wasting" money on something I'm only wearing one day a year.

So the point of view I have now when it comes to making a costume is that I'm only going to buy pieces for it that I can wear again in the future. It sort of utilizes a "everyday cosplay" mentality which has been inspired by The Nerdy Girlie.

Here are some examples: 

Marty McFly

Marty McFly

Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Tenth Doctor

Tenth Doctor

While they may not have been perfect, they were enjoyable, comfortable, and allowed for me to not feel bad about spending the money to put them together.

I recommend looking up some examples of street clothed superheroes or just dressing up as people in normal clothes for costumes this year. I'm sure it will help with the anxiety many of us have when trying to come up with something to wear.

Show me your favorite costumes! I'll send free copies of my ebook to folks who do.

"Is This Some Kind Of Jock?!" Surviving College When You Hate Sports

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For some people, it's the reason they go to college, for others it is the epitome of their worst nightmare. When you go to college, you have to put up with a certain amount of sport. And it's one of those populist things that everybody is supposed to like, and you have to get behind your team, and so forth, but what if you just want to indulge in your guilty pleasures in your dorm room, and stay away from the fanfare? For a lot of people, it can be very difficult to survive college, but there are some practical ways to survive those big college games, where you seem to be the only person that hasn't gone.

 

Indulge Your Passion

Not to stereotype, but there are plenty of great games you can get involved in, that are so immersive, you can block out the rest of the world. To have a truly immersive atmosphere, you need to set up a place that is for you and you alone. So get inspired, and set up a gaming desk will that can contain everything you need. If it stuck for inspiration, have a look at sites like HotRate to see what type of gaming desks you can get. But if you really want to set up an immersive experience for your gaming, you need to make sure the environment is a suitable one. So that's good quality headphones, preferably noise canceling ones, and get comfy because you are going to be there all day.

 

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Get Away From The Fanfare

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the college, at least for the weekend! The big games are usually on a Saturday, so why don't you go home and spend time with your family? Failing that, why don't you indulge in a movie marathon at your local multiplex? A lot of people can only go see movies when they are on their own, so there's nobody else next to them talking, and if this is you, this is a perfect opportunity.

 

Stake Out a Coffee House

If you can't stay in your dorm room, why don't you take your favorite book, have a nice macchiato, and scope a seat by the window? At least, in this sense, you are being a little bit more sociable than hiding away in your dorm room, and if you are bored of your book, it might be time to think about indulging in the new hobby.

 

 

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Get A New Hobby!

Photography, museums, writing that book, or even doing some coursework if you really are keen to get away from the sports, then at least make it practical. There's no point being all Holden Caulfield about it and sulking in your dorm room while everyone else is cheering the team on, so why don't you at least do something that is good for yourself, inspires you, and gives you a new found enthusiasm for your free time?

 

It can be very difficult if you don't like sports, but a lot of people don't, so why don't you find those people out as well? It can feel alienating not being into any type of sport, but there's always something to help you survive those sporty periods.

Democracy In Spain Under Threat Following Catalonian Independence Referendum

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The Spanish region of Catalonia has had a long and troubled history, characterized by a long struggle for independence. Last week, it seemed as though they might finally get the freedom that they’ve been fighting for all of this time. Following the regional election of 2015, pro-independence parties make up 47.8 percent of the seats, giving them an absolute majority and a mandate to initiate a referendum on Catalan independence.

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Several attempts were made by the Catalan parliament to agree on terms for a referendum with the Spanish government but they refused to budge. Determined to go ahead with the vote that they had an absolute legal right to, the Catalan government have decided to go ahead with the referendum anyway. The result of that decision has been a week of horrifying images of severe oppression in the region that has raised the question, is democracy in Spain under threat?

 

In most democratic countries around the world, it is the job of the police force to do everything that they can to protect every citizen’s right to vote. But the scene in Catalonia was drastically different. There have been shocking videos distributed online of police violently removing people from the polling stations as they attempted to vote for their independence. Ballot boxes were removed and the police took measures to disrupt the referendum and disrupt it entirely. Officials of the Catalan government have been arrested and all political rallies have been outlawed completely. Media outlets have been banned from advertising anything to do with the referendum and pro-referendum websites have been closed down. There hasn’t been an attack on free speech like this in Spain in recent history. Organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy have raised concerns that this scathing attack on democracy sets a dangerous precedent in Spain and calls into question the future of their citizens. The right to vote and the right to free expression are two of the central pillars of democracy and once you tear them down, the whole ideology is in danger of crumbling. At the moment, the Spanish government is acting more like a dictatorship than a democratic government.

 

Since the vote, the Spanish government has seized control of the finances of the Catalan government, essentially crippling them. Catalonia brings in a huge amount of the country’s income and so they’ve lost their biggest bargaining chip. The government is currently threatening to curb social services to increase their stranglehold in the region.

 

Regardless of that oppression, the people of Catalonia remain strong, although a huge amount of the people that voted in the referendum have chosen to leave the country for fear that the situation will only get worse. The Catalan government was expected to officially declare their independence in a session of parliament scheduled for Monday, but the Spanish government have suspended the Catalan parliament and refused to acknowledge the result of the referendum.

 

It’s difficult to tell how the situation will play out but this attack on democracy should be a worry for the entire world.

Guilty Pleasures? Activities That You Shouldn't Be Embarrassed of Engaging With

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We are all familiar with the stereotypes that revolve around activities such as gaming, cosplay, and comics. They often come hand in hand with what has generally been assumed to be a rather negative connotation: the geek or the nerd. But it’s time to reclaim the term geek and everything that may come hand in hand with it! The skyrocketing popularity of online forums and social media has made us realize that those of us invested in franchises and brands such as World of Warcraft, Star Trek, Zelda, Marvel and Warhammer aren’t so alone after all. There’s a reason that the companies pumping out these games and merchandise have stood the test of time: they are popular, and thus they sell. So, if you find that you are labeled a geek or nerd because of your interests, take pride in it. Here are a few stereotypically “geeky” hobbies that you should never be ashamed of engaging in.

 

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Gaming

When people think of gaming, the image of an isolated, socially inept teen spending hours in their room with a headset on often springs to mind. But the reality is that individuals of all ages, interests, and habits engage with gaming. It’s not all too surprising seeing as this market covers so many genres. There are a whole host of options out there, so it’s almost guaranteed that there’s a game that even the starkest anti-gamer would genuinely enjoy. For those who want pure escapism, there are role-playing games such as Final Fantasy. The latest edition can be easily downloaded at www.finalfantasyxvapp.com and started up in a matter of minutes. This game allows you to assume the role of a protagonist in a fantasy world, completing a whole host of tasks, quests, and battles. For those who are more social, there are MMO games. MMO stands for Massively Multiplayer Online. You can play against other gamers from around the world, engaging with people you would have never otherwise met and collaborating to succeed and move up levels. Alternatively, you can battle against one another, testing your skill against other real-life players. If you enjoy riddles and quizzes, you can try out puzzle games. These range from the traditional and simple (such as Tetris) to the more modern day and specialized (such as Big Brain Academy). Whatever your interests, there will be something perfect for you.

 

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Cosplay

If you are unfamiliar with cosplay, it is simply the act of dressing up as a character from a film, book, or video game. Most people opt to dress as someone from Japanese anime or manga in particular. Cosplay has experienced a huge explosion in popularity since people are now more capable of sharing images of their brilliant costumes on social media feeds. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are constantly awash with individuals cosplaying common characters (such as Link from Zelda, Deadpool, and Harley Quinn) to the more obscure (such as Miranda from Legend of Dragoon or characters from much smaller fandoms). Cosplay is extremely rewarding, as it allows you to live and breathe your passion. You can also meet up with individuals of similar interests at conventions, being able to bond over your outfits. What’s more? You get to express your creativity freely.

 

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Comic Books

Comic books. If you’re into them, chances are that you are already fully aware of your interest and have piles and piles of common and rare copies filling your home. But if you’re new to collecting comics, here’s a quick debrief. A hobby is essentially the telling of a story through sequential art. They’ve been around for years, but the most commonly acknowledged and successful type are those telling tales of superheroes and anime characters. The Marvel franchise is perhaps one of the most recognized around the world, with rare copies selling for millions of dollars. An original copy of Action Comics #1 (which introduces Superman to the World) sold for $3.2 million. So if you get your hands on the right collector’s item, you really can be in to make a profit. Go to specialist stores, root through wares being sold at car boot sales and keep an eye out at local auctions, just in case something astounding comes up.

 

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits of engaging with stereotypically “geeky” hobbies, and there are hundreds and thousands of others out there who think that these activities are just as great as you praise them to be. So never be ashamed of your interests and embrace what you enjoy.

Why It Pays To Be A Geek Later On In Life

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“Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the earth.” It’s a slogan you’ll find on many t-shirts or kitchen item, and never has it been more true. You might have felt like being the class geek or school nerd was a bad thing in high school, but once you’ve left school and gym class is far behind you - there’s a whole world out there for you. Being a geek in later life is no bad thing, and could help you to push yourself further than you could imagine.

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Learn a language, enjoy better career success

Learning a language will benefit you for many reasons, and one of the most important could be your career. Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg has been learning Mandarin? He’s just one example of the many successful businessmen who are bilingual. Learning a second language could boost your career and open up a whole new set of doors for you. As something you can do at any age to widen your prospects, why not take some time each day during your morning commute or lunch break to start learning another language?

 

Making the most of that thick-skin

If you were a geek in high school, you might look back on your younger years as some of the worst of your life - and who can blame you? From being rejected by the opposite sex to verbal taunts - you were probably counting down the days until school was over. A lot of what we go through as kids can help shape who we are as adults, and if you had a particularly tough time then it’s likely you’ve developed a great thick-skin. Being able to rise up against the setbacks and the rejection will make you more determined to succeed in your endeavors, an important quality to have when setting out to achieve your goals.

 

Achieve your career goals

If you want to go far in life, you’re going to need to keep learning new things. You may not be ready to complete a masters degree at 22, but these days it’s never too late or too difficult to start learning again. You could decide to master lean manufacturing at any age if you feel that it’s the next step in your career by completing an online degree. Being able to continue to learn and push yourself to achieve new things will help you to achieve your career goals and put you ahead of the rest.

 

Having interests that make you happy

A lot of being a geek is having interests in things that others might not understand or find bewildering, but embracing these things will make you a much happier person. Whether you love to watch geeky TV shows or have a favorite computer game, having a passion and an interest in something will make your life much more fulfilled.

 

Wanting to better yourself through learning is a fantastic way to help you progress in your career and fulfill your ambitions. Even if you’re not your typical geek, it’s not a bad personality trait to have to help you reach your goals. What do you want to achieve in life? Geek out and go get it.