Weekly Geek Outs - 04/15/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Doctor Strange

We were treated to our first look at the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week with the teaser trailer for Doctor Strange. While there has been some backlash for whitewashing The Ancient One (perhaps ignoring that they're having a gender nonconforming woman in the role), I nevertheless thought this initial glimpse was great. They're also changing Baron Mordo to be played by an black actor, which is great to add more diversity to what is a somewhat lackluster roster of MCU heroes and villains when it comes to diversity. This movie just looks like a trippy, wild, fun ride that is like Inception with magic and superheroes. I'm in!

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Another great teaser trailer we got this week was for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (how are we going to abbreviate this movie title? FBWTFM?). Exploring more of the deep Harry Potter universe, this movie will take place in 1920s America, which will be a refreshing take and will provide so many opportunities to flesh out this world. I'm really looking forward to this movie, and while we don't get much in this trailer, anything taking place in this world already has my interest piqued.

• Fear the Walking Dead

After the disappointing season six finale of The Walking Dead, this past Sunday we were treated to the premiere of season two of Fear the Walking Dead. This show's initial six episode season one was pretty slow moving (I know I saw someone joking that pretty much the entire season was summed up in a quick "Previously On..." which goes to show how little happened) and this first episode was no different. The jokes about this show being a zombie sort of write themselves. Both of these shows are starting to lose me with their inconsistency and lack of character exploration or anything that gets me really invested in the show. Also, FTWD struggles to me with their chemistry between the characters, which makes it hard to watch or get connected to the show. I think I'll give FTWD a few more episodes to win me over, but if not, I don't think I'll waste my time anymore.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 04/08/16

Greetings!

Here's what is all the geeky stuff going on in my world this week:

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This movie finally came out on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital HD this week, bringing along some new special features alongside the much beloved film. I was really excited to dig in with the behind the scenes stuff for this movie to get some more background and context to the the story and production. I have to say I was a little disappointed by what I found. There is certainly a breadth of different special features, but the depth isn't there. I found myself sort of bored with them, and I watched most of them all in one sitting. The deleted scenes were the worst part. They were all irrelevant fluff and only added up to a few minutes of footage. I'm sure they are going to repackage this movie several times in the future (in addition to all the current versions for different retailers) and have a trilogy box set with Episodes 8 and 9 when they come out that has more special features. I'm happy to finally own the film, I just wish there was more stuff with it.

• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The first teaser trailer for this upcoming addition to the Star Wars universe dropped yesterday morning. To put it simply, I am so excited for this! It is a unique exploration of this rich universe for the first time as a movie. We've had plenty of video games, comics, and books that expand the Star Wars universe, but this is the first "anthology" film we'll be getting, and it looks like it will not disappoint. Dare I say that it could be even better than Force Awakens?

• The Walking Dead

This past Sunday was the season 6 finale of TWD. I did not like it. I think the cliffhanger was cheap even though there are some that are clinging to it as masterful storytelling. The entire finale episode was a build up to a moment that itself dragged on and then did not pay off (it won't for another seven months). This show has had high highs and low lows. It is either really unique, fun, brutal, emotional television, or a super boring drag with no end in sight. After the finale, I contemplated giving up on this show, as I have with other shows in the past (for example: New Girl, Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time, Game of Thrones, Heroes Reborn). I think the break will help me get some distance and reevaluate if I want to keep committing time to the show. Maybe Fear the Walking Dead will reinvigorate me with this zombie universe.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 04/01/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• April Fool's

I'm not a big fan of April Fool's Day. Especially within the geek/nerd community, sites often play with our emotions by posting fake trailers and announcements for things we would actually want to happen. Also, I'm just not one for pranks most of the time. I feel like I have to stay off the Internet all day on April 1 because nothing I see can be taken seriously. I know it is all in good fun, but some sites just annoy me. Maybe I need to loosen up, but that's just how I feel right now. Don't play with my emotions, Internet!

• Friends

I'm not talking about the popular '90s sitcom here. I'm talking about my actual friends. Since I became recently engaged to my partner, I felt inspired to reach out to friends and call them to catch up and share the good news. It's been nice to connect with the people I care about who have since moved all across the country. It's important to make time for the people in our lives that we care about! Actually talking to people on the phone or via video chat really helps keep connections thriving even if you can't hang out in person. I miss all my friends and I hope to see them all again very soon.

• TV

All my shows have been a mixed bag lately. Flash has been coming on and off with new episodes for no understandable reason. Arrow is okay, SHIELD has been losing me a bit, and I've been enjoying the more robust lineup of Comedy Central shows lately (Broad City, Workaholics, Not Safe, @midnight). There is so much good TV out there either to watch through Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or elsewhere. I think I may need to invest myself to a new series. I also need to catch up on Orphan Black and watch all of Supergirl (only watched the pilot). I take my entertainment seriously, it's important for me to have good stories to watch to unwind and I like to share a lot of this entertainment with my partner too. I'll be sure to keep you all updated with my thoughts as I explore some new potential TV series.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 03/25/16

Greetings!

I come to you recovered (mostly) from my wisdom teeth extraction last weekend. All went well, but I took some well deserved time to rest, hence why there was no posts.

Nevertheless, I am here now with some stuff that has been going on in my world:

• House of Cards, Season 4

I watched this latest season recently, and I must say it was an improvement over the past season (which I was more of a fan of than others, but I can understand others complaints). We follow the continued complexities of Frank Underwood's presidency, and his difficulties on the campaign trail. We see more deception and plotting by both of the Underwoods, which was return to form for the series. The set up for season 5 also has me excited, and this season was an enjoyable one with a lot of tension as well as good twists and turns. As one of the early hallmark shows of Netflix's original series, House of Cards continues to impress, and I can't wait to see how it ends (whenever it does).

• Daredevil, Season 2

While I was recovering over last weekend, I spent the majority of that time watching the newest season Daredevil on Netflix. This season mostly continued the positive momentum of the previous season, and continued the universe building within its sibling shows on Netflix. We were introduced to Elektra, Punisher (my favorite new addition) and further explored the Hand, as well as the introduction of some other neat plot threads. While this season was uneven for me in some parts, the action is still top-notch, and the character work is great, especially with the new antiheroes we met in Elektra and Punisher. I'm stoked for Luke Cage to get his due in September, and for Iron Fist to get introduced too!

• Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

I saw this highly anticipated movie last night, and my initial (spoiler-free) reactions are...it's complicated. I read some reviews before going and seeing BvS, and the general consensus is lukewarm. I agree with the gripes most people have been having with the film; it can be unfocused, overblown, and sometimes dull but is not a terrible movie. Wonder Woman stole the show for me, and as simple as it was, her theme music was awesome. I think she has the best potential for this new DC movie universe to be a standout and fan favorite character, especially with her imminent solo movie next year. I will say also that some problems with this movie are the...unique interpretations of Superman and Batman. The director Zack Snyder puts them into a dark, gritty modern day world and they fit, but they are very loose interpretations from the source material. Not to say they're bad interpretations, just that purists will probably have (have had) issues with their depictions here. I'll go into some more detail on Monday for my full thoughts and feelings after a weekend of processing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 03/11/16

Greetings!

Here is what I am geeking out about this week:

• Major Life Announcement

So many of you may have already heard through social media, but I proposed to my partner, Jenn, during our trip away (more details on that below). She said yes and we are very excited to start our lives together. We've been together for over two and a half years, and as she graduates and we job search together, I felt inspired to let her know how I felt about her and our future. I was really nervous in the moment when I asked her and forgot a lot of the things I wanted to say, but I eventually got out of my head and laid it all out to her. We're so pleased with everyone's joy about our engagement, and it was nice to hear from so many people from our lives congratulating us and wishing us well. Now, onto figuring out wedding plans!

• Spring Break Retrospective

I had a great time over the past few days with my partner taking our road trip around New England. We stopped at Portland, ME, Portsmouth, NH, and Burlington, VT. We ate good food, visited some breweries, saw five new college campuses (University of Vermont was especially cool!), and toured the Ben & Jerry's and Cabot creameries. It was an awesome time together, and I am happy to relax a bit more before work starts back up in full next week.

• New Captain America: Civil War Trailer

A new trailer dropped this week and it was amazing! We got our first glimpse of Spider-Man (I liked it!) and somewhat of how he will figure into the story. We're less than two months away from this movie coming out, and it is looking to be an intense one, with our heroes going full force at each other. I'm expecting more twists and turns to happen in this movie where anything is possible and the future of the MCU is at stake!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 03/04/16

Greetings!

Hope all is well with you all! Here are my geek outs for this wonderful week:

• Spring Break

I'm definitely excited for this break to be here. After a busy week, I'm taking some time away with my partner to go on a little road trip around New England to do a bunch of different little things we want to get to while we're still living close by in Maine. We're going to eat a lot of good food, drink some cool beers, and see some awesome stuff. It will be a lot of fun and I always appreciate the quality time and the adventures I get to have with my partner. Stay tuned for a recap next week!

• Fitbit

I finally got a Fitbit Flex for me and my partner last week after much deliberation. They've been working pretty well for us so far. I bought them refurbished and while there have been some hiccups, when they work, it is seamless and they're comfortable to wear all day. I've been getting a baseline of how many steps I take, how well I sleep, etc. While I don't walk around as much as I like right now, it will be nice to see the improvements over time. I definitely recommend getting one to anyone who is interested!

• Podcast Anniversary

Two years ago today, the first episode of The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast premiered. Now, I've recorded the 100th episode of the show, and we're moving onward to 100 more episodes. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this endeavor, and I am very grateful for all it has given me. We have had so many great guests and talked about a lot of engaging, important, and thought provoking topics. I can't wait for you all to hear the very special 100th episode. We look back at everything more in depth and we flip the script with a super secret guest interviewing me. Thanks to all of you who listen to the episodes. I greatly appreciate it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/26/16

Greetings!

Here's what I'm geeking out about this week:

• Love on Netflix

My partner Jenn and I blew through this show over this past weekend, and we loved it (pun intended)! An atypical romantic comedy series from Judd Apatow, Jenn and I really connected with the main characters. The whole show is very unique, engaging, and funny. Sharing a similar space to its Netflix sibling show, Master of None, Love is a very real look at modern relationships and how we make decisions about who to be with. I highly recommend this show! We'll get season two next year and I can't wait!

• Vixen on Arrow

We were treated to the live action debut of Vixen, who was originally featured in the CW Seed web series set in the DC TV Universe. She brings a fun attitude, an awesome female character, and cool mystical powers. I'm glad they got the same actress who voiced Vixen in the animated web series to depict the character in live action. Just provides some nice consistency and the actress nails it. I hope we can look forward to more Vixen on Arrow and Flash in the future!

• Legends of Tomorrow

This week's episode takes us to the Star City of 2046, a dystopic wasteland with an older, grizzled (and one-armed!) Oliver Queen who has become a recluse in the wake of the tragedies that have befallen his city. This glimpse was a tease of a potential future that would be really neat to explore more as a sort of what if scenario. This week's episode of LoT struggled a bit with a weird romantic subplot, but otherwise it was a cool episode and I'm always eager to see where the team ends up next!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/19/16

Greetings!

Here's what is on my mind this week:

• The Walking Dead

Walking Dead came back from its mid-season break this week, and wow, it came back in a big way! Picking up right where the last episode left off, we were treated to an epic episode with a lot going on, but it all worked. It is easily one of the best episodes of the series so far, and I'm really excited to see where the rest of the season goes from here. I enjoy watching this show as it airs with my partner, since it gives us one more thing to share and it is a nice Sunday night ritual before the work week begins. I've been with this show since the beginning, and I'll (most likely) be with it until the end.

• Valentine's Day

Connecting to the previous item, this past Sunday was also Valentine's Day, which I spent with my partner, enjoying a nice, quiet day at home. We had a tasty breakfast, wonderful dinner (that I made, which is a rare occurrence), and some of our favorite wine that we have held onto since we were in New Jersey for Winter Break since we can't find it up here in Maine. We also enjoyed The Walking Dead together to cap off the night. It was really great to be able to spend that quality time together, and it continues to reinforce the importance for us of making the time on our schedules to have this with each other.

• RA Interviews

Something that has been (and will continue to) keeping me busy lately is rolling out this year's hiring process for Resident Assistants. I'm taking a bigger part in this for this cycle, and it has been quite the learning experience. It is fun to see all of the raw enthusiasm from the students involved, and it is helping me be more detail oriented organizing everything. We just started a few weeks ago, and the process will go until about this time next month, so there is still plenty to come, but so far it has been a positive experience and I look forward to see how the rest of it will go!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/12/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Mad Men, Season 7

Now that Netflix has finally made the entire final season of Mad Men available to stream, I've began to finish up this modern classic, of which I have been a fan of for a while now. I love the historical perspective of the entire series, and the character study of Don Draper, which has really come to a head in this last string of episodes. I've gotten through the first half of season 7, and I'm eager to see how they wrap everything up. While it doesn't hold the same high place as Breaking Bad for me, Mad Men is still something special and unique. It is an acquired taste I feel, so just know that if you check it out, it may not be for you.

• Job Search

I'm currently continuing my search for the next step in my career, and as it stands now, it's two years removed from when I was undertaking this process as I prepared to graduate from my master's program. It's funny to think back to where I was then, and where I am now, and how these searches are similar as well as different. This time, I've allowed myself to be a bit more picky, I'm less region bound, and I have had more leads now than I did before. I hope to have some positive updates soon, as I'm struggling a bit being patient. Searching can be enjoyable in some aspects, but the waiting around really gets me all worked up.

• Spring Break

I'm currently planning on how to spend my spring break with my partner. Everything is on the table from me needing to get my wisdom teeth out (no fun) to possibly going to Canada together, us finally visiting some of her extended family and friends in upstate New York, or something else entirely. It's about a month away and it's tough to figure out how we want to spend this valuable time. Do you use it to take care of personal stuff or do you take time to get away? Neither answer is entirely right or wrong, you (and we) just have to make a call and go with it. I'm really hoping I am able to get my wisdom teeth out before and not have too much recovery time, so that I can try to just enjoy my break.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 02/05/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Flash and Supergirl Crossover

I am super excited for the recently announced crossover episode of The Flash and Supergirl to finally happen! Ever since Supergirl premiered, fans have been hoping for this to happen, and the creators of the shows have been playing coy for a while about it, but we got the official announcement on Wednesday that the episode of Supergirl featuring Grant Gustin's Flash will air sometime in March. It's so soon! I'm assuming they'll utilize the multi-verse premise to easily segue into the crossover without having to do much narrative legwork. These are two solidly entertaining heroes that will be a lot of fun when they team up. I need to watch more Supergirl to prepare!

• Maine Craft Beer & Growlers

Something I've really enjoyed about living in Maine has been all of the fine local, craft beer there is to enjoy. I've been getting into bringing home my own growlers of beer since it is a bit more sustainable and cost effective to do so, and especially for the beer that I can't buy in a store. Some of my favorites around here are Orono Brewing Company, Black Bear Microbrew, and Baxter Brewing Company. There are so many more good ones, but I encourage anyone to check out if they have any cool local breweries in their area. Support local business and enjoy some uniquely tasty beer at the same time!

• Fitness Trackers

My partner and I have been researching different fitness trackers, like FitBit and Pacer. We have settled on getting an actual physical tracker of some sort, with most of our friends recommending FitBit (in addition to the plethora of mostly positive reviews on Amazon). It's been tough though to figure out exactly which brand to choose and which version of which brand's fitness band to get, especially since I have never had one before and they are just enough money I feel like that I want to make sure I get something I like. I'm hoping to settle on one soon with my partner, so that we can share the same technology and work together toward our wellness goals!

Thanks for stopping by!