If you’ve been following my Twitter account, you will have noticed I’m working on a new series of events: the Geeks of London.

Most of you here know that I’ve been doing the Geek Dinners for two years now, so why the sudden new event? While I loved organizing the Geek Dinners, I noticed a couple of things: For starters, it’s always been confusing to people what ‘Dinners’ meant. In a lot of people’s eyes that meant a sit-down dinner, and some were then scared off by such a formal setting. We never ever did an actual proper sit down dinner, most of the time it was just a buffet, but it’s always been a bit unclear to people what the dinner part entailed.

Besides that I’ve always felt the term Geek doesn’t necessarily only mean techy geek. I think geeks come in all types of varieties, like movie geeks and comic book geeks. One final reason to change the event was because of the Girl Geek Dinners. I appreciate what the Girl Geek Dinners are doing, but they’ve grown so much by now that a lot of people didn’t realized there was also a “normal” Geek Dinner (I hate using the term “normal”, because that would imply the GGDs are abnormal, but I hope you get my drift).

So the idea of this new series of events was to step away from the former Geek Dinner name, but to also organize meetups for all different types of geeks, be they movie geeks, comic book geeks or tech geeks. The first meetup will a Movie Geeks of London meetup, which will take place next week on Tuesday the 16th (for more details check out the website).

I’m hoping more people will get involved and will take on the role of organizing some of the meetups. I really want this to be as varied as possible with all sorts of themed events. The first event will just be a hang-around-a-pub-and-meet-lots-of-new-cool-people type meetup, but I’d love to do some meetups with special speakers or sponsors (or in the case of the movie meetups maybe a certain movie that everyone agrees on seeing before meeting up). I know we might have a pub quiz being planned and once the weathers a bit warmer I want to do some photography and geocaching walks. If you’ve got an idea for an event, let me know and I’ll help get you setup.

A comic book store in Nova Scotia is holding their first Ladies Night tomorrow; only women will be allowed in, only women will be working in the store, and a few local female cartoonists will come in to talk about their work. On the one hand, I like the idea of this, cause I know how intimidating it can be for girls to walk into a comic book store the first time. On the other hand… I wish we didn’t need things like Ladies Night to make it *not* intimidating.

To be honest, my first experiences with comic stores were pretty good. I never felt intimidated or scared to walk in, but I kind of have a feeling that was because the ones I visited in the Netherlands were aimed at a less geeky crowd. Those shops were full with the European comics and stuff like Donald Duck and Suske and Wiske, which are aimed at quite a young audience.

As a girl pursuing the more geeky pursuits though, there have been quite a few occasions where I can relate to being a bit intimidated by entering a new unknown place, be it a store, school, or networking event. The first thing that came to mind when hearing about the Ladies Night was my own experiences going to board game stores and fantasy stores. It happened so often that they were only filled with guys, all staring at me as if I was some weird alien creature that didn’t belong there… and then acting as if I couldn’t possibly know what I was talking about because I was a girl.

Same goes with studying computer science at university, being 1 of 5 girls and 90 guys. There’s one encounter that still riles me up, and I wish I had said something at the time. I had just completed an assignment, one that a lot of people was struggling with and had it signed off by the student assistant. I was pretty chuffed with myself, being one of the first people to have finished it. Moments later that was ruined by the student assistant telling another (male) student: “if she can do it, you certainly can”. Most of it wasn’t that bad, especially cause I proved pretty quickly that I was smart and belonged there (but again: why did I have to prove I belonged there?).

What annoys me though is that stuff like that still happens. Since moving to London, I’ve visited the Forbidden Planet tons of times. I love the place, it’s filled with wonderful geeky delights, and if I could I’d buy everything that caught my eye. And yet… almost every single time I go there by myself I get hit on. Okay, I kind of get that (geek store, geeky girl, chances of possible perfect match increases). But half of the time they open with something along the lines of whether I ”needed help in finding a present” or something else that completely neglects the fact that I might be there for myself. The thing is it almost always happens when I’m browsing the comics. If I’m at any other part of the store (like the fantasy/scifi books section or the manga section) that type of stuff doesn’t happen. It’s as if most geeks have accepted that girls are into geeky things, like fantasy and manga, but comics… then it’s suddenly “you don’t belong here”.

Seriously, guys? Why assume straightaway that a girl doesn’t belong there? I thought that by now it should be obvious for guy geeks that the geek girl does exist, but it’s moments like I’ve described above that some guys are completely oblivious to that fact. And it’s those guys that are making it difficult for new geeky girls to feel comfortable with being a geek and going to places like comic stores. I know there are tons of guys out there who do understand and don’t make stupid remarks like those above to girls, but it’s that small oblivious group that do that mess it up for everyone.

So to wrap things up: yeah, I like the idea of the Ladies Night. It’s a great way to get those girls involved who never dared stepping into a comic book store filled with mainly guys. But the mentality of some of the guy geeks out there has to change; they have to realize that girls can be into comics (and whatever other geeky pursuits), and that they have a right to be at comic stores without being stared at as some weird seven-legged two-headed panda. Until then, things like Ladies Night will have to be around to get girls who get intimidated, along to comic stores.

I should have blogged about this gift idea a little bit earlier, cause the deadline for Christmas delivery of domestic orders was yesterday. Ehm, well, anyway… these still make great birthday presents!

The xkcd comics is one of the geekiest (in the techy sense) around. I gave Cristiano these posters last year, and (even though he still hasn’t hung them up) they are brilliant:

Online Communities $15.00 (the original comic)

Map of the Internet $15.00 (the original comic)

Besides posters they’ve got a couple T-Shirts of some of the comics and just recently they published a book! It features a selection of the first 600 comics, including various author and fan favourites.

All the above is available at the xkcd store.

Even though I was already a geek while growing up, I did also enjoy the more girly pursuits like playing with Barbies, My Little Pony and Penny Pocket. I’ve always had a weird fascination with Barbies, and as of today I still like browsing and admiring some of the versions they put together.

Nothing on the actual Barbie site comes near to what this artist Noel Cruz does though. He actually repaints dolls (not per se Barbies) to look like celebrities and movie characters. Some of these are gorgeous!

Here are some of my favourites:

Pretty amazing, right? For more of these repainted dolls, check out Cruz’s celebrity and movie character gallery.

Via Film Experience

I’m really in a Halloween mood, even though I have to stay in today to catch up on some work. So no dressing up and trick or treating for me this year (to be fair, I’ve never really celebrated Halloween before, so it’s not as if I’m missing out this year, cause normally I wouldn’t do anything anyway). Despite that though, I couldn’t resist thinking of costumes and wondering what I could put together if I had to do something last minute. So here’s my short list of last minute outfits (most of these are somewhat based by clothes I own, and which I could pull off last minute if I wanted to).

1. Lara Croft – Tomb Raider

An obvious place for me to start, especially after I got the remark last summer that I was in full-on Tomb Raider style. All you need is a simple black or brown pair of shorts, plus a black or brown tank top (although white and teal are also possible depending on which game/movie you take). Add a pair of sun glasses, boots and your outfit is complete. For extra effect, add a fake gun, gloves, and a little back pack.

2. Echo – Dollhouse

How simple can you make it? The dolls when in the Dollhouse walk around in what are basically pajamas. Loose fitting pants and a simple tank top… tada! You’re done. Now just walk around with a vacant look on your face.

3. Max – Dark Angel

I’m not even sure most people will get this, but I used to love Dark Angel (until it got cancelled… by Fox… of course). Max had a lot of different type of outfits on Dark Angel, but half of the time it was leather pants (or trousers or whatever you call it here in the UK) plus a neck high zipped jacket. Don’t forget to add the barcode to the back of your neck!

4. Steampunk

You might have seen my tweets yesterday when I realized I could use my bridesmaid dress as the basis for a steampunk costum. This is the dress I got, but anything brown and kind of long and flowy should work for this. There are a lot of ways you can go about putting this look together (there aren’t any real steampunk costume rules, I assume, it just has to be a bit victorian inspired). I’d try adding a leather vest or corset over the dress, or if you can find it a white high collared old fashioned shirt with ruffles. Add extra props like goggles or a parasol.

5. Chuck – Pushing Daisies

Again a tricky one, cause there are so many possibilities. Chuck on Pushing Daisies always had very colourfol combos on, and the main thing you have to bear in mind is to keep it as vibrant as possible. Most of the time she’d layer clothes in the same colour; for example, a bright red dress plus a bright red coat (although any colour would do). Most of the dresses were 50s inspired (although it depended per week). Add sun glasses and a head shawl to complete the outfit.

Bonus: Elle Wood – Legally Blonde

It’s not really a ‘geeky’ outfit, but I thought I add it anyway. To create the Elle Wood look, just take anything pink! Oh, and you have to be blonde (or get a wig). Extra points if you can arrange a chihuahua.

While my definition is somewhat different than that of the Society For Geek Advancement (I don’t think you have to have an interest in technology: for instance, what about movie geeks?), I do like the idea:

[Watch the video on MissGeeky.com]

The Society For Geek Advancement was founded upon the principles that everyone should embrace their inner and outer geek and have fun while doing it. As individuals who love learning, innovating and believe in possibility as well as change, the second step of responsibility is to be the geek that keeps on giving. The Society is connected with a Room to Read, a charity which builds libraries and schools in developing countries. If you buy an I Am A Geek T-shirt via the Geek Advancement site, part of the proceeds will go to that charity.

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Around the time when I was 14, I was a bit of a weird kid: I was completely into UFOs, conspiracy theories and anything paranormal or other/outer worldy. One of my areas of interest was cryptozoology: the study of legendary, according-to-main-stream-biology-nonexistent animals, like Big Foot and Nessie (my theory on Nessie is that the Loch contains a hole in time, and all observations of Nessie are just glimpses of the past).

Now a sighting of such a creature has been reported a bit closer to home: the Association of Maritime Research (AMR), a small, non-existent organization, is currently conducting research into possible sightings of suspicious sea creatures in the English Channel. The AMR was created in 1901 in order to promote a better understanding of deep-sea life and the curious phenomena that occur in the depth of the oceans. Their approach to research is to gather testimonials and question scientists specialising in marine research in an attempt to find a scientific explanation for the various sightings. The AMR’s intention is to communicate their findings to the general public and enable them to participate interactively in the continuing research.

The sighting that spun off this whole investigation happened on 20th April 2009. On that day Thierry and Sophie were enjoying a walk at the Boulogne Harbour. Thierry reports: “Sophie and I are passionate about boats and sealife and we were filming all the different types of boats sailing out of the harbour. As I was filming, I suddenly became aware of a large shape which appeared on the horizon. I zoomed in on it and to my surprise I saw a huge, dark, rapidly moving object, which disappeared within a matter of seconds. I know a bit about sea and marine life, if I say so myself, and I knew this wasn’t a whale or shark. I knew I just saw something that was yet unseen by man.”

Thierry decided to contact the AMR who are pursuing further investigations. Subsequently the AMR has collected a substantial number of testimonials from different areas. The strong similarities between the descriptions seem to confirm the existence of a ‘gigantic’ and extremely ‘fast-moving’ creature off our shores.

The AMR’s success in identifying this marine phenomenon is dependent upon the participation of the general public. As the first report came from Dover they have put in place a multimedia campaign calling for witnesses to come forward. This will include the distribution of flyers, radio, press and online communications.

This is a call out to anybody who might have witnessed any strange phenomena in the English Channel to contact the AMR immediately via their website TheChannelCreature.com. A reward is being offered for evidence leading directly to proof of this creature’s existence.

As I’ve said many times before, I consider myself a real geek. It’s not something I’ve grown into the last couple of years or have taken on because it’s nowadays “hip”. I can seriously say that at all stages in my life I’ve been a geek in one form or another.

A while ago (10 months to be exact) I wrote a post about the definition of geekiness, where I tried to explain what I think a geek is. At the time I came up with the following:

a person with a passionate devotion to and an extensive knowledge of a particular interest

The main difference from the original “definition” that I wanted to bring across, was the fact that geeks aren’t just fans liking a specific topic, but that they truly are obsessed/passionate/devoted to it. Plus the fact that they aren’t necessarily socially inept. Yes, there are non-social geeks… but that doesn’t mean we all are.

Photo by alistair_uk on Flickr

Now I’ve noticed most people tend to agree with my definition (in as far as I can claim it as “my” definition). Except for one point. They always assume the particular interest is tech-related. Geeks mean gadget-loving, computer-wielding tech-lovers. Is this true? I don’t think so. In my eyes, you could be a geek in any topic: from math to snowboarding to mobiles.

And that brings me to the title of this post: six degrees of geekiness. I am six types of geeks all rolled into one*:

1. The TV Show Geek

2. The Sci-Fi Geek

3. The Movie Geek

4. The Book Geek

5. The Game Geek

6. The Computer Geek

I was going to write about how I got into each of these geekhoods, only to discover there’s way more backstory to each of them (hey, I’m a blogger, I like to talk about myself, get used to it). For instance, my descent into Sci-Fi started with my attempt to enter a harmless drawing competition at our local mall. And how could I not tell the tale of how I became a computer geek without mentioning my beloved graphic calculator?

Photo by illustir on Flickr

So instead I thought I’d do a collection of blog posts: each one about another of my geek sides. You can expect the first some time later this week. In the mean time, why don’t you share a bit of your geek background stories. How many degrees of geekiness do you possess? 

* I am now omitting my minor prior geekhoods of Math Geek, Egypt Geek, Conspiracy Theory Geek, Paranormal/Ancient Weird Stuff Geek. I’m not as obsessed about those topics now as I once used to be. But, seriously, you’d be surprised at how many weird random facts are just floating through my brain. 

I used to love my My Little Pony’s (seriously, what is the correct plural form of ‘My Little Pony’? Pony’s or Ponies?). I had one favorite: a pink pony with blue hair and the most fragile translucent butterfly wings. So fragile they broke within a month and left my pony with stupid little stumps on it’s back. Still even after that it remained my favorite (resulting in many daydreams about the princess pony that sacrificed her wings to save her kingdom).

By now most of you must have seen the My Little Master Chief, when it did the blogosphere rounds a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t that impressed by it; I’m not a Halo fan and it was just a pony in a green space suit. Only now I’ve discovered though that the creator of that pony AnimeAmy has a whole range of custom My Little Pony’s (a lot of them from Final Fantasy, hence my interest). Here are some of my favorites:

If you want to see all of them, head on over to AnimeAmy’s gallery on deviantArt.

With Cristiano off to the Netherlands to get his wisdom tooth removed (which I am glad to report went way smoother than mine), I thought I’d be bored out of my mind. The two past days though have just been one constant stream of geek activities. I should address each event in a separate post, but I know if I attempt to do that, I’ll end up only blogging about half the stuff. Instead I’m going to try to summarize all the stuff I’ve done here.

London Girl Geek Coffee 2

I only announced it two days beforehand on the Geek Dinners and the Girl Geek Dinners site, so I kind of knew that not many people would show up. However, I didn’t expect to find myself completely alone at the chosen time. It gave me time to check out the venue (Smiths of Smithfield), but I soon discovered it wasn’t really what we were looking for. Half an hour later, Patricia Hanrahan (Gondul) showed up, with Rachel Clarke following quickly thereafter. We spoke about a whole bunch of things, including Rachel and I explaining to Patricia what we’ve experienced so far in We Tell Stories. Here’s where this event kind of flowed into the next event:

We Tell Stories Meet-up

For the past 4 weeks I’ve been following the We Tell Stories project. As I’ve mentioned before, besides the six public stories, there’s a hidden seventh story in the form of an ARG. I’m not going to explain everything here, but a couple of days ago we (all the ARG players on the forum) found out one of the characters would be in a bar…in real life! Jacques the French bookstore clerk, depressed because his girlfriend Bella dumped him. The idea was to bring him gifts and tips on how to woo Bella back, which somehow would lead to more clues.

I completely forgot to bring something, but during the GGC Rachel convinced me to write down a song and sing it for him. Weirdly enough I agreed to do this and even stranger I chose a Dutch nursery rhyme (I have no recollection whatsoever in what prompted me to choose this particular song). Anyhow, Daisy, one of the other girls on the forum, also came to the GGC, hauling along freshly baked muffins and printed out poems.

Abandoning Trish (who would wait for the other GGCers) we went to the bar where Jacques was and there we met up with 2 others from the forum. At 17:30 we entered the bar and there he was…Jacques, looking depressed as ever and drinking red wine. We all gave our gifts and each of us received an item in return. Some of them were clearly “only” prizes for showing up (a Terry Pratchett book, for instance), but others were actual clues. I got a blue Wedgwood tray with snippets of rules of a card game. If you want to find more, check out the We Tell Stories website and the Unforum.

SEO Party

After the cool weird meet-up with a fictional character, I made my way back to the GGC (now expanded with Emma Persky and Weefz), only to discover that the SoS was packed. There was no way we could talk in there. I suggested to move to the Starbucks down the street where the ARGers had gone to sort out all the clues. Patricia, though, deserted us to meet up with Judith ‘deCabbit’ Lewis at an SEO party, but invited us to join her later. After a short half an hour in the Starbucks, we went in search of the SEO party.

We arrived a bit before 8 and the bar was crowded with SEOers. I was surprised to discover at least one person I had met before: Chris Hambly, whom I had met at MediaCampBucks last year. I had a short talk with him about some upcoming events, including a second MediaCampBucks and a MediaCampLondon.

Despite having no actual experience in search engine optimization, I had some interesting conversations with a couple of the SEOers there and was amazed when I realized I had been there for more than 2 hours. Around the same time, Patricia and the others decided to leave too and I slowly made my way back to home. Of course, even though arriving home at a fairly early time, I managed to only get to bed at about 3.

Social Media Cafe

Naturally, I slept through my alarm and I arrived quite late at the Social Media Cafe. I had met Lloyd Davis (the organizer of SMC) back in October in Berlin and had been meaning to come to a SMC for some time now (wisdom tooth removals and sleeping the cause of missing previous ones). I’m glad I finally made it, cause I got to meet a lot of new people (I’m not even going to try and list everyone). What I found interesting was that (if I’m not mistaken that is) this was a completely different set than the usual Geek Dinners and BarCamp crowd; most people there hadn’t even heard of those two events before!

Just when I wanted to leave, it started pouring outside (even lightning!), so I decided to stay a little longer. I talked some more with LJ Rich and after the rain cleared up, she suggested having lunch at a Vegetarian Thai Buffet close by. Great food and great conversation with both of us geeking out about TV shows, books and other stuff. Having already spent most of the day procrastinating networking, I realized I wouldn’t get any real work done today, so it wouldn’t hurt to go to:

Rickmob

Three words: real life rickrolling. By now there should be enough reports and videos documenting this event.

So those were my two action packed geeky days and all I want to do now is sleep. I’ve announced the next Girl Geek Coffee on both Geek Dinners sites and a new idea for another event (Geek Meet). Let me know if you’re interested in either of them by leaving a comment on one of those blogs.