Jon, Serv, Shag, Rox, and Ed hide in a closet together and chat.  The discussion this time around centered on tech, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (or the eventual demise of Universal Studios), and trademarks.  The coda covers the wonders of Serv’s spam folder (and Rox’s lovers).

Let us know what YOU think by leaving comments, emailing, or even calling the comment line/Skype.

Email the geeks at: thegeeks[ at ]theuniquegeek.com

Comment Line: 813-321-0TUG (813-321-0884)

Skype: theuniquegeek

Subscribe via iTunes OR via Some Sort Of Other Feed Thingie

The cast members in this  issue can also be found here:

Jon - Twitter

Shag - OnceUponAGeek.com – Twitter

Ed – ECTech.info – Twitter

Rox - Spazhouse – Twitter

We talk a lot on the podcast about the listServ, and I encourage you to head over there and join the discussion, but what I thought I would try to do each week is hit some of the highlights from the last week on discussion group. So here is my first attempt at doing just that….

We started the week off with Ron pointing out the the ‘official’ trailer is up on YouTube

James and Ed countered by trying to claim they never liked the A-Team… This only proves that Kid Ed was the same grumpy old man as he is today.  That, or that he had a problem that the A-Team could solve but he couldn’t find them. (James, you get a pass… this time)

Cary (who was very busy on the board this week) brought this nugget to our attention:

Shag replied that  he was worried about what our kids will say about us.. Don’t worry Shag, it can’t be anything worse than what you were called in High School.

Cary also brought us this great link from Neatorama in which we learn what The Big Lebowski would have been like if The Bard had penned it.

Ed posted this little nugget which started the obligatory “I Heart (Heart) Dr. Who / Dr. Who Sucks!’  (full disclosure: I am on the hate side) back and forth between Serv and Shag.

Cary (told you he was busy) started a lawyer hate-fest with a post about this article – eventually the ThUG unofficial in-house lawyer, Ron, was called in to set everyone straight.

Ron also posted his thoughts on Kim Kardashian being sued for tweeting that the cookie diet is unhealthy in this post. For the record: the Cookie Monster disagrees – he has eaten nothing but cookies and hasn’t gained a pound in years.

Cary also did a lot of pontificating on Google and the Nexus One, which was all interesting, but I want to close this post out with a trailer that Serv brought to the table – it is full of awesome.

Be sure to head over to the discussion group for more Geek Goodness.

Until next week…

]]> http://www.theuniquegeek.com/thats-what-we-are-talking-about-1172009/feed 0 http://www.theuniquegeek.com/dc09-photos-are-up http://www.theuniquegeek.com/dc09-photos-are-up#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:40:09 +0000 Jon http://www.theuniquegeek.com/?p=519

Hey gang!

As you may have heard, several of The Unique Geeks were in Atlanta this past weekend for Dragon Con. Well, original Unique Geek and (apparently) official photographer, Shag (Once Upon A Geek) has posted some 600+ photos up in our gallery.

Just click on that photo gallery tab above (or if you are too lazy click here) and enjoy the goodness that was D*C 2009.

Dragon Con Survival Tips by Rox of Spazhouse

Log Entry 007: Restaurants

There are plenty of places to sit down for a good meal around the Peachtree Center area.  I have compiled a short list of popular restaurants in the area. This is not all inclusive and, for some, you may have to venture a bit of a ways.

Note: If you have experiences with any of these restaurants (or have a favorite spot that isn’t listed) and wish to share, please leave a comment.

Helpful Tip: For iPhone and iTouch users download the Urban Spoon or Eat A Rama Applications. The Wifi will get your location and help you find restaurants around you.

Benihana
229 Peachtree St. N.E. • 404-522-9629 • Moderate

Avanzare
265 Peachtree Street NE
Lower level of the Hyatt.  The lamb is excellent

Trader Vic’s
255 Courtland St. N.E. • 404-221-6339 • Expensive (Make reservations)
(Lower level of the Hilton Hotel. Need to take the Special Elevator to reach the restaurant)

Sun Dial Restaurant
210 Peachtree St. N.W. •  404-589-7506 • Expensive

Sear
265 Peachtree Center Avenue • 404-586-6134 • Expensive
(Upper Level of the Marriott Marquis)

Max Lager’s American Grill & Brewery
320 Peachtree Street • 404-525-4400

Nikolai’s Roof
255 Courtland St. N.E. • 404-221-6362 • Expensive
(In the Hilton Hotel and Towers)

Moe’s Southwest Grill
70 Peachtree St. NE • Inexpensive

Pittypat’s Porch
25 International Blvd.

Ted’s Montana Grill
133 Luckie St. NW

Atlanta Grill
181 Peachtree St • 404 659-0400

Morton’s of Chicago
303 Peachtree Center Ave  • 404 577-4366 • Expensive
(Call the restaurant to make reservations)

Gladys Knight & Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles
529 Peachtree St. NE (Closer to Midtown) • 404.874.9393 • Moderate

Dania’s
26 Peachtree Road • 404-588-0069 • Inexpensive
(Across from Woodruff Park)

Django
495 Peachtree Street • 404-347-8648 • Moderate

Ginger Bay Cafe
182 Courtland Street • 404-521-0061 • Moderate
(Caribbean Food – Near the Sheraton)

Olympia Prime
133 Peachtree St. N.E. (Located near the Georgia-Pacific Center) • 404-593-2588 • Expensive

Paschal’s Restaurant
180-B Northside Drive • 404-525-2023 • Moderate

Haveli Indian Cuisine
225 Spring St NW • 522-4545 • Mainly Buffet • Moderate

Atlanta Downtown Hooters
209 Peachtree St NE • (404) 522-9464 • (404) 688-5369
(You know what you get here)

Dragon Con Survival Tips by Rox of Spazhouse

Survival Tip 006: Getting Around

MARTA (itsmarta.com)

Marta gets you to the places you need to go. I like MARTA. MARTA welcomes cyclists on the train and buses have BOB or Bike on Board racks on the outside of the buses. If you are flying in from the Airport, it is easy to find the MARTA station. It is up a set of escalators on the outside of the terminal.

You can take either North Springs train or Dunwoody train. Both cruise into Peachtree Station. Once you you head into the Five Points Station, Peachtree is your next stop.

Train Frequency

Weekday Peak Service (6:00AM – 9:30AM / 3:00PM – 7:30PM): Every 10 minutes

Weekday Off-Peak Service: Every 15 minutes

Saturday All Day: Every 20 minutes

Sunday All Day ( and Holidays [Monday]): Every 20 minutes

From Five Points Station the trip to the airport is about 16 minutes.

A single fare is $1.75

Visitor multi-Day pass runs (1-4 Days) $8.00 – $12.00

This is an unlimited ride pass and can be purchased at the Airport Station.

On returning to the Airport the MARTA station deposits you right into a Delta terminal. You can check in easily there.

NOTE: For those attendees who are in hotels in out lying areas the last trains heading to the North East Station is at 1 a.m. from the Airport. Last train from Peachtree is 1:19. You may need to make arrangements if you plan on staying at some of the very late programming.

Buses

At many of the stations you can catch different buses to different parts of the city, such as at the North Avenue Station you can catch the Route 2 Ponce DeLeon bus to venture to Little Five Points, the cool, hip place with the shops and restaurants. If you do this you need to get off at Moreland Ave. and either walk down to Little Five Points a few minute walk or catch the Route 6 – Emory

Many of the schedules you can find online and can download handy pdfs.

Buses seem to run every 45 minutes on Saturday.

Dragon Con Survival Tips by Rox of Spazhouse

Log Entry 005: The Art Show

One should always venture to the art show to see what artistic people are creating. Every year a set of guys create a large scale scene diorama. Last year was reminiscent of Dead Wood. The year before was a castle under siege.  Pegboard panels form booths that some artist share with fellow artists. Others have a full bay to themselves.

You should set aside a fair amount of time to go through the show as there are as many varying types of artists (including some professional artist you may already know) as there are time streams in the DC Universe.

The Art Show is a juried show, meaning that people who participate must have had their work judged by a panel of professional artists. So please, keep that in mind when you see a neat image you might like. Most of the time artist in the show would have a print in the digital print shop area. Most artist will have business cards on hand in the event you wish to contact them or would like to see more of their work.

Buying at the Show

So you found something you would like to buy? There are a few ways of going about that.

Below most pieces there will be bidding sheets.  The artist will first list a direct sell price. This is the price you pay if you want to walk out with the piece on demand. Under that line there are lines for bidding where you can place a bid. Once someone has started to bid, the direct sale price is no longer available.

If you see ‘NFS’ in the direct sale price, then the piece is Not For Sale.

If you decide to place a bid keep in mind that, if you place the winning bid, you not be able to pick up your piece until Monday afternoon.

If you do not want to wait until Monday many of the artist will have prints available in the Print Shop of the show. Here you can purchase your items immediately and take them with you.  There is no bidding in the Print Shop.

NOTE: No photography is allowed, this even means cell phone cameras. Please do not take an image from someone who has spent time and effort to create a piece of artwork. Also, for security reasons you may be asked to leave your bag at the show entrance.

Dragon Con Survival Tips by Rox of Spazhouse

Log Entry 003: Stuff You Should Carry With You

I am guessing you will be toting a backpack of some sort with you. Everyone does, it is all the rage. Here are some handy items you might want to think of taking with you.

• A Sharpie, a Pen and Pencil. You never know when you might need any of these. Most guests have these with them. Sometimes on the off chance or circumstance a guest may not have one. Here is your chance to shine. It is also handy to use in obtaining  info and notes from your friends or new friends. NOTE: I use an iTouch as a PDA. I have found that sometimes when you enter new contact information on the iTouch it does not always back up to your computer. I still go the old fashion route and use paper.
• A Small 3 x 5 Spiral Notebook. See above note. A plus to have when a guest might mention a story on a panel that you know you might forget later on. Something to write on comes in handy for all sorts of reasons. I had one with me at the Forrest Ackerman panel and I was able to spend time jotting down some of the stories of the people he had met over the years. He had so many nifty stories I knew I could not remember all of them. This was before I bought an iTalk and not everyone has a recording device.
• Aspirin (or Other Pain Reliever). Nothing ruins a day as much as having an overload headache. So much is going on, you are not hydrating enough, (See survival guide number 002) you may not have eaten (see survival entry number 001) or there is too much noise and sensory overload that your head is rebelling. Having pain relief medicine at the ready is very handy.
• Small Amount of Snacks. Granola, a candy bar, licorice (for me anyway), small packet of cookies, or portable fruit (apples mainly, bananas have the tendency to mush up in a back pack) would prove handy if you do get the hunger pangs in the middle of the day. There are quick/fast food joints all around, but when the line is 30 deep, “fast” they is not.  Having a small amount of snack food should tied you over until you can get some “real” food.
• An Audio Recording Device. I bought an iTalk for my iPod some time back and have able to record some panels that I attended. The iTalk makes a good enough recording for you to pass on the mp3 to a friend who could not attend the panel. NOTE: iTouch recordings are not great quality for podcasting. But my sister enjoyed some of the recordings as she was not able to go to Dragon Con last year.
• Camera (a given). Make sure you have your batteries juiced up. Nothing like getting the battery exhausted message before you can snag a photo of the Princess Leia group. A good rule of thumb is to have a juiced up backup battery on hand. [Ed. Note: You might also want to consider packing a mono-pod - they collapse to fit nicely into a backpack and will help stabilize your shots - you can get them cheap at WalMart for $10-20]
• Phone. The handy device to find your friends. IMPORTANT: Please turn your phone off if you are in a panel room. I have seen Harlan Ellison give the total stink eye to rude people who take calls and talk loud while Harlan was reading. DO NOT BE THAT GUY! [Ed. Note: I suspect a good majority of folks will have AT&T due to the iPhone. Unless AT&T rolls in a tower truck don't expect the best reception... not that you ever do - your on AT&T after all]
• iPod (With Good Sound Cancellation Earbuds) or Ear Plugs. I suffer from tinitus and I actually invested in very high end noise canceling earbuds. Some of the heavy traffic areas in the hotels can be deafening and cause fatigue. The Band Concourse at the Hyatt and the Marriott bar area have heavy sound reverberation. By just wearing the ear buds or small plugs you can knock down the decibel levels. You can still hear people, it  just cancels some of the ambient noise. NOTE: Remember to take them out when outside. Crossing some of the streets in Atlanta can be sketchy.
• A Portable Gaming Device. Lines might be long this year to get into some of the rooms. You might be waiting for some time. If you have a multiple function device such as an iTouch/iPhone or Blackberry or Palm device. Load it it up with entertainment of some form. E-books, video, games what have you. This would help if you do not want to talk to the person next to you. A DS or PSP would be good, but remember to bring a game or games that would entertain you.
• Nail Clippers. Hang nails spring out  when you don’t want them to mainly when you are not at home. Once they spring out and they catch on something that is it. Your day is spent trying to get rid of it because now it catches on everything. I had to venture over to the gaming area once because I had one and I knew the guys who play miniatures would always have an Exacto knife on hand. I did not really need to spend 15 -20 minutes to go over to the gaming area hunting down a sharp blade.
• Mints or Breath Spray. No real explanation there.
• Throat Spray or Cough Drops. There might be a time when you are hit with a dry throat or a coughing fit in the middle of a panel and you can’t get to the water jug because you are in the middle of a very long row and you forgot your water bottle. Throat spray or cough drops should help stop some of the coughing until you get to some water.
• Eye Drops (If You Suffer From Dry Eyes). The hotels are cycling cool air, also the lighting is usually dim and you might experience eye fatigue.
• Ladies: Always have some of your feminine products on hand. I am just saying. If the need arises you can always help someone else out who may not have packed their own.
• Business cards. These can be from your work or you have your own made. I have always made sure to have some handy to pass out, not to people in general but to new friends or Track Directors or whoever. Because of tight scheduling it is easier to pass out a card instead of standing in a busy hallway trying to get someone’s information. The con is, sometime away, you can make up a simple contact information business card using an Avery business card template. Nothing fancy just the contact information you are COMFORTABLE in giving out to people.
• Pocket Spy Glass and Sonic Screw Driver. Well, they are always in my back pack anyway.

Dragon Con Survival Tips by Rox of Spazhouse

Log Entry 002: HYDRATION

Other than getting food into you. Staying hydrated is another fact you must consider.

First, get yourself a good size water bottle. A water bottle is handy especially if the hotel staff is running behind in replenishing the water jugs.

Chill the water and wrap a wash cloth around the bottle and place in your back pack. (Don’t forget the return the wash cloth to your hotel when you leave). This helps keep the water cold and the condensation from seeping on to your first edition “I Am Spock” by Leonard Nemoy.

The cool washcloth is refreshing to use on your face and hands when having to wait in one of the long out the door Star Trek lines on a hot afternoon.

You can use the washcloth to wipe off some of the sweat and grime you will pick up. You will hunt me down and thank me for this one.

Replenish your water bottle in the panel rooms often. You will be surprised how much water you will be downing through the course of four days.

SIDE NOTE:  Adding a power aide to your water intake is not a bad idea.

We here at The Unique Geek are always on the lookout for the next cool television show and we have a list we work from to determine whether or not it reaches the coolness that is “Unique Geek” (who are we kidding? We are not cool). So when someone emails us (thegeeks[at]theuniquegeek[dot]com) and says they have the next cool thing – they better deliver.

We first heard of Animal Planet’s (you read that right) “Dark Days In Monkey City” from an email sent to the group from Animal Planet corporate.  Normally we (actually just Simon) don’t like getting unsolicited emails for production companies (my argument is how else are we going to find out about this stuff otherwise… but I digress.)  So I was very surprised when Simon didn’t immediately unleash a tirade on the ills of spamming websites.  The lack of response piqued my interest so I had to click on the link to check out this latest offering from Animal Planet (again, you read that right).  What I found was an amazing piece of film making and storytelling.

Dark Days in Monkey City is the story of the deserted city of Polonnaruwa (also known as Monkey City) in Sri Lanka, where large populations of toque macaques live and rule the streets…

So why should you, dear TUG reader, care about this series? That is where it gets interesting…

Animal Planet decided to get away from the “traditional” documentary style visuals and went in a “new” direction. Their goal was to use visual elements so as to invoke a graphic novel-like feeling. The sort of visual effects that Sin City, 300, and The Spirit used. The end result is amazing. It adds a visual element that takes a great story (more on that in a second) and elevates it. The visuals do what they are supposed to – it sets the mood and draws you in to the story without being a distraction.

But, what makes DDIMC stand out for me is not so much the animation. It isn’t the fact it has monkeys in it (which, let’s face it, makes anything better.) It is the story and HOW it is being told. The humanization of the toque macaques is the best part of this series. We see the basest of human nature in the Temple Clan. It tells a story that is Macbeth-ian in scope and tone. It is a tale of deception, violence, triumph, heroism, and love. In short, it has all of the elements that we geeks look for in a great comic or movie.

To write and create the story they brought in Man Of Action studios. MOA is known to the kiddies as the guys behind Ben 10 (my son’s current favorite). They are also the folks behind some great comics including:  Godland, GI Joe Americas Elite, American Virgin, Blue Beetle, Supergirl, and  Metal Men. Some of these titles are Unique Geek favorites. These guys know how to tell a story.

Plus folks, there is a cherry on top of this fine program – it is narrated by the great John Rhys-Davies (if you don’t know who he is – turn in your geek-cred card now.)

So back to that list we use to determine a shows goodness…

1. Great Story – Check!
2. Cool Visuals – Check!
3. Action/Violence/Shakespearian Sensibilities – Check! Check! Check!
4. Crazy Monkeys – OH YEAH!

Check out new episodes on Animal Planet (and Animal Planet HD) Tuesdays at 10PM.

Check out the Animal Planet website for rerun times (this is basic cable after all – there WILL be reruns).

I was lifted high this morning as if by the fist of some airy djinn, some cheek-cracking wind cartoon face blowing me up, up, ever upward, excelsior, heavenward.  Dizzy, grinning, rampant as I freefell to the news they are making a sequel to my favorite ever movie, and it looks just as bad as the original.  Same director, cheesy-ass cast, just ideally horribly perfect.  The Sword and the Sorcerer, you are no longer alone.  Your sequel lives at last.

I must have watched that shit a thousand times, acted out the parts, ghost-fought the enemies, spoke aloud the hero’s lines, swung across ravines with the princess, laughed, punched the air, fired off the blades of his tri-bladed Sly Sword.  He has a sword with THREE blades, and two of them can be FIRED off to SHOOT at people, and the blade in the middle kicks ass, and if that is not enough (and it isn’t), the hilt detaches to reveal itself as a DAGGER!  It is the greatest movie weapon of all time.  It would chop Krull’s glaive in fucking half.

The movie just made me sigh with adolescent heart sadness, just collapse with the love of it, just sink into my mattress for want of it, aching for it, needing it.  If it were alive, I would have called it on the phone and twisted the cord around my arm and chewed gum while we gossiped for hours.  I fucking loved it, love it.  It is beautiful, the purest thing I know.

I read the novelization, which, if you can find it, you will discover is the filthiest, most lurid filth and lure put to text.  Crazy scenes of dudes crucified and thrown onto a dinner table so a banquet can be placed around their writhing body, their “organ” subject to mockery and pluckery.  Insane shit to make housewives explode, like beyond the dreams of any werewolf or vampire fuckbook.  Snakes, snake people, and an education in debauchery.  Witches, witch people and bleeding statues.  And that sword.

“Do you remember how flushed we were as youths, my love, watching the ducks and the horses make love?”

Oh, and the hero rips himself off of the cross and fucking spikes a guy with the nail in his hand.  Turned on yet?  Hottest, most violently awesome work of fucking literature and film ever ever repeat the word ever forever.

At the end of the credits, during the crawl, it reads, “Talon will return in ‘Tales of the Ancient Empire‘” and those words, that hope, that idea that there would be more, more Talon, more blades, more princess more snake witches, more organ plucking, more horses, and larger statues bleeding even greater quantities of blood, more and rougher beards, just sent me to heights of boystasy.  I made my He-Man figures act it out.

It never came.  This was 1982, and I would read Starlog magazine looking for news of the sequel, I would ask at the bookstore, I would look in the movie “bible” at the video store.  There was no internet to tease with rumors, there was…nothing, just me taping Christmas wrap tubes together, tubes my jird would kill for now, and throwing them like sword blades at Man at Arms and Battle Cat.  Anyway, forgot about it…

Until this morning when I saw it is not only being made, but is almost done and comes out this fucking June.  I want to sleep until June.  It looks like they are doing it totally right.  Like, it’s the same refugee from Euro-cinema director (his most famous film is probably Cyborg, one of the Jean Claude Van Damme films that came out after he was over), so perfect.  The dude who played Talon is back playing himself as an old man, and it has Kevin fucking Sorbo and Christopher motherfucking Lambert.  It could not be more ideal.  OMG OMG OMG! I can not fucking wait.  It will be total Cosmic Boy meltdown in line at that theater.  Hurry, hurry, blessed June.  I wish I could make a fucking cocoon and just emerge with popcorn on that saintkissed day.

Look how awesomely shitty it looks, LOOK!!

Oh!  The chick who played Witchblade in that shitty Witchblade tv show is in it too!  EPIC!!  Fresh cheese thrown in with the aged cheese!  Trash culture from past and present unite in one glorious volcano!

I want to die with happiness.  This is my Phantom Menace.  It’s like Charles Dickens came back from the grave to finish Edwin Drood.  It is the most significant cultural achievement of my lifetime.  I am committing joyicide all morning.  Flying like a blade fired from heaven’s sly sword.  Love love love.  Hearts!

Today from the science desk we learn that your odor is as unique as your fingerprints. Judging from the elevators at the last DragonCon, there a lot of people have strange fingerprints.

DelToro continues to be a busy guy… the Sci-Fi channel has a quick interview with the man about his upcoming projects including Frankenstein and The Hobbit.  In the interview he discusses where he is at with The Hobbit and what he is willing to give up to make Hellboy III.

America has made history; we finally elected the first Geek as President (at least that is how I see it). According to an article on the Telegraph website we learn that President-Elect Obama has several geek-leaning tendencies among them are:

• Comic collecting (Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian specifically).
• He has a diverse taste in music (Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees)
• He plays Scrabble and poker
• Continually checks his BlackBerry
• Has read all of the Harry Potter books
• Uses a Mac laptop
• And the ultimate geekness – rejection… He applied for a pin-up calendar while at Harvard only to be rejected by the all girl committee.

Ed over on the listServ reminds us that the next major comic book movie coming out is Punisher: War Zone. The general feeling at the TUG HQ is that there is hope for this movie, but some believe that it just looks like a remake of The Boondock Saints.

Oh, and there is all kinds of buzz about some sort of Watchmen movie? Huh, never heard of it. I guess there are some new posters out or something. I will keep an eye out for news about this movie, I understand some people are interested in it – not exactly sure why.

The LA Times blog Hero Complex, has posted an interview with Beyonce where she claims to want to play Wonder Woman.

While we here at TUG believe that she has the legs for the part, we question whether she has the (acting) chops. Not that we are kidding ourselves and somehow believe that WW would be high-art, but it does take more than an awesome body to make a movie good.

Cary over at the listServ warns all of us of a pending update to your Java engine. In what is a either a sign of the economic times or a sign of the coming apocalypse – Java/Sun has decided to include a MICROSOFT toolbar in their Java upgrade/install. As a Java warrior in the .NET/Java wars, I mourn the loss of this battle.

In another possible sign of the apocalypse, we are reporting that Superhero Hype is reporting that Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Brett Ratner will reportedly be helming the new Conan film. No word on what wacky sidekick part Chris Tucker will reportedly play.

Captain America has a director! Joe Johnston, who’s past credits include “The Rocketeer”, “Jumanji,” and ummm….”Jurassic Park III” (that last one is forgivable only because it was a Spielberg Joint) has agreed to direct First Avenger: Captain America. Joe has also worked on “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Star Wars” in various artistic production roles.
Of course, they still don’t have a script, but really who needs that?

Lastly, to many geeks consternation, Transformers 2 is still proceeding. Seibertron.com has a field report from the flight deck of the USS John C Stennis where filming just wrapped.

World War One with Magic

Arial Dogfighters use small dragons to fly

Busiek had better make another

By: Kevin P.

Really Fun Story

Between Movie And The Show

Enjoyable Read