Ever notice when you watch television that there are hardly any opening credits left? This makes me sad because I love opening credits and I think they set the tone for the series. Here are ten of my favorite opening credits.
1. Caprica — The creators of Caprica said they didn’t want to just throw the name up on the screen. So they came up with this sequence, which sets up the relationships between the characters.
2. Orange is the New Black — This new Netflix Original Series Orange is the New Black sports a new song from Regina Spektor with haunting images of inmates eyes.
3. Firefly — I love Firefly and I love the theme tune. This is one of the songs that seems to stand the test of time. Even though the show was cancelled years ago the song is still covered on YouTube.
4. Rizzoli and Isles — Boston was an Irish city and this opening sequence sets that part of this cop show up perfectly.
5. Weeds — Watch this opening carefully…then tell me what you see.
6. Pretty Little Liars — I heard this song years ago, but I loved seeing it in this context. It sets up the premise well enough and the song is haunting enough to stay with you.
7. Sanctuary — Over the course of three four seasons this opening was radically shortened but I love the original.
8. Battlestar Galactica (2003) —Battlestar Galactica is one of the shows that brought back my love of sci-fi. My friend actually managed to translate the lyrics to the song being played and it is just as beautiful in English.
9. Warehouse 13 — Warehouse 13 is entering its final season but I really loved this opening from the beginning.
10. The X-Files — The X-Files was one of my sci-fi drugs and this opening just epitomizes how weird the show really was. And yet I still love it.
If you want to watch all the openings at once. You can watch them all in this YouTube playlist I created and in the meantime tell me some of your favorite opening sequences in the comments below.
A few weeks ago I entered the vlog talent search on Geek and Sundry. I didn’t advance to round two but there are a few things I will take away from this experience. What was really surprising to me was how respectful and inclusive everyone was in this competition. The forums on Geek and Sundry had things like a Vlogger Dance Party, hangouts, and general crazy self-promotion ideas. What came out of the community, has to be the best thing about this. Thanks to one vlogger, we have discovered that Geek and Sundry’s ulterior motive in this talent search.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to #NewVloggerArmy.
What is #NewVloggerArmy? You ask. It’s where the geeks take over the internet with their obsessions. A good number of people have expressed that they were going to continue their vlogs regardless. So here I am giving you my next #TenTuesday with a list of awesome vloggers, both still in contention for a slot on Geek and Sundry, but many not.
1. Kiri Callagan — Kiri Callagan’s vlog Wit & Whimsy is going to cover a variety of subjects. To give you an idea she’s already covered misused words, ninjas, and kitchen chemistry. I have had a few conversations with Kiri over Twitter and almost every single time she manages to get a song stuck in my head. She’s bubbly and lots of fun to watch.
2. Dael Kingsmill — The last time I picked up any sort of mythology was in high school and it was the Odyssey. I had no desire to read that and I haven’t thought much about it since, but I do like mythology and so Dael’s “The Story of Sissy Face” intrigued me. Of course it never occurred to me that it meant Sisyphus. I originally clicked on it because I have a dog named Sissy with an adorable face, but I don’t regret clicking.
3. Kristen Brumley (Stay In Character) — Before this vlog competition I had only heard of LARPing in the context of Good Luck Charlie, where they ridiculed it. (Honestly, it is starting to make me think that the Disney channel cannot embrace geekery or niche hobbies at all.) Kristen’s vlog however, is a vlog about LARPing told through LARPing characters. I could say more but it really speaks for itself. Plus, it got picked up by LARPing.org and will be on their channel once a month starting in September.
4. Scott Tumilty (Scott’s Old School Pixel Party) — He started playing bad games while drunk but now this Scotsman from Glasgow is…still doing that. Scott’s audition video and second round video are hilarious. However, while voting was happening he did a voting vlog every day. THAT IS A LOT OF VLOGS! Take a visit to his channel and watch the crazy unfold.
5. RandomliNikki — Her video happened to be about Nostalgia but Nikki’s channel has many more videos. Some of my favorite are about her giving her future child advice, but they are so funny and that kid is going to be so entertained (when it ultimately exists). Plus she just wants to brighten your day.
6. Paige Lavoie — I love art and I have never consider making a comic but Paige has inspired me to give it a chance. I need to do her challenge still but I think this might be constructive to my writing.
7. Joseph Knitt— I spent my senior year studying Gothic novels. Castles are an essential part. Plus I really love the novel Frankenstein. So his vlog seemed to encompass things that I loved. Plus castles in general enchant me and he has a great delivery and hilarity.
9. Sarah Braun (Big Damn TV Geek) — I’ve know Sarah for a couple years through Twitter. We actually met via a Whedony chat about Dollhouse. We are geeky for television, so it is no surprise she is on this list. In her audition video she listed five shows she loved that are not on TV anymore (yes including ALL of Joss Whedon).
10. 2 Broke Geeks (Omar and Mia) — Hobbies are expensive. Being a geek doesn’t have to be. 2 Broke Geeks gives you tips and trips for how to save money and be a geek at the same time.
So there is a list of ten vloggers I enjoy watching. If you are looking for more to check out, look at Jens Reinking’s channel. He has a vlog series about how to be a better geek and also hosts these cool things called #GeekendHangouts every Saturday. There were so many vloggers in this competition that I probably could have made this list several times over but the best advice I can give you is to get out there and explore. There are so many people out there who vlog about all kinds of things.
Regarding my own vlog. I am hoping to keep it up and I am going to release one video a week. I am not sure what schedule it will be on, but I am looking forward to fangirling and sharing things that are just awesome with you. I’ve got some rebranding that is going to happen and maybe more. Keep an eye out and I will let you know when the photography stuff begins again.
To my followers and friends. I know I have probably been a pain in the butt with the number of times my Geek and Sundry voting link has come across your screen. Quick update on the status of my standing in the competition. The top vlog on the leaderboard has 4,000 votes, I don’t even a tenth of that. But when the voting went live, I decided that I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Current stats put the likelihood of me being in the Top 30 for one of Geek and Sundry’s ten new vlog spots is something like 1 in 32. (Better than my odds of winning the lottery.) So, long story short, I am not apologizing for the constant shameless self promotion, but I am now offering you a chance to be rewarded for all you support.
Waiting by Lauren Busser
Over the past week I have made bonus videos for my followers every 100 votes. Since I am just shy of 300 I have made a 100 vote and a 200 vote bonus video.
In addition to my 300 vote bonus vlog I am going to spend Friday making a “Thank You” video. What will be in this thank you video you ask? I thought I would thank anyone who voted for me with a brief mention. The closest thing I can think to relate this to is Sam Carter’s eulogy for Dr. Fraiser in “Heroes (Part II)” from Stargate SG-1. If you happen to have no idea what I am talking about watch the below YouTube video and then imagine it being delivered without the death premise.
If you want, what I need you to do is vote for my video and and then either leave your name and a link in the comments or tweet me with the name you want mentioned. This is also your chance to promote your own project since I will be posting links and annotating the cheese out of this video.
Additionally, I will be making and photographing margarita cupcakes (yes the recipe actually calls for tequila) and making a mini monster-mash stop motion.
So vote and many rewards will be beamed your way. Once again I thank you guys for your support, and regardless of if I make it onto the next phase of not I am hoping to continue my vlogs, either on a regular or semi-regular basis. (Somehow I will post a schedule.)
Remember, vote here and leave a message in my ask and I will be sure to vote for you. Until those videos I just want to thank you guys so much and I appreciate everything you have done to get me thus far.
There are a lot of photographers out there and there are a fair share of photography vlogs. Why is this one different? Because this isn’t just about how to take a photo and how to use filters in Instagram, but it is also about the growing relationship between humans and technology. So here are ten reasons why you need to vote for my submission on Geek and Sundry Vlogs.
1. Name a Piece of Technology that You Didn’t Want to Kick in the Rear When It Glitched! The reason I name everything in my life is because when things go south, I need something to call the blasted thing in order for my anger to go away. It’s kind of like that Mythbusters episode when they test if swearing helps reduce pain, except in this case it’s just so that I don’t take my frustration out on other people.
And in case you were wonder.
My car is named Gina.
My cell is named Beverly.
The Canon AE-1 featured in the vlog is Adama.
My old laptop is called Galactica (and later Galactica Imposter because it was the same model just a loaner).
My new computer is named Voyager.
And of course if you watch my video, you know my new DSLR is named Cain.
2. Photography is a life skill. If you are getting ready to type a counter argument, stop! No, really stop! How many times do you wish that you could have taken a better photo of your family or of something in nature or captured the perfect candid shot? Did you say yes to any of those? Good, relax those fingers. If you said no, then go ahead and type away we can engage in arguments in the comments.
The ability to capture what you want in an image is important, it’s why SLRs are awesome because they let you control everything, but even point and shoot cameras have the same basic controls to manipulate. There is a lot to cover and if you have a question on how to take a better photo without photoshop, I want to hear from you. Comment on the channel or the video or something. I want to help.
The Humming Meadow by Lauren Busser
3. You can Hack a Camera I’ve never actually done it there are people who hack cameras to get them to do all kinds of cool stuff. If that sounds like something cool, leave a comment and I will see what I can get it to do. There are even some really cool camera app hacks that you can play with, including one that trains your cat to take photos. (Yes I am serious!)
4. Lighting is Hard, Dude Not gonna lie. I paid attention to the shadow unit in elementary school but only so much of that experience stayed with me. So here are some questions that you can ask: What time of day is the best time to take a photo? How can I make shadows exaggerated if that is what I want to go for? What is the best kind of lighting for a interior photo? All of these are legitimate questions that can be addressed. (Also see reason six.)
5. That iPhone in your Hand Has a Pretty Decent Camera The world of iPhoneography is vast and has a lot of noise but if you use your cell phone camera right you can make a great deal of beauty and art. I love experimenting with apps, playing with filters and editing programs. There are a ton of apps on my phone that do this and they continue to release more. These are things I am passionate about that I can talk about with you and would love to discuss with you.
6. Play that Funky Music White Boy Okay I am not sure how a song from the 70s fits in with this, but honestly there are also ways to filter your flash and do all sorts of really cool experimental lighting that we can explore. There is a pocket device out on the market that calls itself a “Light show in your pocket.” Yep, you can create a disco with this little thing. Imagine shooting some birthday shots with that up your sleeve!
7. There Are Ways to Hack that Fancy Digital Camera to Do Really Cool Things: So years ago there were these awesome toy cameras and now many people want those affects with their digital SLRs. So lenses are popping up and filters and all these crazy cool things that give you effects like light leaks and such without having to carry around a toy camera in addition to your main camera. (Also lenses are the bomb!)
8. Cute doggies!!! There are two cute rescue dogs in my life who will probably make an appearance in the vlog. One has already been featured in my 100 votes video. The other will come out to play at 300, and that one has a lot of personality. Here are some pics as a tease:
9. You know it is time to conquer the world of video when you get texts commenting on how you are everywhere. No seriously, I got a text from my mom telling me that she googled me last week and I seem to be all over the internet. So I am not Big Brother (or Betty White) but I figured it might be good to invade YouTube too and if I can make people laugh with my frustration, that’s excellent.
10. I am not above bribery baked goods. So among the other talents I have, I bake pretty awesome food. I like photographing it and all of that stuff too and if I come up with a new recipe, maybe I will make a vlog about how to photograph your pastry creations. Lots of opportunity here.
So if you need another reason of have any questions for me you can comment here, or on the video, and you can also like and subscribe to the channel. And as always, vote here! You can vote once a day until June 27th so keep voting and another update will be coming soon.
Overwhelming the response I get in regards to the video is that it is awesome. I wasn’t expecting anywhere near that response. As I write this the video is comfortably sitting around 72 votes. I have decided that after I reach certain benchmarks I am going to release bonus videos. Two of which will be features on my best models and one of which will be the outtakes from the submission itself. The first one will occur after I reach 100 votes. So if you haven’t voted today please take a second and vote for my vlog.
You might wonder what future episodes of this vlog will include. This vlog is about photography and how you get a better photo. Now you can read manuals about that all day and night but when it comes down to it the information can be pretty dry. What I am proposing with this vlog is not just an instructional series but a comical series. What is currently known and Cain and I, is a story that is going to involve me fighting with my camera. Verbally, I mean. I won’t throw my camera against the wall no matter how angry I get, that is just camera abuse. Plus it will probably be the end of the vlog.
There is also opportunity in this vlog for audience participation. If we learn something new I want you guys to be able to submit to the Tumblr page and we can interact there. There are lots of photo challenges out there including photo-a-day but I also want to delve into all the photos we have already taken with nostalgia challenges and things like that.
I’ll make another update later today or tomorrow either in the form of a video message or a text post like this one. Until then, keep up the support, interact with me, and please send the Geek and Sundry link to all of your friends, family, barbers, babysitters, gardeners, friends of your parents, friends of your children, even any household pets that are capable of using a computer.
Remember you can vote once a day until June 27th so please keep visiting, keep voting, and keep taking pictures.
So you see that girl with the long brown hair? That’s me four years ago, around the time I first learned what a single-lens reflex camera was. I have been taken photos in some form since I was eight but it was always a hobby until now.
So a few weeks ago I found out that Geek and Sundry was looking to bring ten new vloggers (video bloggers) into their family. I decided to get brave and submit one to be part of the channel. The two big requirements: 1) be a geek (which I am) and 2) be passionate about something. So I started a vlog about me and my new camera and submitted the intro video to Geek and Sundry to be posted.
The next phase is voting and this is where you can help me. I need you to go to my link on the Geek and Sundry site and vote. You can also leave comments on my YouTube channel and subscribe to the channel so that you can get future vlog updates. If I get into the Top 30, then I move onto the second round of voting and the Top 10 from there get placed on the channel.
So if you like photography, personified objects, or maybe you just want to learn more about what a DSLR camera can do…go to those links and vote, comment, and subscribe. Me and Cain (my Canon) will thank you.
Misplaced Housewife by Lauren Busser
Now you might be asking yourself: “Lauren, what the bloody hell made you do this?” Well you have my photography mentor to thank for that a little bit. I was always planning on making a youtube channel that would show off my work somewhat but I had never planned for my face to actually appear on it. Geek and Sundry’s contest forced me to be a little bit creative and come up with this concept of me and my camera in sort of a domestic relationship. I wasn’t entirely sold on it, but now thinking about it, it promises to be comical, provide lots of audience participation, and it should be a wild ride.
So I am anxious to continue regardless, but taking a second to vote on Geek and Sundry would mean that the show will be more regulated, so if the idea of me fighting with an SLR intrigues you (even if you just want to laugh at me) please check out the video and vote.
In the meantime, while you are voting and waiting to hear the results, please visit the current vloggers on Geek and Sundry Vlogs. There is everything from thumbwrestling to writing, comics, and then there’s just Jeff. I am a fan and these people are awesome so check them out.
I know this was supposed to be Shutterbug Saturday but Shutterbug Sunrday will have to do. When I was trying to sync up this weeks photos from my phone I realized the cable was fried and since I couldn’t get a new one for tonight you have to deal with it being a day late. In fact I think I may move it to Sunday anyway, because then you can see a whole week from Sunday to Saturday. So here we go with the first installment of Shutterbug Sunday.
Sunday May 19, 2013
“There’s a light in the darkness, of everybody’s life.”–The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Monday May 20, 2013
Meet Madi. She’s a character and this is her very excited about playing fetch.
Tuesday May 21, 2013
This is a nice sunny installment of Coffee and Character Names. Guess which character inspired the name on this Starbucks BEV-erage. (Hint : Look at my last post!)
Wednesday May 22, 2013
Shapes are cool, but repeating the shapes are even cooler.
Thursday May 23, 2013
This is Madi’s seat. She is the co-pilot who can’t tell you when she thinks you’re lost but she can tell you when there is a man in the road, via a very load bark!
Friday May 24, 2013
The brightness before the rain. Also our old rabbit hutch.
Sunday May 25, 2013
Not only is Madi a co-pilot, she likes to do crazy things like try to take your socks off when you’re still wearing them and it’s pretty cold outside.
Those are this week’s photos. If you liked them you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter for more throughout the week and be sure to stay tuned for next week’s installment of SHUTTERBUG SUNDAY.
Three mornings a week I go babysit a kindergartner One morning he brought up “Crusher” and my mind immediately went to the Doctor of the Enterprise-D, Dr. Beverly Crusher. Of course they didn’t mean the Star Trek character, they meant the Skylander. And because the Skylander is made up of rocks it sparked a ten minute debate as to whether or not she’s evil. (Later, he confessed that he was just trying to see if he could get me mad. Well played, kid! Well played!)
Yes, this is Crusher, but it is the wrong Crusher.
Anyway, they keep asking me why I like Dr. Crusher and I kept giving them the same answer, which is that she just rocks. If any of your Star Trek: The Next Generation fans have been living under a rock, Gates McFadden, the woman behind Dr. Crusher, recently got a Twitter account (@gates_mcfadden), and even though it is still yet to be verified, it is her and while she’s trudging around going from “tweet shelter to tweet shelter” as she puts it. I thought it was time for an early edition of Ten Tuesday. So I give you ten reasons why Gates McFadden is awesome/cool/(insert other synonym here).
This is the person who comes to mind when someone says Crusher. Dr.Crusher played by Gates McFadden.
Here it goes:
1. Dr. Crusher had more brains than Data and Picard put together!
I liked Crusher from the moment I first started watching TNG but one of my all-time favorite moments is in Season 1’s “Arsenal of Freedom” when she falls down a hole with Picard and there’s an alien weapon threatening to wipe out the away team and Enterprise in orbit. Even thought she has a broken arm and leg, when Data arrives and they try to figure out how to stop the device, she says “Why don’t you just shut it off?” Even injured, after having to talk the Captain through her own first aid she managed to give the Captain and an android the solution to a problem that could have resulted in their own destruction.
2. She takes pictures of her own action figure.
If you’re on tumblr you might see pictures of a Beverly Crusher action figure in some odd situations. Well, that’s Gates. She does that. She comes up with the scenes and she take her own photos. The Adventures of 1/8th Bev, PezBev, and BarBev, are often the highlight of my day.
1/8th Bev misses Jean Luc.
3. She’s a cat person.
She has two cats, but her black and white cat named Rudi makes frequent appearances alongside 1/8th, being both her drinking buddy and a taxi cab. (Just don’t take away his catnip or he might get violent.)
After a night at Gates’ theater, this was 1/8th’s ride home.
4. She’s “The Dancing Doctor”
Among my other favorite Dr. Crusher moments is Season 4’s “Data’s Day” where Data asks Dr. Crusher to teach him to dance. Of course, he fails to mention that this is for a wedding and so Dr. Crusher teaches him how to tap dance. (This is another big hit when I was trying to convince the child in the opening paragraph that I wasn’t completely nuts. A doctor teaching an android how to tap dance? Who can resist that?)
But in real life, Gates took dance lessons from the age of four. So that’s her dancing in the scene. Imagine how much fun that must have been to choreograph.
5. You might remember a movie called Labyrinth.
Any David Bowie fans reading this? Yea, you remember that ballroom scene in Labyrinth? Well, Gates choreographed that. Anyone who has ever been envious of Sarah in that scene has Gates to thank for that trance-like choreography.
6. She’s a feminist.
During Season 2 of TNG, Dr. Crusher went off to head up Starfleet Medical. In real life, Gates McFadden got let go because she was a feminist. At the 2012 Austin Comic Con, she stated that she talked about how she disagreed with a writer, telling him that if Beverly Crusher has raised this kid on his own and he has saved the ship six time in a row, why are the male characters giving him all the guidance and wisdom. She wanted to be more than just the loving mother because it hadn’t been portrayed on television.
The writer’s disagreed and she was asked to leave, but then the character was asked to come back, to head up some more great episodes like “Cause and Effect” where she got to get out sickbay and solve why they were in a time loop. (She also successfully called Riker’s bluff in a poker game in that episode!)
7. She’s on YouTube every chance she gets.
Gates loves YouTube, because as she said in Austin “It’s such a world out there. It’s unbelievable.” Not entirely sure what she watches on YouTube, but considering what a time suck it can be for some people, nice to know celebrities have the same weakness. (See the full version of the panel above.)
8. She has a sense of humor.
You didn’t get to see her be very funny during her time on TNG. In fact her audition was the one funny scene she had during the whole seven years (see this scene from “The Naked Now”). When she went into her audition she asked which of the three female characters: Yar, Troi, or Crusher was the funniest. They pointed her to Crusher. She has since referred to it as the bait and hook, but in her subsequent role and in real life, Gates is really funny. Search her on YouTube and watch some of her convention panels or just read some of her tweets. You will laugh. If you don’t laugh, you might need to get your head examined.
9. She teaches about her field.
One of things that I found invaluable as an undergraduate was having teachers who were doing work in the field they were teaching. Gates has taught in several places and continues to teach at the University of Southern California where she currently teaches BFA students physical theatre classes.
10. She’s the artistic director of a non-profit theater
Gates is the artistic director of the Ensemble Studio Theatre in LA (EST/LA). If it sounds familiar, that is probably because it’s the name under which she posts her 1/8th pics. Gates loves new ideas and that is what she gets with this theater. They perform only new plays and have had some really interesting past seasons. How many theaters do you know that actually stage a “Sex Farce with Sea Creatures?”
That’s Gates McFadden, in a nutshell and if you are on Twitter and do not follow her, I suggest you do so, because you will not regret it and if you happen to be in LA during her theater’s season, go see something there. And if you are following her on Twitter, please join us in trying to get her a verified account, because there are no guidelines and it seems impossible. If none of this convinces you that Gates is awesome, start watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix instant queue.
Trying to revive things can sometimes be a messy business. Of course in this case it isn’t so much messy as long overdue. Since the last update I have been trying to adjust to life outside of college. I filled my days with four different part time jobs and now that I have managed to get back down to only two I think I can safely dedicate some time to my blog. I have been trying to do research for a novel and I have taken photography up as a hobby again. So I have lots of angles that I am hoping to explore in the coming weeks. To try to keep this blog on a regular schedule I am putting two weekly columns in place.
TEN TUESDAY || This will be a list post on Tuesday. Sometimes with a theme, sometimes with just some interesting things. This will start next Tuesday with a list I am very excited about.
(NON) FICTION FRIDAY || Too many books and no ambition. If I don’t have to write a paper on it, it seems like I am not in a rush to finish it. So now I am giving you guys (Non) Fiction Friday. Each Friday I will post a book review, it can be any genre, but will probably stay in the realm of novels for the most part. This is what I originally set this blog up to do, but when my junior year started I found that I wasn’t able to review as much as I would like because I wasn’t reading for fun. This will be an attempt to get back at that, and this should start on Friday
SHUTTERBUG SATURDAY || In conjunction with my attempt at Project 365 and Photo-a-Day I will make one post with the best picture from each day. That will start, tomorrow.
That covers most of the revamp. Hopefully I will be able to post more here and there regarding other projects and interesting things I find on the internet. You can also find my in the links on the sidebar for other social media tools.
Every so often someone reminds me of this blog and how neglectful I have been of it. My immediate reaction is, “Don’t worry I plan to start it up again.” Then of course months go by and I forget again: usually because I am busy writing papers and my thesis, interning, and doing other things that college students do.
Well today I am back and I am back for good. I am hoping to post a new book review in a couple of days and expect to update you guys more frequently. (Maybe that will also keep me on track with some of the research I’ve been doing.)
In the meantime sit tight and I am sure posts will come spewing out soon. This is thanks to my new iPad who I will be calling Magnus after the Sanctuary character. Now I don’t have the excuse of not being near a computer because my iPad is portable. Hold me to it readers.
Tea and Literature 