The Writing Dead: Party like you have to climb back into the grave at sunrise

This is your mandatory October playlist, people, write it down.

10) Odds Are

Okay, technically, this is not a "Halloween" song. But it IS my favorite band of all time AND it DOES have zombies. So, shut up. It counts.

9) I Put a Spell on You

This is one of those movies I just HAVE to watch every October.
Amuck, amuck, amuck!

8) Beetlejuice: Day-O and Shake Senora


A twofer from Beetlejuice: Yes, technically, neither of these songs are specifically "Halloween-y". But I defy you to find someone in my generation who doesn't immediately think of this movie when they hear them. 

7) Ghostbusters

  Trigger Warning: 80s Flashbacks may ensue.

6) Don't Fear the Reaper

Most people don't even know BOC even HAD other songs, do they?

Oh well. These guys still rock it.
And the guitar solo around 2:50 is almost worth including this one all by itself.

5) Time Warp

Is it even possible to make a Halloween song list without including at least one song from Rocky Horror? Or maybe two ... 

4) Science Fiction Double Feature

This one's a twofer, 'cause, sure, the classic from Rocky Horror is, well, The Classic. But I love this cover by Black Math Experiment, too (skip ahead to 1:09 for the good stuff).

3) This is Halloween! 

Another classic with a twist: "This is Halloween" from Tim Burton's iconic "Nightmare Before Christmas" - but this time performed by my favorite Las Vegans: Panic! at the Disco. Speaking of Danny Elfman .... 

2) Dead Man's Party

Yeah, it's gonna be in your head all day now. You're welcome.

1) Thriller

Oh, come on, like you didn't know this was going to be here.

Kiss Kiss, Bite Bite,
Zen

Geek Girl meets NerdyShirts: A Love Story

"Nerd!"

Once upon a time, hearing that from my classmates made me cringe.

I was the girl in the twisty pig-tails with her nose stuck in a book while the other kids played on the jungle gym; the one who actually took pride in raising my hand in class and knowing the right answer. I was the girl who would really rather go home and play with my brother's Masters of the Universe and Star Wars action figures than go out and play Barbie or Cabbage Patch dolls with the girls down the block. And I was probably the only girl on that block who couldn't decide who she wanted to date more: Han Solo, Gambit or Starbuck. (What? I like the bad boys, so sue me. I totally had a thing for Wesley Crusher, too, if that helps.)

I learned pretty quickly that it wasn't "cool" to be a nerd - especially a nerd of the girl variety. So, I learned to be a little bit "in the closet" about my geek girl tendencies for most of my school years.

But in college - I learned to embrace my nerdiness. Partly because it was around that age that I started to realize that what random people think of me is nowhere near as important and what I think of me. And partly because I found, for the first time, friends who shared my interests.

Suddenly, it was okay to be smart. It was cool to quote scifi movies. It was fun to spend a Saturday in a Buffy marathon.

And it was finally okay for me to buy and wear the awesome "guy" tees that I secretly coveted as a little girl. (I cannot tell you how desperately unfair it was that only boys got to have superhero Underoos when I was a kid. I am still traumatized by the injustice of it all.)

Still, even then, I was buying "guy" shirts. They just didn't make "nerdy" tees for girls.

Today, it's a little easier to find geek girl gear than it once was (yay!), but it's still more of a man's world when it comes to nerdy apparel.

When I find a cool place to buy new and fun nerdy tees and accessories - AND when that place actually sells shirts made to fit over *gasp* boobs and not just skinny basement-dweller torsos and Comic Book Guy proportions - my previously oppressed inner geek girl gets pretty excited.

So when the nice folks at NerdyShirts asked me to check out their site and *ooooo* pick out a free t-shirt to try out ... well, I'm not gonna lie, Marge, I kind of *squeeed* a little. Then I got to shopping.

I have to admit, I spent a loooong time browsing around NerdyShirts. I had a really hard time picking out just one shirt to get my grubby little hands on to review for you, my awesome readers, who I love and would pimp myself out offer up my review services for.

First: My one little criticism ... the selection at NerdyShirts is not as broad as some other similar sites. BUT, the fact that they have a whole section of "girl" shirts that's almost as big as the "guy" section goes a long way for me.

The prices are really pretty good, too - most of their shirts are $14.99. That's better than a lot of other similar online shops by at $5-$10. But the lesser price doesn't mean lesser quality. Based on the shirt that I got (see awesome pic above) these are not cheap, thin, flimsy tees - it's got decent material and construction that should last as least as long as your average scifi tv series. (Kidding! It will totally outlast most of those.) ;)

I also really like that you can easily filter your search results by gender and size and theme - cuz, you know, sometimes you want an XL Star Wars shirt for your favorite geek guy and sometimes you're looking for a size small vintage comic book tee for your gal pal and sometimes you need a last minute birthday present for your medium-sized brother the recovering Nintendo-addict.

My verdict: Overall, NerdyShirts is a great site: Easy interface, quality products, good prices - and, my personal favorite - a great "girls" section. Oh, and apparently, these guys never read the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, because, if you're not happy, they've got a great return/exchange policy, too.

True story: I've already picked out my brother's xmas present from NerdyShirts and I suspect Santa will be doing a bit more shopping there before the end of the year.

So: Geeks and Gamers and Nerds (Oh, my!): Check it NerdyShirts yourself and let me know what YOU think?

Let your geek flag fly,

Zen

Groundhog Day, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the weather rodent

The astounding weather-predicting rodent Punxsutawney Phil poked his nose out of his stump up on Gobbler's Knob this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter.

As much as I might want to resent the oversized rodent for denying me an early Spring ... I don't.

As I said last year: I just love the silliness of Groundhog Day.

I mean, seriously, what an absurd holiday! A rodent that predicts the coming of Spring?! How odd a tradition is that? And, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania? Good on ya' for capitalizing the hell out of it. (Psst. Don't tell Punxsutawney I called their holy day "silly", okay? They take this shit seriously, y'all.)

Groundhog Day is such a special holiday it even has it's own movie! Dude, that puts it up there with the Big Guns of Christmas and Thanksgiving! Sure, Bill Murray is no Charlie Brown or Heat Miser. But, still, a movie named after you, that's a pretty big accomplishment for holiday that doesn't involve gifts or feasts or rampant commercialism! Go, Groundhog Day!

As I also mentioned last year, I quite like the movie. (And, since so very few of you were reading my blog this time last year, I'ma tell you, again, why I like it.)

It's a funny movie, sure. Bill Murray almost always cracks me up. But, I also see interesting philosophical undertones in it: Undertones that Buddhists and Taoists might recognize.

*SPOILERS*

In the movie (directed by the very funny Harold Ramis), Phil, the self-absorbed weatherman, finds himself trapped in the same day over and over again. He tries several approaches to end his suffering - to exert control over his reality, to break out of his cycle through some force of his will.

When those don't work, he falls into desperation and despair.

And then he has a moment of understanding and acceptance. He stops focusing on his suffering. He stops fighting against his reality. He focuses instead on this moment and he turns his attention to relieving the suffering of others. He stops "trying" and starts "being" part of a bigger whole.

By caring for others and living in this moment instead of worrying only about himself and what the next moment will be, he has the "perfect day".

"Whatever happens tomorrow, or for the rest of my life, I'm happy now..."
~ Phil, Groundhog Day

Cue the Hollywood Happy Ending™: Boy breaks cycle, boy gets girl and they live happily ever after.

There's a warm-n-fuzzy message in there, delivered on a platter of funny. Win-win, yeah?

*END SPOILERS*

So, when Groundhog Day rolls around each year, it's a reminder to me that it doesn't matter if Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of cold or an early Spring thaw.

Religiously, I'm an atheist. Philosophically, I'm a Taoist. Realistically, I'm a pragmatist: Complaining about the cold doesn't make it warm.

And, yeah, I'm not just talking about the weather.

I believe that you can either accept what life is and, thereby gain the freedom and ability to find the happiness in it, or you can make yourself miserable by dwelling on what "should be".

Groundhog Day is my annual reminder to shove "should be" out the door. If you let it, "should be" will steal your time and your happiness. I don't have any room for that thief in my life.

As Phil-the-weatherman learned on his never-ending Groundhog Day: You can beat your fists uselessly against the bars of your "cage" or you can take another look around, spruce the place up and make a home of it. And maybe find it's not so much a cage after all. It's your choice.

Whew. Pretty heavy stuff to hang on such a little holiday, huh? Meh, I think Phil can handle the weight. He's a hefty little groundhog. And, I suspect, wiser than your average rodent.

Zen

You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it

October is a rough month for me.

Oh, it's not because October is when things really start to heat up at work. And it's not because the weather starts to turn chilly and I'm a wuss about the cold. It's not even because it's when the deadly Valley fog starts rolling in, making my morning commute a life-threatening activity.

No ... It's the movies.

I love scifi movies, action movies, even a very small handful of whatcha might call "scary movies".

But I HATE "horror movies".

You cannot pay me enough to make me watch movies like Hellraiser or The Ring or The Grudge or The Hills Have Eyes or The Blair Witch Project or those damned ubiquitous Saw movies and the like.

I. Will. Freak. Out.

Urban horror? Slasher flicks? Anything with guys named Freddy or Jason? Fugeddahboutit - I am not watching. I don't even want to see the commercials or trailers for them. And please don't tell me about them.

I am just not constitutionally capable of watching stuff like Paranormal Activity or even The Exorcist.

Do. Not. Want.

The weird thing, though, it that there are "scary" movies that I DO like.

Vampires? Werewolves? Zombies? Space Aliens? ... I'm your gal! All over it!

I love Aliens, Predator, Resident Evil, Evil Dead 2, Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Dusk til Dawn, Silver Bullet, An American Werewolf in London, Hellboy, Underworld, Hitchcock movies ... hell, I even like the uber-cheesy ones like Dracula 2000, Doom, Ghosts of Mars, Bats and Bubba Ho-Tep.

And Jason X was the notable exception to my "no Jason or Freddy movies" rule. Because it was all scifi and comedic, so I just closed my eyes during the gory parts.

I even like Stephen King's It - Oh, it scared the bejeesus out of me - but I've still seen it five times. Because it had such a great story and such a life-affirming message under all of the OMFG-it's-a-man-eating-clown.

What's the difference? How is it that I can love Zombieland and hate Saw? Where do I draw the line between "horror" movies and "scary" movies?

I dunno. But it's there. Maybe somebody else can 'splain it to me. In the meantime, I will pass on the "horror" movies ... but you can pass the popcorn, please, for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

What about you? Do you like horror movies? Scary movies? Vampires, weres and zombies, oh my?

* Inspired by DaddyGeekBoy, who is a self-proclaimed scary movie wimp. ;)

Kick-Ass Chicks 2: Moving Pictures

Every girl needs strong female role models. Not just in her personal life, but in pop culture.

When I was growing up, there wasn't exactly a surplus of female "heroes" on TV or in the movies. While my brother and his friends had a plethora of heroic characters to choose from at "pretend time", I was pretty much stuck with Wonder Woman or Princess Leia.

Not that they aren't awesome. But, it's nice to have some variety, eh?

I still think young girls get the short end of the stick when it comes to pop-culture heroes. But, fortunately, we older would-be heroines have a few more strong women characters to choose from than when we were young.

I've already shared some of my favorite books about ass-kickin' chicks. So, I guess it's time to give moving pictures their due, too.

ZEN'S TOP 10: SCIFI HEROINES

10. Elizabeth Swan, Pirates of the Caribbean
The girl who went a-pirating. This character speaks to the little girl I was - the one who wanted to climb in Max's boat and go adventuring with the Wild Things.

9. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider
I've loved this character since I played the first game. She was like a female Indiana Jones - finally! And - as cheesy as they are - I like the movies, too. Mostly because Jolie plays her as an awesome balance of hot-hot-hot and so cool ice doesn't melt in her mouth.

8. Zoe Washburn, Firefly/Serenity
Speaking of cool: Zoe is the epitome of "cool under pressure". She's tough as leather and loyal to a fault. She just edged out her ship-mate, River Tam, for this slot because, while River is the picture of deadly grace, Zoe is who I would want by my side in a tough spot.

7. Katherine Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager
A smart, rational leader who thinks things through and always tries for the peaceful solution, (She's like the anti-Kirk. But, in a good way.) but who isn't afraid to give 'em both barrels if the situation calls for it.

6. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, Battlestar Galactica
She's a hard-drinkin', fast-flyin', bad-mouthin' SOB. And proud of it. Brave, brash, and just a little bit damaged. You gotta love her.

5. Sarah Connor, Terminator
Some moms say they'd take on the world for their kid. She actually does it. Yeah, she's kinda soft and fluffy in the first movie. But you get glimpses of the tough core underneath. The one that lets her become the hard-as-nails mercenary who fights the future and her own darkness in T2. And - damn- is she scary, then, or what?!

4. Leia Organa, Star Wars
"Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, flyboy!" Tough, determined, and just a tad snarky - exactly how I like my princesses. She's iconic - one of the first.

3. Trinity, The Matrix
Sure, you could argue that almost anybody could be kick ass in Bullet Time and a leather body suit. But, her toughness is tempered with a vulnerability that makes her so much more appealing. Oh, and did I mention the body suit? Day-amn.

2. Ellen Ripley, Aliens
She was one of the first of her kind - a tough, smart, brave, self-reliant woman who doesn't need a man to rescue her - she can handle it, thank-you-very-much. She was one of the characters that changed the way we saw women in SF action movies. For that alone, she would have earned a top spot on this list.

1. Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer
"She Saved the World. A Lot." I could write a book on the subject of why this was such a smart, fun show and why Buffy was such a beloved character. In fact, people have. Written books on the subject, that is. But, the truth is, if you are a fan: You already get it. If you're not, well then, you don't. Bottom line: Buffy was an interesting, original and totally kick-ass character in a show filled with outstanding plots, characters and writing. It was fun and fantastic. And I miss it.

Well, there's my list. What do you think? Did I miss anybody?
Who are your favorite SciFi heroines?