Archive for October, 2011

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Geek Girl Con: Women Running Geeky Businesses


11 Oct

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Posted in Discrimination, Games, Science, Software, Technology | 2 Comments »

I attended 2 panels at Geek Girl Con.

I was disappointed in Women Running Geeky Businesses- not because of the panelists, who were great, but because it didn’t focus on the challenges of being a woman running a business, running a geeky business, or being a woman running a geeky business. It was mostly about how to run a business. That’s not bad, but also not what I’m looking for in a panel specifically about being a WOMAN running a GEEKY business.

There are gender issues in geek culture. That’s why this con exists. I wanted to hear those addressed.

Geek Girl Con is a Success


10 Oct

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Posted in Games, Science, Software, Technology | Comments Off

Geek Girl Con sold out on both Saturday and Sunday. In fact, I got there late enough on Saturday to check in with my pre-bought ticket that they did not actually have any 2 Day passes left- the girl had to take a guest pass, cross out the “guest” and write 2 Day on it. They were also out of lanyards and the generic con swag bags.

I am thrilled that the con did so well in its first year. There is definite room for improvement, but the first ever Geek Girl Con definitely has to be considered a success.

Nobel Peace Prize


09 Oct

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Posted in Discrimination, International Politics, Politics | Comments Off

“We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society”  Thorbjoern Jagland, Nobel Peace Prize Committee Chairman

 This year, the prize was split between three amazing women- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of Liberia and the first female head of state in Africa, fellow Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and the very first Arab woman to win the prize, Takakkul Karman fromYemen.

 Thanks to the enduring work and commitment of these women, the world is a better place than it used to be.

Interstellar Travel


08 Oct

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Posted in Science, Technology | 1 Comment »

This might be the only time in my life I have wished I lived in Orlando. In fact, I’m not certain I wish I lived in Orlando, I simply wish that I had been in Orlandofor the 100 Year Starship Public Symposium.

We all know I am fascinated by space. NASA is my favorite government agency. The idea of interstellar travel is one I find fascinating. And while I may not have been able to contribute to either the hard science or the science fiction addressed at the conference, I would have loved to been there to experience it.

What I’m Watching: The Sing-Off


07 Oct

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Posted in Music, Television | Comments Off

We miss the first half hour of The Sing-Off because we’re watching How I Met Your Mother, but after that, it’s the definitive choice for filling the time until Castle comes on.

I appreciate the skill it takes to be an a cappella group. There were times last season when it sounded like some of the groups had bands backing them up.

I like the judges on this show more than any judges other than those at The Voice. Ben Folds is terrific. Their critique is constructive and overall positive. How’s that for a concept? Help your singers get better.

MythBusters (ep 172)


06 Oct

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I want a Newton’s Cradle- the one with the 2.5” ball bearings or even the 6” ball bearings. Something that could double as a coffee or dining room table would be fine. However, we weren’t surprised by the largest scale results. Energy may have been directly transferred in to the steel plates, but it doesn’t travel in a straight line, it disperses in three dimensions, meaning the concrete absorbed a lot of it.

For the tipping point of the car, we thought they should have started with tethering and overbalancing the car then pulling it back to the balance point.

Digging Up Fossils


05 Oct

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So we all know that I’m a big fan of paleontology, and that I think amateur paleontological finds are pretty cool. But there is a definite difference between finding a fossil while walking along your local stream, digging in your yard, or even volunteering for a local dig, and going to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and chiseling out a fossil.

You aren’t finding or discovering anything. In fact, you are defacing a national monument. And in thePacific Northwest, that ends in a fine and a year long ban from all national parks.  Don’t do it, folks.

What I’m Watching: The New Girl


04 Oct

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I think Zooey Deschenal is just adorable. (I think the same thing about her sister Emily on Bones.) I really enjoyed the Tin Man on SciFi, and was excited to see her new sitcom.

The pilot has a number of sweet and very funny moments. I loved the douchebag jar, and was sad that it didn’t seem to make an appearance in the second episode.

I’m not really certain what point her best friend, the model, has in the series so far, but hope to see that relationship a bit more, even as Jess’s relationships with her new roommates develop.

What I’m Watching: How I Met Your Mother


03 Oct

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We didn’t start watching How I Met Your Mother when it first started. Don’t ask me why, I love Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris. The first episode I saw was the slutty pumpkin. But we still didn’t watch regularly.

I’m not certain when How I Met Your Mother became can’t miss TV for us, but it has. It seems these last two seasons that it’s starting to wind down. My only request is that we meet the mother BEFORE that last episode. Let the last episode be their wedding, if necessary, but let us get to know the girl.

What I’m Watching: Supernatural


02 Oct

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Geek girl eye candy- that is what this show is- with enough of the real supernatural and urban myths to keep my husband happy. Just like with Michael Weatherly, I fell in love with Jensen Ackles on Dark Angel.

Dean is definitely my favorite character, though in recent seasons, Castiel has been moving up. Misha  Collins definitely adds to the eye candy.

I am a little concerned that they might be trying to do too much this season, with two big bads in the Leviathan and Lucifer. I think the show worked better when the focus was, well, more focused.

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