Spaz Effect 3

For those of you who play Mass Effect 3 on the PC, you know that the spacebar is the “everything key.”  If you want to take an action, 9 out of 10 times you press the spacebar to do it.  Want to pick up something?  Open a door?  Talk to someone?  Run faster?  Jump gaps?  Take cover?  Spacebar!  It’s easy to remember, I guess.  There’s no “What button do I push?”  But…
 
If you want to do random combat rolls, smashing your head into the door you want to open, spacebar is great for that, too!  I’m Commander Herp-Derp, and this is my favorite button on the keyboard!  Mash mash mash.
 
The spacebar is also for failing to get into cover, and failing to get out of cover, most likely causing you to look like a demented gopher on crack popping up and down behind a desk or debris.  And this will inevitably happen to you in multiplayer mode, so that your spaztastic self has an audience just waiting to say something about it.  Speaking of multiplayer, spacebar can make you get into cover or make you tumble around like a moron when you mean to revive a downed teammate.  This time wasted cavorting like a suicidal clown who drank too many fancy Starbucks coffees can expose you to enemy fire, and then your lifeless body flops onto that of the teammate you were trying to help.  Way to go, ace!  (Can you tell I’m speaking from personal experience?  Sigh.)
 
From henceforth, whenever I am playing Mass Effect 3, I hereby rename that big friendly button on the keyboard the SPAZBAR!
 

Oops, my geek is showing!

I can’t say exactly when it started. Maybe when my father introduced me to science fiction/action movies – I have an extremely vivid memory of watching the movie “Red Sonya” on a weekend afternoon. Or maybe it was when my older cousin gave me his Atari and games. Or maybe it was watching Star Trek: The Next Generation as it aired and then on reruns after school, always, for years. Maybe it was all of those things combined.

My development as a young geekling can be attributed to some of the following things:

When it came to books, while my father favored science-fiction stories and my mother liked mysteries, I came to love fantasy. My first memory of finding fantasy something that I felt most comfortable with was in reading a series about a girl who goes to live with dragons, and the dragons live in caves and talk and make tea. Those and The Hobbit are responsible for my obsessive love of dragons. I cannot remember what that YA dragon series was called, or the author, so if anyone knows what I’m talking about, please let me know.

I was a member of the Star Trek club in high school and we went to a convention. DS9 was my favorite series, just in case you’re wondering. TNG has a place in my heart, even though I can barely stand to watch episodes from it now, years later.

I watched all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly as they aired on TV. Buffy basically saw me through high school. I sent a postcard to FOX begging them to keep Firefly. Also, Buffy totally staked Edward and Joss Whedon is my master now. I know way too much trivia about those shows.

The Atari gave way to a Sega Genesis, where I met Sonic and friends. The Genesis gave way to the PC, where I played Civilization, The Dig, the Monkey Island series, and The Longest Journey. My relationship with first-person shooters is pretty hilarious, because I’m not that good at them, but I find them fun – I love me some Left4Dead. And somewhere along the line, I was introduced to roleplaying games. My fate was sealed at that point! My love of Diablo led to Sacred and maybe another roleplaying fantasy game (which just meant that you could customize your character). Fallout was in there somewhere, too. Then I found Dragon Age: Origins from Bioware, which led me to my favorite game series so far: Mass Effect (but let’s not talk about the current ending of ME3).

Speaking of roleplaying, I was a drama kid. I loved acting and the idea of acting, but I was never very good at it. And then I had some friends who did Dungeons and Dragons and Vampire: The Masquerade. Those games led me to more people who developed their own game system and I get so into those stories and creating characters. I think I would be a better actor now that I’ve had all this roleplaying improvisation experience.

And those are only some of the things that qualify me for geekhood. And I completely understand and agree that being a geek is something anyone can claim, but real passion for those things is hard to fake. I’m not faking. If you don’t know me personally, you’ll just have to trust me on that. I just wanted to share some of the things I’ve been passionate about for a decade or more.

Also, not more than an hour ago today, I literally made a nerd-joy “squee” sound when I found out that my current audio book was read by Wil Wheaton. Which brings us back to Star Trek: The Next Generation. The circle is complete

Keyboard conspiracy & character malfunction

When writing, I often feel that a well-established character takes on a life of their own and sometimes they want to do their own thing. My keyboard is often a conspirator. In the middle of working on a scene, I pushed in my keyboard tray to do something. When I looked back up, one of the characters had obviously just had some sort of medical issue (complete with the dash-asterisk-dash I did not add myself)…..

“Truly?”
“Well, he certainly looks-*- hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Uhh…r u ok?

Revenge of the nerds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFhgupR565Q

Behold! The newest geeky song and music video from Felicia Day and The Guild. Love them.

Now we’re the ones who are cool. =)

Why Joss Whedon is my master now:

Besides the classics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly/Serenity, through which Whedon’s wit brought me through high school and college…

He wrote and directed The Avengers, pretty much the most anticipated superhero-fan movie in a long time. (http://insidemovies.ew.com/tag/the-avengers/)

He made a version of my favorite Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing, on his time off, with his friends. (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/10/joss-whedon-much-ado-about-nothing/)

He’s working on a new installment of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/whedon-new-dr-horrible/)

My mom says I’m obsessed and wants to take me to “Doctor Who Anonymous”

smellsliketeenspirit02:

(Source: the-hoper-of-farflung-hopes, via doctorwho)