As a self-proclaimed music geek, I dig music. I dig all kinds of music, in fact. However, if one genre defined being a nerd, it would be the dreaded genre referred to as emo. Initially, emo was a post-hardcore movement for tough guys who had a softer side. Then it became more associated with the 90's pop-punk surge. Now, emo has become a term that most artists shy away from due to the stigma of being associated with commercially successful pop-punk bands that critics find repulsively generic like Good Charlotte and Simple Plan. It has been rare for bands to embrace themselves as being emo in the past few years (other than, now defunct unashamed dork rock outfit, Piebald). Read On...

Ever since keychain lasers came to popularity in the 90s, we have all heard not to shine it in someone's eye because you can blind them. Despite the warnings, I can remember people shining plenty of little red lasers into their friend's eyes and both people laughing afterwards. Only just recently did the science teacher in me start to think about exactly HOW lasers blind, and how that relates to looking at the sun. Read On...

Movies, books, and theater are essentially static mediums for storytelling. The story is set down on paper, and ever after proceeds from start to finish in the same way every single time. Bilbo is going to win the riddling contest with Gollum every time you read the Hobbit, no exception. Even within the medium of video games—where audience action may have a minor influence on the manner in which events happen—the content was created by game developers months or years previous. You might interact with it non-linearly, as in the case of sandbox games such as the Elder Scrolls or Grand Theft Auto series, but the content itself is ultimately static and unchanging. Read On...