5 Fandom Friday | Five Real Life Geeks Who Inspire Me

Since this prompt didn't specify that the geeks had to be celebrities or famous, this post gets a little schmoopy in a couple of places.

Five Real Life Geeks Who Inspire Me

5 | Felicia Day

Felicia is not only a geek, she's a geek with smarts, and she's used those smarts to create a well-known Internet "brand." But never (at least as far as I know) has she compromised on her personality and passions to increase popularity or status. She obviously knows what she wants out of life and her career, but she's not willing to give up what makes her her to get it.

4 | Neil deGrasse Tyson

It takes a special kind of person to become a meme, and to do so not for being a douchebag or an idiot. It also takes a special kind of person to make science—particularly astrophysics—interesting to a mainstream audience. Neil has done both. While having an extremely entertaining Twitter feed. WHERE does he find the time?!

3 | Cheri Murray

Cheri's my longest-running geeky inspiration, likely because she's my mom. Even before birth, when my parents decided that they liked Amanda Grayson's* name enough to give it to a child, my mom has followed her passions, even when they might not exactly be "the norm." Mom's never made me feel silly for my nerdy interests; in fact, she's always supported them, even when she might not get it (or agree). If I ever didn't buy a ticket for my mom for the latest superhero movie premiere—even if it's a midnight showing—she'd be peeved!

*Spock's mom. Nerd 4 Lyfe!

2 | Colt Curtis

Finding a partner who not only shares your interests, but also supports you in yours when you don't, is one of the most important pieces of advice I could give to anyone still looking for a significant other. I happen to be very lucky, and found that person at 16. Colt's never been afraid to share his geekiness with the world, be it about his love of Tom Cruise movies or his passion for road cycling. Although we haven't been together for 15 years (we took a "break" during college thanks to distance), and we've changed a lot since high school, Colt—my husband, if that wasn't clear yet—remains my biggest fan. And I, his.

1 | Stephen Hawking

At the age of 21, Stephen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given a life expectancy of 2 years. That was 52 years ago. Although advances in medicine surely played a part in Stephen's longevity, I like to think that much of it is because Stephen just wouldn't give up. I can't imagine what our world would be like without his genius in it. Plus: When he's not coming up with theories that blow everyone's minds, he's taking the time to have fun and poke a little fun at himself with roles on TV shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory and Futurama.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for August.

Nerd News | Galaxy Quest headed to Amazon

By Grabthar's Hammer!*

According to Entertainment Weekly, a Galaxy Quest series is in the works at Amazon.

Not much to go on, yet, but:

Amazon Studios is developing a series based on the beloved 1999 cult sci-fi hit, EW has learned exclusively.

The streaming outlet is partnering with producer Paramount Television on the project. Last April, media outlets reported that Paramount was shopping a Galaxy Quest title to prospective buyers. ...

The show’s development is at an early stage. It’s not clear if members of the film’s cast will be sought for the show, or if the series will be a complete reboot. The film had some major (and tough to get) names among the NSEA Protector crew—including Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen, Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell.

Behind the camera, however, the crew is very much the same. The film’s co-writer Robert Gordon will pen the script and executive produce the pilot. The film’s director Dean Parisot will direct and executive produce. And executive producers Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein are on board as well. (You might say they never gave up, never surrendered).

I love Galaxy Quest, and have long hoped that we'd see the show back on the big screen, but I'd be pretty content with a small-screen/computer-screen version, as long as it's done well.

*No, I am not original, but it had to be said.

Aww, shucks | Premio Dardos and Leibster awards

Earlier this month, I was honored with the Premio Dardos award by Ashlee of Oh Sweet Samsara.

What is a Premio Dardos award?

The Premio Dardos Award exists to acknowledge the values that every blogger shows in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web. Readers also learn what blogs their favorite blogger follows.

The "rules" for this award are simple:

• Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
• Pass the award on to other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated.
• Tell the readers three (fun) things about you.

Thank you, Ashlee!

It's a little hard to believe that Ashlee's only been blogging at Oh Sweet Samsara for three months; her passion and personality make reading her blog feel like visiting with an old friend. From the first time we "met" via the Female Geek Bloggers community, I knew that I'd found a kindred spirit in things geek. And really, there's no better reason for blogging.

And the nominees are ...

My Life as a Teacup—Kristin isn't new to the blogging scene, and we've known each other through our blogs for a while. We've both gone through our ups and downs, but Kristin has always amazed me with her ability to push forward and create content that is both entertaining and educational. Not only does she write for My Life as a Teacup, but also she's the creator of the Novel Tea Book Club, is an editor and writing coach, and she finds the time to teach during the day. It's been a blast seeing her brand grow and expand, and I'm excited to see what she does in the future, because I know it's going to be amazing.

My Open Sketchbook—Kayly is honestly one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know, thanks to the Internet. She always has lovely things to say, be it in posts on My Open Sketchbook, or in comments of other blogs. Kayly's also a seriously talented artist—who has monthly giveaways!—and a fellow nerd. What's not to like?

The Geeky Burrow—I haven't been following Alice online for long, but I quickly fell for her personality and photography skills. She's is a huge Tolkien and Harry Potter fan, among other things, and I love seeing someone get so unashamedly excited about their fandoms. Also, Alice is from Italy, and therefore brings with her a bit of a different perspective in addition to photos that give me major wanderlust.

Three fun facts about me

1. From the time I was 9ish to around age 16, my parents owned a bed and breakfast, which they ran out of our home. So, although I'm an only child, I spent a lot of time with other people around growing up. (And doing laundry and yard work, which is as not fun as it sounds.)
2. My dad's name is Bill Murray. Often, when I refer to him, I refer to him as Bill Murray rather than "my dad" or Dad. He's a hoot, and I get a kick out of telling "Bill Murray" stories. They might not be as famous as the celebrity Bill's are, but they're no less entertaining.
3. I double-majored in college in English and journalism, but somehow avoided reading a lot of the classics. For example, although I've seen and loved multiple adaptations and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I haven't read the original text of Pride and Prejudice. I own it, thanks to my sweet sister-in-law who cringes every time this comes up, but have trouble getting into it. I think it's the style of writing more than anything, because I adore the story itself.

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I was also nominated for a Liebster Award by Shaunna of Girl Speaks Geek back in July. I am embarrassed it's taken me so long to do a proper thank you!

What's a Liebster Award?

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers with relatively small followings by bloggers with relatively small followings to show their love for each other. The award both helps readers get to know the recipient a little better (through the Q&A) and introduces readers to blogs they might never have heard of (through the nominations).

The "rules" for this award seem to vary across the Internet, but since Shaunna nominated me, I'll follow what she did:

• Link back to who nominated you.
• Answer their fun questions.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers that have less than 200 followers.*
• Create 11 questions to ask them.
• Notify your nominees.

*I don't actually know how many followers I have, since I don't really track that—I found it was much better for my sanity if I didn't—and it can be hard to see how many others have, so I might have fudged a little on this part.

My questions from Shaunna

1. Favorite nerd movie(s) of all time? First Contact (Star Trek) and The Avengers.
2. The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones? Neither. (I really tried to get into these books/shows but I just couldn't stay interested.)
3. Anime, yes or no? No, but only because I've never really tried it, and much of the animation style weirds me out.
4. Favorite candy and/or junk food? Swedish Fish ... and pie.
   
5. Shooters or RPGs? RPGs. As a button masher, I'm no good at straight first-person shooters.
   
6. What superhero do you relate to most? Why? TK
7. What's your favorite fandom? Shoot. This is hard. I think, overall, The Avengers/Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom is my favorite, if simply because I find it easier to be a part than others. From my perspective, it's less about "proving" your fandom and more about just having fun with the love.
8. Favorite band? Although I'm a fan of music, and listen to it often, I don't consider it one of my main interests. Currently, though, I've been loving Shawn Mendes' Handwritten.
9. What is the last show you binge watched? And would you recommend it? Nikita, and yes, I would. (Disclaimer: I only got through the first season before I had to pause.)
10. What’s the one food you could eat all the time and never get sick of? The Muscles from Brussels bowl from local Austin restaurant Zen. Or french fries.
    
11. And the million dollar question: Batman or Superman? Why? I like both for different reasons, but don't understand how they fit in the same universe. If I have to choose, though, I 'd choose Superman. #becauseHenryCavill
    

And the nominees are ...

I'm sure many of these fine blogs have been nominated for this award previously, so, bloggers, feel free to go about your business without taking part. I won't be offended!

E. Rad's Cantina | Geeks in Dresses | Lazy Lady | Like Gwen Stacy | Liz Locksley | Nerdy Alerty | Oh Sweet Samsara | Our Nerd Home | Scruffy-Looking Nerd Herder | Sparklegirl | You Fancy Me Mad

My questions for my nominees

1. Who's your favorite celebrity to follow on Instagram?
2. If you could visit any point in time—past or future—where would you go?
3. What book's world would you most like to live in?
4. Where are you from/where did you grow up?
5. Do you prefer coffee or tea?
6. What fashion type or item do you wish would come back in style?
7. What's your favorite color?
8. Unpopular opinion time: What nerdy thing (show, book, fandom, etc.) do you just not understand?
9. What finished book series would you like to see more books from?
10. Dogs or cats or ... ?
11. What movie did you watch the most times in theaters? How many times did you see it?

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Again, many thanks to these lovely ladies for the honor of these nominations. I hope you've had fun getting to know me some more, and I hope you'll enjoy these other blogs as much as I do!

5 Fandom Friday | Five Crossovers That Would Cause My Heart to Explode

The idea of crossovers is a fun one. Having your favorite characters from disparate TV shows/movies/books/etc. who you just know would get along well meeting in real life? What's not to love?

When I first read this topic, I got really excited. And then ... I got stuck. I wasn't quite sure what kind of crossovers I'd really like to see. (SuperWhoAvengeTorchLock is fun to look at in GIF form, but I'm not sure it would really work all that well.) But after thinking on it a while, I came up with these.

Five Crossovers That Would Cause My Heart to Explode

5 | Torchwood and Sherlock

Although seeing Sherlock meet the Doctor would be entertaining, I think it would make a bit more sense for the Torchwood team to have a run-in with the investigative duo of Sherlock and Watson. I can clearly picture Captain Jack Harkness drooling over Sherlock and Ianto commiserating with Mrs. Hudson about all they do for their teams that never gets recognized.

4 | Supernatural and Sleepy Hollow

If only because Orlando Jones—who plays Captain Frank Irving and is a massive Supernatural fan—wants it to happen so badly.

3 | Mass Effect and Dragon Age

This is likely the most ridiculous of the bunch, seeing as Dragon Age and Mass Effect take place in extremely disparate times/realms. But after seeing this image, I knew I needed it. (Yes, it's more of a mash-up than a crossover, but you get the idea.)

2 | The X-Men and Star Trek: The Next Generation

This has actually already happened, in book form. The 1998 novel Planet X tells the story of a meeting between the crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D and the X-Men. It's a pretty ridiculous story, but there is a moment in which someone comments on how much Captain Picard and Professor X look alike, which makes me gleeful to no end.

1 | Supernatural, Doctor Who, The Avengers, Torchwood and Sherlock

I lied! I would love to see SuperWhoAvengeTorchLock happen, "it would never work" be damned.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for August.

Nerd News | Star Wars Land (!) and Rogue One casting

Over the weekend, Disney held their annual D23 Expo, at which they announce/reveal new things in the works for Disney properties. And, since Star Wars is now a Disney property, there was some exciting news revealed at the event.

Star Wars Land is coming to both Disneyland and Disney World

"We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever," Iger said. "These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance."

"You can experience new stories with characters from The Force Awakens, and familiar characters from the Star Wars saga," Iger said. Each park will have two main attractions, one of which is to "take the controls of the Millennium Falcon." (The other was not immediately disclosed.) (via)

Fly the Millennium Falcon? CAN I LINE UP NOW?

The main cast of Star Wars: Rogue One has been revealed

Before this weekend's event, Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) was the only official cast member of the movie, which is part of the anthology series that takes place during the first Star Wars movies' time period.

Joining her are the likes of Diego Luna (Milk), Forest Whitaker (The Butler), Mads Mikkelson (Hannibal), Alan Tudyk (Firefly), and a few other gentlemen who I'm sure are great actors, too.

I love that Felicity Jones—apparently the only female in the crew?—was announced first, before all the dudes. You go, Disney.

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Also of note:

• Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) will direct Star Wars: Episode IX.
• Concept art for Marvel's Doctor Strange was shown during the Expo's Marvel announcements, a recap of which you can find here.

Video Game Boyfriends | Forever Young Adult

In addition to writing for my day job, writing for this blog, and writing for the occasional other site/publication, I also write for Forever Young Adult (FYA), "a site for Young Adult (YA) readers who are a little less Y and a bit more A."

Each week, I write various posts for the site, from reviews of YA books to recaps of TV shows to responses to various pop culture news items.

I recently co-wrote a post for about my favorite video game boyfriends, and, if you're into that sort of thing,* I think you should check it out. (Click the image below to go directly to the post.)

*That sort of thing being talk about hot, CG menfolk and why they're so delightful. If you're not in to that wort of thing ... why not?

5 Fandom Friday | Five Favorite Fandom Phrases

I dig a good quote. And when the quote happens to be from an awesome movie/book/TV show, I dig it even more. What can I say? Pop culture is my jam.

Five Favorite Fandom Phrases

5 | "Always."—Severus Snape, Harry Potter

Snape isn't my favorite character in Harry Potter, and it took a long while to grow to tolerate the guy. But there's something unbelievable beautiful—and terribly heartbreaking—about this line. After reading it, I definitely felt like I understood the character so much more.

4 | "If we burn, you burn with us."—Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games

Katniss is my favorite dystopian badass, and her lines stick with me as some of the most powerful in YA literature. You know, when she says this, that she means BUSINESS. Better watch yo'self, President Snow.

3 | "I'm a high-functioning sociopath."—Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock

If I knew Sherlock in real life, I'd probably want to punch him in the face. I certainly wouldn't want to hang out with him on a regular basis. And yet, I always want more when yet another season of Sherlock comes to an end. There's something so appealing about his particular brand of nutty.

2 | "Make it so."—Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Captain Picard is known for a few different sayings, but this one is iconic, and lasting. It brings to mind his power as the captain, yet it's a bit nicer than his other well-known line, "Engage." It makes me smile every time I hear him say it, even though I've heard it so many times before.

Side note: If you're bored, you should Google "picard pointing." Who knew he did it so often?!

1 | "Spoilers."—River Song, Doctor Who

It took me a while to come to love River Song, and for this line to go from annoying to endearing. But River is now one of my most favorite characters from the series, and I love how this line encompasses so much about her, and her involvement with the Doctor. Plus, it's the most easily adapted to every day life.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for August.

Haiku Revieu | Mission: Impossible–Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible–Rogue Nation
★★★★

Time for a mission
The IMF's in danger
Can you hold my shoes?

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Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

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WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

I think the Mission: Impossible movies are a lot of fun. There's action, there's intrigue, and there's Tom Cruise doing what he does best: being Tom Cruise, Actor. (Tom Cruise, IRL Person, isn't as entertaining, and much more weird, in not a good way.) Mission: Impossible–Rogue Nation fit this mold to a T, and does it well.

The premise of the movie is similar to the previous four—the IMF is on shaky ground for their "unusual" tactics, and they must prove themselves worthy/useful while trying to take down the bad guys. Something I really liked about this movie, however, is how it felt more like a team movie than just "Ethan Hunt and those other guys." Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and—in a much more limited capacity—Ving Rhames all reprise their roles as members of the IMF. Alec Baldwin joins the franchise in this film as the Government Guy Who Just Doesn't Get It^TM, but his character experiences growth over the course of the movie that is both appreciated and actually quite believeable.

Rebecca Ferguson joined the cast as the femme fatale who's motives/allegiance you're never quite certain of. I've never seen her in anything else, but I feel like she has a long career ahead of her. She pulled off the action scenes really well, and can act, too! (Unlike another lady action star I could mention ... but I won't because she'd likely kill me with her pinky finger.) I also appreciate that she's a beautiful woman, but not a waify supermodel. The idea that she could kill someone with her thighs is believable.

Of course, the high point of any Mission: Impossible movie is the crazy stunts, and Rogue Nation doesn't disappoint. I doubt any stunt will ever freak me out as much as the building climb in Ghost Protocol (Mission: Impossible 4), but there's plenty of great stunts and car chases to satisfy.

If you're in the mood for a great action flick with a good dose of humor—thanks, Simon Pegg—I highly recommend that you see this movie.

Check it out:

5 Fandom Friday | Five Favorite Fanfics

Confession time: I both read and write (or have written) fanfiction. When I find something that I just can't get enough of—be it a book or a TV show or a movie—I often delve into that world's fanfic (and videos and art) to keep the obsession love alive.

I read more than I write, in part because I just don't have enough time to sit down and do it, and also because I'm terrible at following through on writing ideas. But I think fanfic can be an awesome creative outlet, and I've stumbled across quite a few fics that are really fantastic, both for their unique plots and their author's grasp of the written word. (As an editor, it can be really hard for me to read some stories. The idea might be awesome, but I just can't deal with terrible grammar and mechanics. I try to overlook some of it, but my good graces only extend so far.)

I'm pretty bad about saving fanfics when I find them, so these might not be my favorites, favorites, but they're fun, regardless.

Five Favorite Fanfics

5 | My Brother's Best Friend, Twilight

Seven years later, living with your older brother no longer held its charms. When she really thought about it, she only had herself to blame,. When she was a teenager, she idolized Emmett. Everyone did. In high school, he was popular, one of the best linemen on the football team, and all the girls wanted to be his girlfriend.

Well, either Emmett or him.

She let out a short breath.

Edward.

She could now think his name without any heightened emotions.

During my Twilight fandom days, I found myself gravitating toward stories in which Emmet was Bella's older brother. This story, a contemporary AU, has this trope plus Edward being his best friend. growing up, I often thought about how awesome it would have been to have an older brother with hot friends. Sadly, as an only child, I had to turn to fantasy to find out what that was like. This story is complete.

4 | Simon Snow: True Love's Kiss, Fangirl

None of this is helpful, Baz told himself sternly. None of it was waking Simon. He had to try something, but he was afraid. Afraid he would make things worse. And there wasn't a lot of leeway for worse here. He put his fingers over Simon's mouth, feeling for breath (it was still there, wasn't it? just faintly? it was, it had to be). He didn't even know exactly which spell he was trying to counteract. Living death, living death ... there were many variations of this, a whole subset that involved apples, though manifestly not this one ... Baz stopped. Oh, Bill Bulter and the Golden Dawn, I am such an idiot. The counter-spell was obvious. He shifter nervously, looking around, though of course no one was there. He looked at Simon's pale face. He has to at least try it.

Baz pulled out his wand and touched Simon's mouth with the tip. Quietly, he said, "True love's kiss." The wand end glowed slightly, and Baz waited, but nothing else happened. Baz closed his eyes. Not unexpected, but still. He leaned over, held his breath a moment, and then kissed Simon softly.

I worked on a post about Fangirl fan "stuff" for FYA last year and found this story in my search. If you've never read Fangirl, you might not know that Simon Snow is a character in a fictional novel in the world of Fangirl that the main character of Fangirl (Cath) writes fanfiction about. (Phew!) This story reminded me of something Cath might write. The story is complete; I'm curious to see if there's any similarities between it and real Simon Snow book coming out this fall.

3 | Let's Go to the Mall, The 100

Clarke Griffin loved her job. Really, she did.

Two months ago when her favorite art supply store in the local mall had posted job offerings for the summer she’d been one of the first to hand in an application. She’d landed the job two days later.

No, Clarke Griffin loved her job. What she didn’t love was the hot (wait, she didn’t really just think that, did she?) asshole who worked in the bookstore right across the aisle.

Because Bellamy Blake was an asshole. A nicely dressed, dark-haired, freckled, sarcastic asshole. And Clarke hated him.

Really.

One of the reasons I love the relationship between the characters of Clarke and Bellamy on The 100 is how it's grown and changed over the course of two seasons. At the start, they despise each other—yay enemistry!—but they slowly learn to trust and rely on each other. By the end of the second season, they are co-leaders and friends. (I want them to be so much more than that, but we shall see ...) This story, a contemporary AU, follows a similar path. It isn't completed yet, but is 10 chapters in.

2 | Hey Bartender, The 100

Bellamy just rolls his eyes and moves over closer to her side of the bar. He is moving like a man who has mapped this course enough times to do it in his sleep until Clarke tries to take a quick turn to the register and collides right into his chest.

Fortunately they had both just put their respective orders down and the mess is minimal, but the force of the hit nearly sends Clarke to the floor. Bellamy instinctively reaches out to grab around her waist and it’s the first time he actually sees the blonde who’s taken over part of his bar.

She’s striking and her blue eyes flash with a passion he’s never seen. Unfortunately that passion seems to be playing itself out as anger in his direction and he’s too annoyed by her mere presence to actually appreciate anything she has to offer.

“Watch where you’re going.” She bites out, pushing past him quickly.

I found the first chapter of this story on Tumblr—the mecca of fandoms—and immediately loved the enemistry within. The story is a contemporary AU in which Clarke and Bellamy are co-bartenders at a bar in a college town, and they do not get along at first. But, of course, that's what makes it so much fun. This story isn't complete yet, but does have 7 chapters with which to whet your whistle. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

1 | The Feel-Good Hit of the Summer, The 100

I'm sent by Rolling Stone to shadow The 100 for two weeks to document a very precise moment in time for their careers. They're about to be pushed over the edge into superstardom, and I’m lucky enough to catch them at the moment when their fingertips are just starting to slip from the precipice.

We meet in neutral territory in a private room at ARK headquarters in LA. They’re spread out around a vegan-leather couch like a NYLON photoshoot. Blake the Elder is sprawled on the sofa, legs spread wide, arms comfortably extended across the back of the couch, studiedly relaxed in a way that suggests he’s anything but. Clarke Griffin is seated next to him with a tight, polite smile, back ram-rod straight. Jasper Jordan is on the floor by their feet, mouth slightly open (I’ve interrupted an intense game of Flappy Bird). Monty Green is perched on an arm rest looking uncomfortable and about twelve years old. Raven Reyes is standing behind them all, arms crossed, looking like she’s got about a thousand more useful things she could be doing with her time and also kind of like she wants to beat me up.

They’re just kids.

This is one of the first The 100 fanfics I stumbled across in my hunt, and it felt like fate. This story is SO GOOD. It falls into the genre of "rock band AU," which really fits the aesthetic of the show. This story is also complete, so no having towait with bated breath on the next chapter. If you only read one off this list—definitely choose this one.

P.S.—Because some of you might be wondering—and because I have no shame:

• I've written/co-written two alternate universe (AU) stories for the Twilight Saga: one a contemporary piece and the other, a noir-ish story set in the 1920s;
• One set in the Harry Potter universe;
• One about Simon Snow from Fangirl;
• And I started an AU contemporary story for The 100, because I just can't get enough Bellarke.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for August.

6 on 6 | August

Recently, I replied to a post on the Female Geek Bloggers Google+ community about a new photo prompt series with a resounding "heck yes, I'm interested."

The inquiry, posted by Emma of The Scruffy-Little Nerd Herder, led to the creation of 6 on 6:

To kick off my new blog, I’m starting up a challenge for fellow bloggers, dedicated to taking 6 themed photos on the 6th of every month. 6 really nice photos. Like your BEST EVER photos – pictures you’ll take pride in.

The aim? To give everyone a little look into your world, your nerdy world. The general theme of the photos is GEEK – things that you geek out about, whether that may be books, music, toys, stationary or comics, your photos need to reflect you and the things you love.

Each month has a different colour associated with it, so the photos need to be themed around that, but that is literally your only guideline. The rest is up to you.

Did you notice the part about giving everyone a look into "your nerdy world"? It's like this project was made for me!

Now, I'm no photographer, so "best ever" photos might be bit of a reach for me, but I will make every attempt to make my photos, at the very least, decent.

And now, without further ado, I present my 6 on 6 for August*:

*Presented without comment ... but if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Nerd News | Deadpool trailer (and trailer trailer)

Disclaimer: The videos below are NSFW for language and violence (natch).

Yesterday, we got a trailer for the Deadpool trailer:

To which I say: All the heart eyes for calling out the studio on the last "attempt" at including Deadpool in a movie*.

Last night, we got the actual trailer:

Watch the non-red band version here.

Which makes me even more gleeful, because of that crack against Green Lantern*. Oh, and the ridiculous action. (I can't help it; I find that sort of over the top graphic violence hilarious. I know, there's something wrong with me ... but I'm OK with it.)

I know so little about Deadpool—other than his penchant for violence and mouthing off—but the promotion for this movie is making so very excited. The marketing team is definitely having fun, and it really seems like everyone involved has worked really hard to get it right this time.

*If you didn't see X-Men Origins: Wolverine ... you really needn't bother.
**You don't really need to see Green Lantern either.

Good to see you, August

The 2015 Man Calendar:

Mr. August: Chris Hemsworth
Mr. July: Benedict Cumberbatch
Mr. June: Chris Evans
Mr. May: Henry Cavill
Mr. April: Michael Fassbender
Mr. March: Jensen Ackles
Mr. February: Tom Hiddleston
Mr. January: Eoin Macken

Download this page of the 2015 Man Calendar for personal use by clicking on the image; it will open in a new window. Right/control click to save it. Then print the page on letter-size cardstock, and trim it to 6"x9".