The Great Geek Manual

We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.

- Marie Sklodowska Curie in a lecture at Vassar College, May 14, 1921.

1856
Charles Darwin begins writing the book The Origin of Species at his home in Down, England.

1921
The silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene, is released to Japanese theaters. The film will have an enormous influence on many future film directors.

1932
The first electrical timing device is tested at a track meet for three events between Columbia University and Syracuse University at Columbia’s Baker Field in New York City.

1935
The Griffith Planetarium opens in Los Angeles, California. It is only the third planetarium in the US.
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Art

• New York Magazine has posted a documentary on Joshua Allen Harris’ Inflatable Bag Monsters. It’s not trash, it’s art!
• The Sculptures of Kris Kuksi are a bit intense for the the living room coffee table, but they are the sort of artwork you could stare at all day and base novels upon.

Comics

• In his obituary “R.I.P. Comic Book Stores,” Julian Yap writes, “I have been given a vision of the future, and in it the comic book store is dead.”

Film

• According to SciFi Wire, the next Philip K Dick story to hit the big screen is going to be Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said.
• Film.com does a great job naming The 50 Greatest Movie Monologues.

Internet

• Costume designer Angelique Trouvere shares recollections of the earliest days of Star Trek conventions in the Newsweek article “Where Trekkies were Born“.
• Just as Hulu was beginning to revolutionize television, it starts to look like the service could very well become a Victim of It’s Own Success.

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OMG! All my stuff was in there, and I didn’t back it up! Refresh! Refresh, damn it!

Source: Give up Internet!

Nerd of this kind, crucially, are not actually like machines; they just remind people of them. They get stuck with the name “nerd” because their outward behavior can make them seem less than, and more than, human.

- American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent, May 13, 2008.

Theories about the fine difference in meaning between geek, dork, and nerd in Silicon Valley and other tech hives are all over the Internet, but, internationally, the nerd/otaku/geek/dork is a concept that involves: loneliness; the rote, mechanical nature of work in the industrial and postindustrial ages; the way modernity allows the body to fall into disuse; and the way contemporary mass media invite people into voyeuristic relationships with simple fictions and numb them to the pleases of real life. To understand nerds in to enrich our understanding of many demons.

- American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent, May 13, 2008.

1637
The table knife is invented by Cardinal Richelieu in France. Previously, daggers were used to cut meat at a meal and to pick one’s teeth. Richelieu becomes the first person of note to provide his dinner guests with knives so that there would be no need for them to bring their own along and to further round the points off all of his knives to remove their usefulness as personal weapons.

1821
Samuel Rust of New York City patents the Washington Press, the first practical and successful printing press to be built in America. George E Clymer’s Columbian Press was the first press to be built in America, however, it was never widely adopted.

1880
Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

1884
Less than five years after the successful development of the first incandescent light bulb, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE), the predecessor of the later Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), is formed. Members will include Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison.
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Movie: “Star Trek”

Rating: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content.
Release: May 8, 2009
Running Time: 2 hrs 6 mins
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana… IMDB listing

Verdict:
Still baring vivid scars from the horrendous disappoint dealt to me in my adolescence by Lucas’ rape of my favorite film franchise, I approached Abrams’ reboot of my second favorite franchise tentatively, afraid I would once again be burned by my own naive optimism.

I went into the theater expecting – maybe even hoping – to hate this film. Two hours later, I walked out, wondering what the hell had happened. Somewhere in the course of the film, I had stopped noticing the film’s many plot holes and inconsistencies, forgotten my animosity, and been swept up into a bright, exciting story.

It wasn’t the Star Trek I knew and obsessed over. It didn’t carry the weight of a cultural icon. It wasn’t thought-provoking. It was just two hours of light-hearted escapism that I really enjoyed.

I recommend seeing this one on the big screen, where it was meant to be seen, and bringing a friend. Star Trek isn’t going to score high in terms of rewatch-ability, so make the most of it the first time out.

Synopsis:
The greatest adventure of all time begins with Star Trek, the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!
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Film

• Christian Bale Was Originally A Terminator 4 Supporting Character, but it somehow got expanded. Couldn’t have been his Batman performance, I’m sure.
• Cinematical suggests Seven (other) Franchises J.J. Abrams Should Reboot, to which I would like to add Transformers. Because I think it would just be better if we all pretended that last one didn’t happen.
• The Danger Room shares Star Trek: A Military Analysis.
• Film Jabber counts down the 50 Best and Worst Twist Endings in Movies.
• Klingons review Star Trek.
• A new Blood: The Last Vampire trailer has hit the net, and it’s really giving me hope that some of my favorite manga may yet make it to the big screen. If they can do Blood, why not HellSing or Witch Hunter Robin?
• There’s a new Four Minute Clip of Terminator: Salvation online, and it’s looking good.

Internet

• Crave rounds up 10 Hilarious Star Trek Spoofs.
• The Late Show presents Top Ten Lines Never Before Said In a “Star Trek” Film.
• Wallet Pop shares the Best sites online to watch movies for free.

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