As a nerd girl I feel like I should make comment on how nerds are portrayed, not just girls but all of us. I really don't dare to cover everything, especially not in one post. I'd like to start with the Big Bang Theory. It seems to be one of the most popular television shows and it's almost curious why. If geeky people are as shunned as we are led to believe, then why is it such a hit? Do we like seeing stereotypes be both reinforced and broken? I think this show definitely does a bit of both. Every nerd that has seen the show seems to like it or not. There is little middle ground. I think it's entertaining. I have some problems with some character choices, but it's overall pretty good. Before I get too far into it, I'd like to say that I'm talking about characters, not the actors. I know they are two totally different things and I want to make sure everyone knows what I'm talking about. The blokes all have their flaws and Penny isn't a prize, but at least they're human. I'm thrilled that all the females are strong in their own right, and that the guys aren't basement dwellers. That's real important and positive considering the stereotypes. Heaven forbid we see attractive nerds or socially capable people. They're not perfect, but they're capable. As a pale, glasses-wearing, socially inept nerd girl I identify with the awkwardness. Like I mentioned above, the girls are all pretty strong and that's impressive especially since I still can't handle a group discussion without prodding.
All the lovely, geeky people have their vices and quirks. I just wish that they would be a bit more varied. I know they have small quibbles, but real nerds have very real differences of opinions. I've had the favourite Doctor argument many a time and the necessary Kirk vs. Picard a few times. These are basics and have barely been touched. Watching nerds fight is hilarious anyway, you'd think they'd include a bit more of it. I love watching people fight about D&D rules, calls, and character actions. Plus it's always fun to pick on the bard. Any one of them could play the bard and it would be hilarious for different reasons. Sheldon would want to stay away from battle, but he could also easily be a cleric or wizard for that; Raj and Howard would seduce NPCs, and Leonard would probably be the best bard ever, but fail because it's a bard. I keep typing bard and I'm starting to think that a whole campaign of bards would be tragic but potentially amusing if the right people were playing. Seriously CBS, quit the Halo and bring on table top gaming. I promise it's funnier and probably more accurate. My personal data is skewed, but I still think it has great potential.
The show tickles me so I can't complain too much. The one thing that really gets under my skin is Leonard handles relationships and sex. It annoys me to no end. He seems like a good guy but it's more than just being a little clueless about love. I know that love and sex don't always go together, but bear with me. Sometimes he equates them, sometimes he doesn't. One episode Penny was drunk and demanded sex and he was like "Score." That's wrong for a few reasons, but let me move on. He then thought that they were back together even though Penny was very clear. I know it's not the most important thing in the world, but it does make me cringe. I'm not here to be preachy. This is just one flaw I really don't care for in anyone.
I'm not sure I have a favourite. I'm pretty sure it's the latest edition, Amy. The guys are all fine, but she's pretty awesome. She can recognize the necessity of social functions but is still the nerdiest girl at the convention. It also kind of helps that she reminds me of someone I'm quite fond of. No, I'm not talking about myself, that would be rude and weird. You'll just have to be on pins and needles.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
I'm no Nurse Joy
As I'm sure you may have gathered I kind of dig Pokemon. I watched the show as a kid, collected the cards, played the games. I had wall stickers and a blanket for my room. I drew the buggers everywhere, too. The 1990s and early 2000s was a good time to be a kid. It must have sucked to be a parent, but it was fantastic to be a kid. Ooze toys were at their peak, Nerf and Super Soakers rarely disappointed, and Pokemon was in full swing. Not to mention the gaming platforms from the decade. I'm still kicking myself for letting go of my systems. I mean, I'm glad I donated them to a family friend with a bunch of kids that adored having them, but I had the Donky Kong 64 bundle with the clear green N64 and the Toys R Us exclusive Pokemon Gameboy Color. You have no idea what I would give just to have those back. Don't even get me started on the games. As soon as I have the money I'm hunting them down and replacing the ones I let go of.
Anyway, Pokemon was aces in my little mind. After a while anyway. The first time I encountered Pokemon was a paper book cover that was distributed in class for our textbooks. I thought the thing was really stupid and didn't want to be associated with it. I folded the book cover picture side down and drew my own damn pictures on the cover. As far as I was concerned Pokemon could take a hike. What on earth could it offer me? Obviously things changed. I played the games more than I could admit. I had a binder of the cards that I lent to some asshole that just never seemed to be able to find it when I asked for it back. In high school it had definitely fallen out of popularity. I never stopped liking the little buggers, I just stopped caring about the merchandise. A mix of nostalgia and reintroduction has gotten me thrilled again.
No, I haven't played Black or White yet, but I have seen it played and I have it on good authority that it will be a birthday gift. I love that one of the things I'm most excited for on my 21st birthday is the latest Pokemon game. It's all very thrilling. For those interested I'm going to choose Tepig as a starter. No this isn't my first choice, nor is it my second. I was going to choose Snivy. The games I've played I've always preferred the grass type. The problem with this is that my boyfriend has done the same thing in his games. Since he's been playing more consistently I guess he has some rights. This wasn't a problem. I could choose Oshawott, I'm not that petty. His sister chose that one. I know that this doesn't really stop me in any real way, but it makes sense to have the different starters. I really don't have anything to complain about. By the time I get the game I'll be able to have all the starters in the first few hours of game play. I still want to complain a little. Just enough to give the impression of "well, that's inconvenient."
As long as I'm on the topic, I feel I have to bring up the blog name. It's a bit misleading. I'm not a wild nerd girl in any sense of the phrase. I'm not wild in the sense that I'm out every night partying, nor am I wild as in a Pokemon that is up for grabs. I like staying home and reading or drawing over a night on the town. Heck by that phrase alone you could tell I haven't been out in a while. I'm also in a very happy relationship so I guess that means I'm caught. I have a problem with this idea because we're very balanced, but it's based on a phrase so the definition has to be a little more narrow than what actually exists. I just really liked the phrase, but I felt I did need to clarify while I was talking about Pokemon. I'm sorry if you are disappointed.
Anyway, Pokemon was aces in my little mind. After a while anyway. The first time I encountered Pokemon was a paper book cover that was distributed in class for our textbooks. I thought the thing was really stupid and didn't want to be associated with it. I folded the book cover picture side down and drew my own damn pictures on the cover. As far as I was concerned Pokemon could take a hike. What on earth could it offer me? Obviously things changed. I played the games more than I could admit. I had a binder of the cards that I lent to some asshole that just never seemed to be able to find it when I asked for it back. In high school it had definitely fallen out of popularity. I never stopped liking the little buggers, I just stopped caring about the merchandise. A mix of nostalgia and reintroduction has gotten me thrilled again.
No, I haven't played Black or White yet, but I have seen it played and I have it on good authority that it will be a birthday gift. I love that one of the things I'm most excited for on my 21st birthday is the latest Pokemon game. It's all very thrilling. For those interested I'm going to choose Tepig as a starter. No this isn't my first choice, nor is it my second. I was going to choose Snivy. The games I've played I've always preferred the grass type. The problem with this is that my boyfriend has done the same thing in his games. Since he's been playing more consistently I guess he has some rights. This wasn't a problem. I could choose Oshawott, I'm not that petty. His sister chose that one. I know that this doesn't really stop me in any real way, but it makes sense to have the different starters. I really don't have anything to complain about. By the time I get the game I'll be able to have all the starters in the first few hours of game play. I still want to complain a little. Just enough to give the impression of "well, that's inconvenient."
As long as I'm on the topic, I feel I have to bring up the blog name. It's a bit misleading. I'm not a wild nerd girl in any sense of the phrase. I'm not wild in the sense that I'm out every night partying, nor am I wild as in a Pokemon that is up for grabs. I like staying home and reading or drawing over a night on the town. Heck by that phrase alone you could tell I haven't been out in a while. I'm also in a very happy relationship so I guess that means I'm caught. I have a problem with this idea because we're very balanced, but it's based on a phrase so the definition has to be a little more narrow than what actually exists. I just really liked the phrase, but I felt I did need to clarify while I was talking about Pokemon. I'm sorry if you are disappointed.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Science!
I know there is more to nerdery than video games. Originally it seemed knowledge and passion in math, science, and computers were the key identifiers of a nerd or geek. I like to think that I dabble in these things quite a bit. I've tried to solder together some wires to fix headphones and read scientific books for leisure. I find it all very interesting. Science is always fun and math comes easy. I was finished with my science credits within the first semester and I've almost used up my electives on science courses. I think the significant part about that is that I'm an artist. I've considered dropping out of art school to become a scientist so many times I'm surprised I haven't done it yet.
When I was little I begged for a chemistry set. That's all I wanted for a few months. I did end up getting one for some event or another. I still have it, mostly intact. I refused to waste the precious substances that came with it. I did, however, run around everywhere with the goggles on. If I remember correctly, it came with a microscope, too. Oh how I loved that thing. I loved making my own slides. The gunk from under my fingernails was ever so fascinating. I'm pretty sure something like 10 slides were just fingernail gunk.
These days I'd sooner take something apart and figure things out than pitch it. I experiment with whatever I can. It's usually flavour combinations in cooking, but cooking is definitely a science on its own. One of my favourite places to shop is the American Science and Surplus store right by me. I could spend hours there just fiddling and admiring the oddities. I keep promising myself that I'm going to buy the paperweight that has several small animal hearts in it. I just don't need any more oddities. My collection of things is pretty bizarre as it is. I always welcome absurd things into my life, I just like them to be inexpensive. I rather like having coconut halves and green knit bow ties instead of a rare shrunken head plated in bronze.
My love of science certainly influences my taste in media. I get a kick out of scientific songs, The Galaxy Song by Monty Python comes to mind immediately. I know that one by heart. Science-fiction ranks very high with me. I absolutely love Doctor Who, and not just the new seasons either. This is just a teaser sentence because there will undoubtedly be a whole post dedicated to Doctor Who in the near future. I love reading the old school paperback adventure books from the 1960s and 70s. They are as amazing as those B horror movies. I am a huge sucker for those as well. All these amazing things are based in the amazing world of science. I imagine I'll eventually be a scientist, even if it's only one of those mad fellows with the amazing hair.
When I was little I begged for a chemistry set. That's all I wanted for a few months. I did end up getting one for some event or another. I still have it, mostly intact. I refused to waste the precious substances that came with it. I did, however, run around everywhere with the goggles on. If I remember correctly, it came with a microscope, too. Oh how I loved that thing. I loved making my own slides. The gunk from under my fingernails was ever so fascinating. I'm pretty sure something like 10 slides were just fingernail gunk.
These days I'd sooner take something apart and figure things out than pitch it. I experiment with whatever I can. It's usually flavour combinations in cooking, but cooking is definitely a science on its own. One of my favourite places to shop is the American Science and Surplus store right by me. I could spend hours there just fiddling and admiring the oddities. I keep promising myself that I'm going to buy the paperweight that has several small animal hearts in it. I just don't need any more oddities. My collection of things is pretty bizarre as it is. I always welcome absurd things into my life, I just like them to be inexpensive. I rather like having coconut halves and green knit bow ties instead of a rare shrunken head plated in bronze.
My love of science certainly influences my taste in media. I get a kick out of scientific songs, The Galaxy Song by Monty Python comes to mind immediately. I know that one by heart. Science-fiction ranks very high with me. I absolutely love Doctor Who, and not just the new seasons either. This is just a teaser sentence because there will undoubtedly be a whole post dedicated to Doctor Who in the near future. I love reading the old school paperback adventure books from the 1960s and 70s. They are as amazing as those B horror movies. I am a huge sucker for those as well. All these amazing things are based in the amazing world of science. I imagine I'll eventually be a scientist, even if it's only one of those mad fellows with the amazing hair.
Monday, March 28, 2011
In the beginning...
The whole reason I wanted to have this blog was to be more of a gaming journal. I've been around video games for about ten years, if not a little longer. I know this is hardly impressive but bear with me. I'm the eldest and my only other sibling is my younger brother. The 1990s wasn't exactly the best decade for breeding young girl gamers. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to be the red ranger just like my male counterparts and Biker Mice from Mars holds a special place in my heart. Video games just weren't marketed to me effectively until the N64.
The system that set the wheels in motion is my PS3. It's a hand-me-down from my younger brother. Does that make it a hand-me-up? I hope not because that sounds too dirty to be associated with my brother. I'd much rather stay away from that. Anyway, I don't use it much because between college crap and my art there really isn't much time to play. I'm hoping putting this out there will force me to play more. It's hard to blog without content.
Before I get started on gaming I feel like I should tell you about my set up, or lack thereof. I've had the same television since I was 6 and have no intentions on changing that in the near future. I have the oldest television out of everyone I know, and that includes my grandmother. She's way more hip than me. As a result, my picture quality resembles what the world looks like without my glasses on. Everything is fuzzy around the corners and isn't horrible, but most other people's gaming suffers because of the crap picture quality. I like to think of it as home field advantage. My one controller has thumb sticks that live up to their name and frequently need to be readjusted or else the character will run to the right for all eternity, or a wall, whichever comes first.
Okay, so this is going to be a bit retroactive to start. I really would like to go through everything in the second wave of my gaming experience. There isn't as much as one would expect, but there you have it. The first game I really played on my new toy was Resident Evil 5. I'm not proud of that, nor really ashamed. There are much better titles I could have started off with, but I needed something to play that my brother wouldn't mind missing for a while. I also needed something that my boyfriend had so that we could play online together. When everything worked, it was fabulous. I usually pick up on controls pretty quick and am a fast learner. I still had horrible problems. While playing online the connection was constantly going out. We'd get a few minutes into the game and we'd be kicked. It wasn't those instances that were horrible. It was being kicked after an hour of game play and having to start over right as we were almost finished with the level. I'm pretty sure that only two or three stages were completed in 8 hours. I always felt silly with the Bluetooth headset in my ear. It made me feel like a businesswoman that was trying to relax but just couldn't manage to stop caring about her job. It's also a little strange to have a little voice inside your head that sounds like your significant other and is cursing about a majini that just won't go down. Also, because our connection had a shorter attention span than a gnat or 1 year old child we would often be cut off in the middle of a sentence. Actually, the last thing I usually heard or said was "shit."
When I wasn't playing online, Sheva was pretty useless. The bit with the tanker was impossible for me even though I knew to shoot the barrels. I also never got the stupid trophy for prying that gaudy piece of parasitic jewelry off of Jill's chest. I did it, but my system hates me. Once in a while I'd recruit my brother to play with me so I didn't end up with a controller shaped hole in the wall. It's actually pretty boring playing by yourself, too. It's great if you don't mind, but I like other people around me even if I think they are judging me.
I did end up finishing the game, but I've yet to go back and do anything with it. That was a year and a half ago. The second game, and main reason for wanting the machine, was The Beatles Rock Band. That's a whole other ball of wax though. I kicked the tar out of that game, that and Borderlands. Those will have to wait for another day.
The system that set the wheels in motion is my PS3. It's a hand-me-down from my younger brother. Does that make it a hand-me-up? I hope not because that sounds too dirty to be associated with my brother. I'd much rather stay away from that. Anyway, I don't use it much because between college crap and my art there really isn't much time to play. I'm hoping putting this out there will force me to play more. It's hard to blog without content.
Before I get started on gaming I feel like I should tell you about my set up, or lack thereof. I've had the same television since I was 6 and have no intentions on changing that in the near future. I have the oldest television out of everyone I know, and that includes my grandmother. She's way more hip than me. As a result, my picture quality resembles what the world looks like without my glasses on. Everything is fuzzy around the corners and isn't horrible, but most other people's gaming suffers because of the crap picture quality. I like to think of it as home field advantage. My one controller has thumb sticks that live up to their name and frequently need to be readjusted or else the character will run to the right for all eternity, or a wall, whichever comes first.
Okay, so this is going to be a bit retroactive to start. I really would like to go through everything in the second wave of my gaming experience. There isn't as much as one would expect, but there you have it. The first game I really played on my new toy was Resident Evil 5. I'm not proud of that, nor really ashamed. There are much better titles I could have started off with, but I needed something to play that my brother wouldn't mind missing for a while. I also needed something that my boyfriend had so that we could play online together. When everything worked, it was fabulous. I usually pick up on controls pretty quick and am a fast learner. I still had horrible problems. While playing online the connection was constantly going out. We'd get a few minutes into the game and we'd be kicked. It wasn't those instances that were horrible. It was being kicked after an hour of game play and having to start over right as we were almost finished with the level. I'm pretty sure that only two or three stages were completed in 8 hours. I always felt silly with the Bluetooth headset in my ear. It made me feel like a businesswoman that was trying to relax but just couldn't manage to stop caring about her job. It's also a little strange to have a little voice inside your head that sounds like your significant other and is cursing about a majini that just won't go down. Also, because our connection had a shorter attention span than a gnat or 1 year old child we would often be cut off in the middle of a sentence. Actually, the last thing I usually heard or said was "shit."
When I wasn't playing online, Sheva was pretty useless. The bit with the tanker was impossible for me even though I knew to shoot the barrels. I also never got the stupid trophy for prying that gaudy piece of parasitic jewelry off of Jill's chest. I did it, but my system hates me. Once in a while I'd recruit my brother to play with me so I didn't end up with a controller shaped hole in the wall. It's actually pretty boring playing by yourself, too. It's great if you don't mind, but I like other people around me even if I think they are judging me.
I did end up finishing the game, but I've yet to go back and do anything with it. That was a year and a half ago. The second game, and main reason for wanting the machine, was The Beatles Rock Band. That's a whole other ball of wax though. I kicked the tar out of that game, that and Borderlands. Those will have to wait for another day.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Hello There
I must say that this is a new venture for me. I'm hardly one to talk about themselves, yet I couldn't get this stupid idea out of my head. I needed a place to share all of my nerdy undertakings and experiences, and frankly more nerd girls need to be vocal. I'm not new to this lifestyle. It's kind of difficult to grow up any other way when I was watching Star Trek: The Next Generation before I could walk unassisted. I actually have a bit of an internal conflict about that, but I'm sure that will be a post some time in the future. Hopefully this blog will have stories like that once in a while, the sure to be perilous tales of my attempts toward being a more well-rounded gamer, sketching out and co-writing a D&D campaign, nerdy knitting, and whatever else may crop up. So, as Mario says, here we go.
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