Video Friday! for 9/30/11

I, like so many of you, am super duper confused and angry by all of the changes from Netflix recently.   I mean, really how does splitting the company help except make me more interested in learning about Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime?  


I did find one benefit to all of this though; a lot of funny Netflix videos!  Here are a few that I enjoyed!











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We have our Winners!

And these awesome prizes go to......

*fake drumroll noise*

Cassandra P. and Nichol P.!!!!!!!

Congrats to our winners!  

Thanks again to New York Comic Con, @Henchling and @MisterJackal 

for making this giveaway happen!  You are awesome!

 If you didn't win, we still hope that you come to New York Comic Con.  This year is shaping up to be the best one yet.  Stay tuned as we bring you more great info to get ready for the biggest con on the east coast!

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The Wait for Pottermore is Over!

I was feeling done in... couldn't win, then I checked my email and saw this, "Your Pottermore account is ready! Step this way..." Can you guess what I did next? If you guessed that I spent the next several hours exploring Pottermore then 5 points for your house. Aw heck, let's make it 10. I'm feeling generous.


So, how is it, you ask? It is not the be-all-end-all, greatest, revolutionary online experience ever, but it is pretty darn good. The graphics are exquisite. The first book is the only one available right now, but I can't wait for the others, just for the graphics. You never clearly see the main characters, but the impression is that of a hybrid between what the actors look like and the book art. Then it looks like it was painted and magically put online. (I know it's taken hours and hours of painstaking hard work but allow me my fantasy.)


You're taken through the Philosopher's Stone from beginning to end, chapter by chapter. You can collect cards, galleons, objects, books, and potion ingredients. For each chapter, you can zoom in to see more of the scene and unlock different information. For a couple of them, you have to do things like do a spell in order to progress. It's a lot of fun. 


The background information JK Rowling provides is interesting, but I have to admit, I did not read it all because I wanted to finish the story. But there are a lot of good nuggets of info. I particularly liked reading about Petunia and Vernon's courtship.

Diagon Alley is pretty great. You get to go into several different stores to purchase your supplies. After you do that, you get your wand. You're asked a bunch of questions, that to me make little sense, and then it's chosen for you. Mine is 12 3/4 inches, made of Sycamore with a dragon core and surprisingly swishy. 


Now, the moment everyone wants and waits for - The Sorting Ceremony. You have to wait until chapter seven before you get sorted. Then you answer some questions and get placed. I ended up in Slytherin; I'm a little surprised by that. I almost wish there was an option to say, "Not in Slytherin" if it was between that and Gryffindor, but alas, there's not, so a Slytherin I shall be (insert melodramatic music here). 


From then on, your house is your house. You get a welcome letter and get to see the common room. It's just a room that shows the points leader board and allows you to comment or chat with other Slytherins. It really does not affect how you progress in the story.


Unfortunately, Pottermore is not without its faults. I know the site is still in beta so there are bugs but some are just a little too problematic right now. The biggest one is the inability to handle the amount of traffic the site is getting. I've been getting a message saying, "unavailable, come back later", or " too much traffic, come back later." It's not even open to the public yet! This needs to be fixed ASAP. This is Harry Potter. You don't put something together that's this awesome and not make sure as many people as humanly and inhumanely possible get use it.


Another problem is you can cast spells, make potions, and duel with other people, yet the dueling is currently done and making potions is nearly impossible. I don't know what is needed, whether a mouse instead of a track pad or something else, but I have tried to make a cure for boils at least five times and each time something went wrong, particularly with my wand. I can't tell if it was me or the site, but it did not work and it is driving me crazy. Doing the spells is much easier than potions, but still very hard. Speaking of spells, if anyone knows how to unlock the other spells, please let me know!


Finally, it is also a little difficult to connect with friends on Pottermore. You can give permission to Facebook, and they will find everyone but only if those friends have connected to Facebook too. Also, since you have to choose a family friendly username, it is hard to know who is who. Through the Facebook Connect, I found some friends and sent them requests but when they accepted it didn't say, "Bob accepted." It said, "LeviosaFlight360 accepted." It is hard to be social when you do not have any kind of clue as to who is on the other end. 


Overall, I believe Pottermore has the potential to be something really special, but it still has a lot of work to do and it really needs to get the other books involved. But if you are a Potter fan then this is a great place for you to come, learn more about the universe, have some fun and maybe make a few new online friends. 


By the way, I'm PurpleBronze180, if you want to hang. 

Road to NYCC '11: [insert lunch here]

nom nom nom

New York Comic Con approaches!  The panel schedule has been released and people are getting into full frenzy-mode (RE: Wilder).  We know as much as anyone that there's a lot of work to do before tackling a major Con.  Between plotting out your schedule for the panels and the signings, then also making time to check out the floor, booths and vendors; it's no wonder that most con-goers want nothing more at the end of a long day than to sit down and enjoy a decent meal.  Lucky for you your buddies at IGH have got your back.


I can't speak for everyone else, but the dreaded question: "what do you want for dinner?" often turns into a hour-long discussion/argument and there's always at least one person will have to recount every meal they've had since last week.  When you're already exhausted and hungry this stalemate can get more than frustrating.

You were warned.

That's why we've gone and mapped out some local eateries around the Javits Center for you!  Give a click right here for [insert lunch here].  Our list isn't comprehensive by any means; New York city is home to some of the best dining in the world.  Our list is a little more... grounded.  We get that the average NYCC fan wants something simple and not too pricey.  Plus almost every place on the list we can personally vouch for.  We've included some descriptions with each entry to give a little more insight, so please enjoy.


See you at the Con!


Bon Appetit!





View [insert_lunch_here] in a larger map




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Sunday Links for September 25

My apologies that Sunday Links is so late but I couldn't get my computer to turn on.....which really sucks. Anyway, here is some of the big news of the week!

New York Comic Con released their programming this week, to my dismay. The Walking Dead panel is at the same time as The Avengers panel! The Felicia Day panel is the same time as the Husbands/Jane Espenson panel! Too much awesome to pick between!!!! Oh, the humanity!
(via New York Comic Con)

Wizard heartthrob Daniel Radcliffe may have put his foot in his mouth this week, with the release of some behind the scenes footage. In it, he insinuates that Harry Potter is superior to Star Wars and Star Trek because it started as literature and grew to the big screen. I kinda get what he is saying but I am not sure I agree.
(via Nerd Bastards)

Another icon bits the dust with the announcement of the death of Optimus Prime. This one caught me by surprise.
(via Guerrilla Geek)

In case you were worried, we found Waldo! He has been to quite a few odd places...the last pic of Waldo is definitely a split between funny and NSFW.
(via Geeks Are Sexy)

Until next week....

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Video Friday! 9/23/11

Here are some great videos circulating the webisphere to hep get you in the mood for the weekend!


I have sung the praises of Google+; I love it but the folks over at CollegeHumor have come up with a new social network. Rather than me telling you about it, I'll let them.





via Mashable


I think I agree with the overall message of this video.





via youtube


This is one of my favorite zombie songs ever!





via youtube


Ah, if only all zombies could communicate like that. Then we'd be able to blow their brains out while they're signing.


Take care everyone!


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Road to NYCC '11: Design Contest Craziness!

With New York Comic Con less than a month away, companies are starting to promote their NYCC plans.  A couple of the promotions we found are design contests that require a little work ahead of time, so get ready!

First up, our friends at Red Bubble sent us some info about their design contest.  You have to create your very own, original, comic book character.  No rules on powers, dress, good or evil; they just have to be awesome!  The winner gets their creation on a Red Bubble exclusive t-shirt to be sold to the masses at NYCC!  All entries will be shared with the fans, and the top 20 vote-getters will be seen by Red Bubble top staffers, who will pick the winner!


You can get more details right here.  There are only a few days left to enter, so get started now!


Are you a Red Bubble fan but not a design star?  Don't worry, they have a ton of giveaways planned for during NYCC, including stickers, cards and bags, and even some limited edition NYCC t-shirts and iPhone cases.  That's not even the big news - on Saturday and Sunday, they will be giving away one years' worth of free t-shirts from RedBubble.com to a lucky winner.  You can find Red Bubble at booth 1938 so make sure you add their booth to your schedule!




Are you in love with the Android guy?  Do you want to make him better?  If you do, tokidoki and Metro PCS need your help!  They are looking for a fan to design a new tokidoki-inspired Android to decorate their booth at NYCC.  The top 20 designs, picked by tokidoki's creative director Simone Legno, will be posted on Facebook for fan voting!


Check out this page for all the details!  You have until October 1st to enter, so get started!




Did we miss a contest that you think is really awesome?  Let us know so we can tell the geek masses!  Email us at insertgeekhere at gmail dot com!

In case you still need a ticket for NYCC '11, check out our NYCC ticket giveaway!  Enter now!

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Road to NYCC '11: Con Quest '11

This past weekend, the IGH team got to be sneaky, really sneaky.  Like Charlie the Unicorn sneaky.

Yeah, they are really tired of me repeating this scene over and over and over....

We were hiding prize envelopes for Con Quest '11.  In case you don't know, Con Quest is a multi-state scavenger hunt for New York Comic Con tickets.  Over parts of the east coast, dedicated geeks hid tickets to NYCC, who tweeted the clues.  We broke up into teams to cover NYC en masse.  The IGH team tweeted as Team We Go Hard!  This is now our team name for all group activities, even if a name isn't required.

This year, our team split up and hid prizes in multiple parts of the New York area.  Getsuyobi and I teamed up to hide an early morning prize on Long Island before heading into NYC.  Check out what the prize looks like:

I'm hiding....

Wysefyre hid one of the prizes in Queens at the Hall of Science.  After heading into the city, the rest of the team headed down to Coney Island to drop of a clue by Nathan's Famous.  After touching the bottom of a very gross phone booth, we headed to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, where we got to see some lucky guys find the prize we hid!  

Then we moved on to the best prize location ever, The Way Station.  For you non-NYers, The Way Station is the ultimate geek bar, including a Tardis bathroom.  In case you haven't been there, you should go.  We were supposed to hide the prize in the bathroom but the clue accidentally went out early and this lucky, speedy fan beat us there!

Congrats!!!!

We closed out the night with a drink at the bar and a visit to the "Tardis" before the long ride home.  This was a lot of fun and a great way to get excited for New York Comic Con!  Thank a lot to the great NYCC team, lead by the awesome @henchling, for holding such a great event!

In case you still need a ticket for NYCC '11, check out our NYCC ticket giveaway!  Enter now!

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And our Giveaway just got better!

So, we announced last week that we are giving away a 3-day pass to New York Comic Con. That's an awesome prize and a lot of you have already entered.


But then, one of our friends and followers @MisterJackal  (he is awesome!) decided to make our Anniversary Giveaway twice as good.  That's right, we are now giving two winners each a 3-day pass to New York Comic Con. 


To let the awesomeness of this wash over you, we are also extending the contest until this Friday, Sept. 23 at midnight.


So, go now and enter! Then tell your friends. Then tell your family, co-workers, the guy at the deli and the person next to you on the bus.


Sorry but Travel and Lodging are not included.  Just the 3-day ticket.  One per winner.  US residents only so it gets to them on time.  Contest ends September 23th.


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Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!

It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day!  What a fun day, since it's the only day it is socially acceptable to tell people they are going to walk the plank.  

Wheeeeeee!

Fun way to celebrate the day: One of our Facebook followers actually has their language set to US Pirate.  You should too!


If you are not sure how to talk Pirate, see this instruction video which I found courtesy of  this Mental Floss article:

ARRRR Enjoy yer Pirate day!

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Sunday Links for September 18

Another week of fun and flights of fancy!  Here are the highlights...


They caught the sleazebag that stole part of a Superman collection from Mike Meyer.  Meyer has gotten his collection back but since this story has broken, his collection has doubled.  He plans on donating the items he has received in order to spread the wealth.  Mr. Meyer, we salute you!
(via Robot 6)


Fox announced that they are developing a pilot for the DC character The Spectre.  I'm not feeling too hopeful, especially since they canceled their last comic property.
(via Comic Book Resources)


With all of the fall premieres starting up, I wrote a plea to TV executives everywhere to not cancel shows too quickly.  Hopefully someone heard me but I'm doubtful....
(via [insertgeekhere])


The DC 52 isn't just reworking storylines, they seem to be reworking their staff too.  This week marked the resignation of John Rozum from Static Shock.  
(via Bleeding Cool)


Have you gotten your NYCC pass yet?  No, you didn't?  Then head on over and enter our giveaway for one asap!  Only 2 days left!


Until next week.....




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Muppet Friday!

The newest Muppet movie is set to come out this Thanksgiving, and I am so psyched up for it!  I was a huge fan of the old Muppet Show.  I was too young for the original airing, but I used to watch it everyday when Nickelodeon was showing the reruns every weekday.  I thought to honor the old and the new, I'd throw together two modern music videos & two of the most memorable (for me) original Muppet show skits.

There's no better way to start off, then with Weezer's Keep Fishin'.  They did such an amazing job of capturing the feel of the original Muppet Show here!

For our first classic bit I thought I'd share one of the oddest and most intriguing moments from the original show.  In what I can only imagine was an amazing writing/bong smoking session someone decided the Muppets should interpret Lewis Carol's poem The Jabberwocky.  Nuff' said.

In addition to the upcoming movie there's a new album as well.  If you haven't bought it yet, then this video of Ok Go covering the Muppet Show opening theme will convince you!

One of the best things about the Muppets is the guests.  From the show to the movies there have always been tons of guests stars and cameos.  This next video showcases none other than Liza Manelli performing Copa Cabana.  You know it was a different time when a "kids" show could feature a song about drinking, murder and mental breakdown.

Meep meep meep meep.  Meep Meep?  Meep meep meep meep meep meep meep meep, meep meep meep meep meep.  Meep meep meep meep meep meep meep;  meep meep meep meep meep meep meep meep meep meep meep.  Meep!  Meep  meep meep meep meep!  MEEP!!!

The Pillows @ Gramercy Theater 9/11/11

The Pillows, rocking.

Sunday, September 11th, 2011.  In the truest spirit of New York City, there was life, vibrancy and celebration amidst our mourning.  I admit at first I was not comfortable with traveling to Manhattan for a concert on the anniversary of the most devastating terrorist attack in human history, but at the same time I was faced with a rare opportunity and a chance to maintain normalcy.  You see, that evening I had tickets see the Japanese band The Pillows at Gramercy Theatre.  A band that had only visited America five times, and who is responsible for the soundtrack to my favorite anime of all time, Fooly Cooly (FLCL).

The crowd was extremely hyped for the show.  There's always a special energy that comes with a band that has more of a cult following than popular hits.  Before we get to the headlining act, we must give our respect to the opening bands, who both in their own way brought a lot to the show.  The theme for the evening was Japan to be sure, with two additional bands from, or with strong ties to the country.

The first band was All Ages who, for an opening act, brought a ton of energy and received it in full back from the crowd.  They featured a mix of English and Japanese lyrics and talked about their involvement with charity groups following the devastating tsunami that rocked Japan only a few months ago.  In fact, they sponsored their own charitable organization in which their fans contributed and made banners with words of support.  The band then personally delivered the messages and support to provinces in need.  All in all, I was very impressed with the group and promptly downloaded their newest album "A New Kind of Citizen".

I was already sold when I saw that hair.

 Next up on the stage was the all-female group Noodles.  They brought with them a classic rock sound.  All of their lyrics were in Japanese, but that was no barrier with the audience.  With strong yet simple rhythms and catchy riffs, it's no surprise that they had their own following on hand at the show.

We are Noodles!

Finally, the band we'd all been waiting for. The Pillows took the stage.  All of the energy that the first two acts had brought was instantly doubled as the lead singer approached the mic.  They wasted no time in plunging into their set list and riding the crest of the audience's high.

For those not familiar with the group, the Pillows are most widely known in America for the soundtrack to the anime Fooly Cooly, or FLCL, which  aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in the early 2000's.  Although their fame in America is relatively recent, the band themselves has been on the scene in Japan since 1989.

Their set included many recognizable hits from FLCL as well as many other songs that their fans were familiar with.  They never let the crowd's spirit wane and put on what I would personally describe as one of the most fun concerts I have ever been to.  The only heart-breaking moment for me was in the middle of the song I'd been waiting to hear, "Ride the Shooting Star", when my camera told me that my memory card was full.  A lesson learned the hard way.  I did however get quite a few memorable moments and songs before losing camera capabilities.  All of which are available on my Google pics and YouTube accounts for your viewing pleasure.

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Open letter to TV Executives for the Upcoming Season

Dear TV Executives,


We are almost there. It's the Fall Premiere season. I always get a mix of emotions when this yearly ritual approaches. Excitement, anticipation, fear and sadness really stand out for me.


Excitement and anticipation make sense. I am anticipating the great new shows, and I am excited to see familiar faces of current shows. Who doesn't get excited for this?


However, with the happy fun of the premiere season, I also get fear and sadness. This is because I'm afraid to fall in love with a show. I have a strong fear because of that "show love," I'll be devastated that a show I love will get canceled way too early. Don't tell me I'm irrational because it happens every year.

Thanks for keeping Chuck around!

Every year, you study the numbers and decide the fate of countless shows. Now, I understand that this is your job and some shows just won't make it. It's life at its harshest but we just have to deal. However, I think you judge too quickly.


Now, please don't think that I only wrote this to make you feel bad or mad or sad or another *ad that I forgot. I do want to thank you as well, for all of the times you do think of the fans. For every chance of closure you let us have. But this kindness only makes the cancellations harder.


Some shows, while critically acclaimed, get canceled on the spot just for lack of viewers. This is after 1-3 episodes! Perhaps you failed in promoting these shows. All of these tv critics can't be wrong.

Remember me?  Maybe not because I was only around for 2 episodes!

Please, give the fans a chance to show you that they care. Keep in mind that Nielsen doesn't represent most of the country. I cast my vote online, by watching shows on Hulu or studio websites, by talking about shows in forums, and by following shows on facebook and twitter. Please give your writers, producers and actors a chance to prove themselves to us fans and, please be careful with my heart.


Unendingly your biggest fan & foe,
Wilderowens



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Holy Crap, it's our 1 Year Anniversary!

Wow, the past year has gone so fast. It's hard to believe that a year ago, we were sitting in Getsuyobi's living room writing our first post. Now, we have reached geeks on 6 continents (We still need Antarctica! Damn penguins!) and in 109 countries!


Looking back, it is amazing to see everything that has happened in the past year. I don't think that Wysefyre and I had any idea what we were getting into when we started IGH.  Really, I mean that.  Despite the craziness, I am so happy that we jumped in feet first.  IGH has been a fantastic ride with cool prizes.  This blog has brought more to me than I ever thought possible. Because of this, I have made friends in all corners of world, done things I never would have dreamed of, and got to share it with all of you.


Thank you all for taking part of this crazy journey that we are on. I hope that you have had as much fun as we have, and that you will stick with us. Make sure that you tell us what you want to see. We love to try new things, share our experiences and always hearing from fans.


Going forward, we have a lot in the works, especially about New York Comic Con. We hope that you will join us, which is why one lucky fan will win a 3-day pass for NYCC (thanks to those awesome peeps at NYCC)!  NYCC is the East Coast home for everything geeky and fun!  This year they will be featuring the minds behind the DC 52!  This fan will also get a chance to meet us (if they want, we aren't picky). Check out our facebook page for the entry form. 


Sorry but Travel and Lodging are not included.  Just the 3-day ticket.  US residents only so it gets to them on time.  Contest ends September 20th.




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Remembering September 11

Today is the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Rather than post Sunday Links, we would like to ask you to take a moment to reflect on the day. Go back and remember where you were on that day when so many lives were lost. Think about how this day, filled with so much pain and anguish, brought people and communities together. It turned ordinary people into heroes and it made us appreciate the people in our lives more. This is a moment in history that made us put aside our differences to help our fellow men & women and it is one we should never forget. Being from NY, we know that we never will.

Though we encourage it every day, please show your support for our Soldiers, Police, Firefighters, and EMT's today. They put their lives on the line for us every day and are true heroes. Thank You.

Video Friday! 9/9/11 (Late Night Edition)

Hi everybody! It's Friday and you know what that means... Videos!


This is one of the strangest things you'll see this week or in the upcoming weeks. I know it's an old clip but it is still insane and amusing.





via The Mary Sue


Pika Pika!





via YouTube


This is really cool but sometimes the guy looks a little creepy.





via YouTube


This is all kinds of awesome. I <3 stop motion.
Jonny Quest Opening Titles from Roger D. Evans on Vimeo.


via Geeks Are Sexy


Google+ gets the Social Network treatment.





via Huffington Post


Have a great weekend everyone!

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Wolverine Gets the Anime Treatment

Marvel Anime - Publicity Still

I just found out Marvel Anime premiered a few weeks ago. I guess I’m a little late to the party. Oops.

Billed as a way for Marvel to "push the boundaries with the Marvel Universe and seek new mediums for [their] characters," Marvel has teamed up with Madhouse, one of the top Japanese animation studios in the world, to help "expand the Marvel brand with a truly global vision tailored to themes and artistic styles popular in Japan, creating a uniquely localized and cross-cultural adaptation of the Marvel Universe." (Marvel Official Press Release)


I decided to check out Wolverine and for the most part, I like it. I watched the Omega Red episode. I have no idea what else is going on other than Wolverine’s in Japan, he kicked Omega Red’s butt, and people are trying to kill him. Basically your average day for Wolverine. Oh, and Mariko is around. (Die-hard Wolverine fans know why that's a fun fact.)

While I enjoyed it, I was left a little confused. Maybe it’s because I am jumping in in the middle, but I don’t know how old Logan is supposed to be. That might seem odd, we all know he’s over a hundred, but the animation makes him appear much younger than most portrayals, and Milo Ventimiglia of Heroes and Gilmore Girls fame sounds extremely young.  I know it has been said that the backstories were going to be played around with but unless they completely reworked his history, something does not add up. 


He is established as an X-Man and he has the adamantium but he does not sound like a man who has been through more than a lifetime's worth of crazy or had his mind mucked up.  I don't know if that was a conscious choice of the creative team or if it is just because Ventimiglia is a young man who has not abused his voice enough to sound rough and gritty.


Overall, I really like the animation. The backdrops are gorgeous and Omega Red looked badass. It’s Wolverine who kinda ruins it for me. He’s tall with a mullet and really oddly placed sideburns. I feel like they were trying to make him an anime Hugh Jackman and not the short, scrappy, hairy Wolverine we all know and love. 

My only other mild complaint is he was working with a female, who I believe to be Yukio, but her name is never mentioned in this episode. Come on! The episode had several different characters and other than the law enforcement agents who are after him, everyone else was named. Why would it have been so difficult to just call her by name just once? I don’t get it.

That said, I am definitely going to give the show another shot. The story, pace, and action were good and I really enjoyed watching it. I am also going to give Iron Man a go. You should too.

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