Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
It’s been a long time since I picked up a controller or folded open the screen on one of my favorite handheld devices. It’s not that I don’t still love gaming. It’s just that I am not a time manufacturer, so I just don’t have enough of it to sit and master Uncharted or even putz around puzzling in the latest Professor Layton game. What I do have time for? The occasional mobile gaming blitz while waiting for the bus or my lunch date is perfectly doable though.
Enter my mobile device. My iPhone is thoroughly stocked. Here’s the 5 Games I just can’t quit:
Dots:
When I was a wee child, my mom used to draw a series of dots in 4 rows by 4 rows and tell me to connect them to make things. This game reminds me of that long-gone childhood tradition, except you win points in an expertly designed and beautiful layout. It never really gets more complicated than connecting dots, but for those that like to master a task, this is THE game. The kid in the video above is hilarious and adorable, so I opted for his demo instead of the other boring ones out there.
Our Lady Geek of this Week is Cheryl Harrison (@CherylHarrison). She’s a marketing/communications/social media/PR maven taking Columbus, Ohio by storm. Harrison is also a certified nerd, and curates Doctor Who and Harry Potter goodness over at Doctor Potter.
Furthermore, Harrison is the founder and editor of the Columbus boozing blog Drink Up Columbus. Naturally, much of her Being Geek Chic interview is alcohol-related. Read on, and bottoms up!
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: The best part of being a geek is that you get to have so MANY passions. I’m just as passionate about my professional stuff (writing, helping kickass businesses grow) as I am my personal stuff (board games and sci-fi and craft beer and the city of Columbus and talking to strangers.) I’m REALLY passionate about finding more and more ways to combine the two because I think work should be fun, so I’m fortunate to get to do stuff like social media for great bars and breweries, to be hosting shows on a new podcast network about Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, and to be writing about Columbus for several different magazines.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: The Tenth Doctor, Banana Daiquiris. Because always take a banana to a party.
Q: Favorite Harry Potter book/film and why?
A: Favorite book: Half-Blood Prince. Right now I can think of at least one character/plot point that annoys me in each of the other books (though I still think they’re perfect) and I can’t think of a single thing I dislike about this one.
Favorite movie: Prisoner of Azkaban. I think this is pretty universally accepted as the best HP movie, and stands alone as a great story as opposed to a faithful but boring recreation of the book (1 and 2) or a failed and confusing attempt at dramatizing the books (4-8). Don’t get me wrong, I still watch them all every single ABC Family Harry Potter weekend, or when I’m just having trouble falling asleep.
Q: What would you drink while reading/watching it?
A: PoA: A glass bottle of Orin Swift’s Prisoner, because of the name and because it’s an amazing red
HPB: I can’t come up with anything clever, so I’ll just be realistic and say I’m probably drinking a Columbus Brewing Company IPA or a Bell’s Two Hearted, because that’s what is usually in my fridge.
Q: What would you tell you 13-year-old self?
A: Those people whose opinion of you matters so much to you right now, who make fun of you for being fat (you aren’t) or for having bad hair (eh, you’ll learn how to fix it, in 10 years) or for being smart (how is that even an insult?) or for thinking Pokemon are cool, or for being in band and theatre, or whatever it is this week that you’re doing that isn’t “cool”… fuck ‘em.
You’re going to meet some really awesome people in your teens and early twenties who appreciate you for you. You’re also going to do some awesome shit over the next ten years. Dude, at 24 you quit your job to start your own business! And those people whose opinion of you matters so much to you right now, they still work at the Olive Garden.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
A: “This is probably too much information, but this one time I…”
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Molly McIsaac (@MollyMcIsaac) – blogger, comedian, model, activist, and above all, geek – is the Lady Geek of the Week! The 23-year-old hails from mellow Seattle, where she blogs about geek culture, fashion, and beauty over at The Geeky Peacock. Just what is a Geeky Peacock? I’ll let McIsaac explain:
“I’m a big ol’ geek. However, I defy the stereotype that this word creates in most people’s minds: I am socially functional, outgoing, fashion forward, and I take good care of myself! I’m a ‘girly girl’ who is not afraid to dress up like a wood elf and beat up boys with a foam sword or to play action figures with myself until 2am. Thus: I am the Geeky Peacock!”
There you have it! Check out her interview with Being Geek Chic:
What led you to start blogging?
I’ve ALWAYS had a lot to say, and for the last three years I’ve been doing geek culture journalism for other websites. The fact that I had to “pitch” articles made me feel very limited - there was so much I wanted to rant about! So one night I decided to finally buckle down and create the Geeky Peacock. Rather than pigeon hole myself and my blog, I decided to make it a blog that was ME - I’d talk about whatever I wanted, post outfit pics, talk about beauty and geeky things and cosplay. Basically, anything that made me happy! And blogging DOES make me happy.
(Editor’s Note: My favorite blog post of all time from Miss Molly is this one: Drinking with the Doctor. Molly, Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill - all drinking in a room together looking fabulous. I am still jealous. I’d trade in my 10 speed, Buddy Scooter and ice skates to life swap for that one night. Alas. Go read it. You know you want to.)
Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere! Fashion wise, I try to incorporate geek chic aspects on top of pure fashion. I’m inspired by goths, Japanese street style, magical girls in anime, superheroines, floral and lace and leather, 90s fashion, oversized shoes… For everything else, life and the world inspires me. I am ridiculously excited about being alive and working on projects, so I spend a lot of time looking at art and photography, reading articles about weird, sciencey things, or lurking on fashion websites.
Tell us about your tattoos!
I currently have 7 tattoos, with plans for many, MANY more. As of now I am on hold due to funds and because covering up tattoos for cosplay is time consuming, but eventually I’ll have a full sleeve and a thigh piece.
Right now, my ink includes: A golden snitch from Harry Potter on the top of my right wrist (I got this one a week before the 7th book came out - it was my first tattoo!); a chocobo from Final Fantasy on my upper right arm; a half finished MASSIVE realistic field illustration of a barn owl down my ride side; an outline of the state of Alaska on my left upper arm (where I was born and raised); a mandalorian skull from Star Wars on my right hip; a big red semi realistic beautiful squid on the inside of my left arm (I’m fixated upon cephalopods); and finally “I want to believe” (yes, from X-files) on the outside of my left foot.
If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
Severus Snape. Straight firewhiskey. I’d try to get him drunk enough to fall in love with me, and if that didn’t work at least drunk enough to get in his snarky pants.
What would you tell you 13-year-old self?
You know how you’re bullied for all the things you love right now? In 10 years, you’re going to be super cool for liking all of it. You’re better than this, and you’re better than them. Hold your head high and keep loving what you love.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Emma Jeffers, Anna Faulder and Cat Collins, the founders of Geeky Girls Love Sci-Fi, are the Lady Geeks of the Week!
These three chic geeks blog about their favorite sci-fi and fantasy films, TV shows, comics and books, including: Doctor Who, Merlin, Game Of Thrones, The Avengers, Harry Potter, The Hobbit and more.
Geeky Girls Love Sci-Fi is cheeky, hilarious, geeky, and British. I personally love it. One of my favorite posts is titled Daniel Radcliffe—Horny. Don’t get too excited; the post details Radcliffe’s new film, Horns—not his sexual prowess. (Although, for all of you geeks on the prowl, word on the street is that Radcliffe is recently single and ready to mingle…Accio Dan!)
Here’s the skinny on each of the three Geeky Girls (you can read their full bios here):
- Emma Jeffers: A journalism scholar turned PR professional turned social media diva at Total Media, an award winning media agency in the UK.
- Anna Faulder: A jet-setting marketing maven who took her passions for communications and travel and launched a career as a senior marketing executive at Exodus Travels.
- Cat Collins: Collins combined her love of pop culture and journalism and found her dream job: “getting paid to watch TV as a critic and web producer for Sky.com.”
Of course, in addition to their “real” jobs, the three share a passion for all that is geeky. Geeky Girls Love Sci-Fi continues to grow, and world domination is on their to do list.
Find Geeky Girls Love Sci-Fi on Facebook and Twitter (@girlslovescifi), too!
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
“The Firewhisky seared Harry’s throat. It seemed to burn feeling back into him, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality, firing him with something that was like courage.” — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by JK Rowling
By now, almost everyone in America has gotten their hands on a frothy mug of the more popular Harry Potter beverage: sweet and creamy butter beer. Whether you’ve been to the theme park at Universal and waited in line at the little red butterbeer trolley or mixed up your own concoction at home, the sweet, butterscotchy flavor was well described in the books and easy enough to get your hands on in the Muggle realm.
Firewhisky, on the other hand, is mentioned far less frequently throughout the books, probably owing to Harry being too young to consume it for most of the series. One of Ron Weasley’s brothers passes out glasses to the group to toast a fallen friend during the 7th book.
I imagined firewhisky as something you would drink quickly in a shot glass, or else sip slowly when diluted with a mixer. This recipe tries to balance a sweet but spicy flavor infusion, built from cinnamon sticks, peppercorns and chili flakes.
This infusion gets better the longer you let it sit, but can be consumed in as little as 2-3 days if you’re in a rush. Use any whiskey you like, I grabbed a bottle of Evan Williams for this batch. If you aren’t a regular whiskey drinker, be sure to taste a little before you mix it all together so you know what your starting point tasted like.
Special Equipment:
Ingredients:
Combine all ingredients in your bottle or pitcher and swirl to combine. Leave in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight for at least two days. Swirl the bottle or stir the ingredients at least once a day.
After 2-3 days, strain a small amount of the whiskey for tasting. If you want a stronger infusion, keep going for up to a week.
Serve neat when courage is needed and to toast great warriors, mentors and friends. Firewhisky also mixes well with apple cider, ginger ale and cream soda, for those seeking a little less “fire.”
** you can also substitute 3 TBS high quality vanilla extract, just stir it in after you’ve infused the other ingredients
Emma Carew Grovum is a data journalist working at the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C. She previously worked as the Digital Editor for The Cooking Club of America and blogs at kitchendreamer.blogspot.com Emma loves Star Wars, pandas and all things Joss Whedon. Find her on twitter at @emmacarew.
October’s first Lady Geek of the Week is Alaina Buzas. She’s a cool, crisp Chicagoan with a knack for design, reporting, and photography. Her current 9 to 5 gig has her managing the digital content for Chicago Parent magazine.
Buzas also has a passion for book covers and blogs about their design and history at To Be Shelved. (Editor’s note: I love, love, love this blog. An entire blog dedicated to pretty books? Yes, please.)
We were able to catch the busy Buzas to ask her a few questions. Read on to discover which series of novels reduces her to tears and which geological theory helps describe her life.
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: I think I’ve found that my passion is constantly evolving and I love that. I’ve always liked reading and writing which led me to journalism, which led me to graphic design and my blog, and now I’m a digital content editor for a magazine. So it’s all still connected but it’s constantly growing.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
A: My biggest inspiration is the success of my peers. People I went to school with and friends I’ve made along the way. When I see them doing awesome stuff it’s a huge inspiration for me to keep pushing and keep working and doing personal projects.
Q: First time you realized you were “geeky?”
A: Even though I’ve always been a geek I just started to realize it. Mostly because of people calling me out on it. Like last week I had to write a preview for a Harry Potter event and I couldn’t get through a single sentence without crying (and not just tearing up, full on crying) because that’s just how much I love the Harry Potter books.
Q: “I admit it—I’ve never seen/read/experienced: ____”
A: I admit it—comic books. I don’t have anything against them, and I have a very strong belief that Batman is the greatest superhero of all time, but I’ve never read a comic book.
Q: What would be the title of your memoir?
A: The title of my memoir would need to involve “plate tectonics” because that’s my favorite phrase to say and even though sometimes it feels like I’m not getting anywhere, when I look back I’ve come a long way.
And don’t forget to follow Alaina on Twitter @alainabuzas
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. On twitter: @emmalynnbauer
