Nerd, Geek, Dork, or just plain Dweeb ?

Use the following diagram posted by Scott Lamb at BuzzFeed to find yourself:

Zombies on my lawn ?! [Zombies]

The creators of the wonderfully addictive plinko-style game Peggle is at it again, this time with the future release of a game called “Plants vs. Zombies“.  Details on the game itself is sketchy, but their web site includes a very catchy music video.

Zombie attack in Ottawa [Zombies]

In an apparent attempt to organize themselves and take over the neighborhood, zombies have taken over a power substation in eastern Ottawa, giving local residents reason to panic and flee in terror.

See pictures below.

Goofy Stops Smoking [Disney]

” Walt Disney was a chain smoker. In 1966, he was scheduled to undergo a neck surgery for an old polo injury, but a pre-surgery X-ray showed a large tumor in his left lung. Doctors ultimately removed the lung, but Disney died later that year. In 1951, Disney produced a short clip titled “No Smoking” of Goofy trying to quit smoking. The company banned the cartoon from TV broadcast.”

[via Neat-O-Rama]

Canada = Comedy of Errors ? [Canadiana]

Googlepedia is a cool add-on for Firefox I really enjoy. It allows you to view a Wikipedia page alongside your Google search results in Firefox. Funny thing – I was looking for the phone number to Absolute Comedy, an awesome stand-up comedy club here in Ottawa, Canada. Look what Wikipedia page comes up when I use the search terms absolute comedy ottawa (click to enlarge):

Steampunk in “Twin Cinema” by “The New Pornographers” [Steampunk]

The album cover of “Twin Cinema” by “The New Pornographers” showcases two video projectors pictured in the steampunk style, pointing towards each other.

The steampunk fiction genre is an offshoot of fantasy, usually set in a time where steam power is widely used (such as the 19th century on Earth).  Because steampunk incorporates elements of science fiction (such as flying contraptions and complicated primitive machines), the genre can be adaptable to almost any setting or timeframe.  Books of the genre are loosely based on works by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and most of them incorporate a theme of rebellion or belonging to a society where high class rules, and the working class suffers.

The term steampunk originated in the 1980’s to differ from the popular cyberpunk genre, which incorporates electronic elements into the stories as opposed to mechanical machines predominantly found in steampunk.  Although the term was coined later, there exists a number of steampunk novels to have been written well before, such as Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake (1969) and The Wild Wild West television series that ran from 1965 to 1969.  The genre has since been incporated into elements of modern culture, such as the hit movie “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003), which brings steampunk and comic books together.

The genre continues to draws fans at such an increasing rate that there exists a steampunkculture that is alive and well both online and in real life, as steampunk renaissance fairs become more and more popular.  There even exists a “Steampunk Magazine“, where fans can read and write about the latest fiction or incorporation of steampunk into their everyday lives.

Avril Lavigne…a vampire ? [Vampires]

“The Girlfriend singer – who is married to Sum 41 guitarist Deryck Whibley – is so worried about her pointy molars she is determined to have them corrected. A source close to the singer told America’s Star magazine: ‘Avril hates her fangs. She is planning on having them filed down by a cosmetic dentist.’”

[via Stuff]

Anti-Piracy Stickers in The IT Crowd [Hobbies]

Fun anti-piracy stickers can be found pasted on the door to the IT department: “MP3 is not a crime“, “Fair use has a posse”, as well as two Electronic Frontier Foundation stickers. An ominous “Danger of Death” sign warns visitors to the IT department of impeding doom.

Scout’s Honour on The X-Files [Geekspeak]

In season 1, episode 14 (“Gender Bender”), Fox Mulder solidifies a promise he makes by following up with the expression “Scout’s Honor“.

The expression derived from one of the rules established by sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founding father of the Scout movement. One year after holding the first ever Scouting encampment in England, he published the book Scouting for Boys in 1908. This book served as the official charter for what is to be become the Boy Scout movement, and listed the rules of conduct to be followed by any of its members.

The first rule of scouting states that a Scout’s honor is to be trusted. At the time the book was published, any Scout that is found to break his honour was summoned to a hearing, where elders decided whether or not to expel the Scout from the Movement. In modern times, however, children’s rights to participate unhindered in activities takes precedence over archaic rules and regulations. Despite this, the words “Scout’s Honor” still means that a promise will be upheld, and the promise kept until death.

The 9 rules a Boy Scout must follow are:

1. A Scout’s honor is to be trusted
2. A Scout is loyal
3. A Scout’s duty is to be useful and help others
4. A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other Scout
5. A Scout is courteous
6. A Scout is friend to all animals
7. A Scout obeys orders
8. A Scout is optimistic
9. A Scout is thrifty

Klingon Mating Rituals in Big Bang Theory [Nga'Chuq]

In Season 1, Episode 12, the characters are found discussing the rules of Klingon mating rituals to answer the age-old question of whether a Vulcan can mate with a Klingon, and survive to tell the tale. Luckily, we never find the answer on the show.

Klingon mating rituals are very violent, and they resemble a very primitive type of S&M – foreplay consists of kicking the p’tahk out of your partner before having your way with them. Bruises, broken bones, and sometimes death is a part of life of Klingon sex. Occasionally during Klingon orgasm, it is not uncommon to pass out completely by the pain.

Now that’s what I call an orgasm!