Thursday, August 25, 2011
Secondhand Rants will return on Tuesday, August 30.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The party, as it turned out, was a tight, low-key affair that was far more understated than I had imagined. What I had pictured was a kind of nerd bacchanal, with a chiptune DJ presiding over the festivities and intoning everybody to get this party up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-a-b-started, if you know what I mean. No, it was more of a normal house party with geek elements layered on top of it–music, a few costumed attendees, delicious cookies shaped like Invincibility Stars, and, of course, video games.
I’m glad I was there, though for reasons tangential to the ones you might suspect. Sure, I had fun. There were good conversations, plenty to eat, and more than enough to drink. And when Super Smash Bros. was fired up? Still got it. But it wasn’t my crowd. It was the same feeling I’ve had when interacting with people at church or the alumni association, where the pieces, however close they may seem, don’t quite fit together. Or maybe that is the definition of a community, and this crazy notion I have–meeting people with whom I’d feel completely at home–is really a fool’s errand.
Still, like I said, it was a worthwhile outing. It was an opportunity to hone another language, to speak geek, and you never know when that might come in handy. I’m going to sign off now and clock in some more time with Breaking Bad. It’s the show of the moment for me. It’s actually the only thing I’m watching, unbelievably. I had heard about the premise of the series, but kept neglecting to try it. You know why I pulled the trigger? Boo Bear. When she raved about it, I was intrigued. It was like a mother superior saying, “Hey! It’s okay to try it. It’s okay to try it, as long as you don’t inhale.”
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Geek Week continues with tonight’s post and concludes, in a game-themed gala the likes of which this town has never seen, at a birthday party on Saturday. Were this invitation extended to me a year or two ago, I would’ve promptly declined for the simple fact that people would be present there, never mind the theme. But this is here, now, the beginning of a new era, and I agreed without a second thought.
That’s not entirely true. Oh, I marveled over the décor–koozies modeled after the pipes in Super Mario Bros, for instance–and the homemade, fully functioning giant NES pad was a feat of engineering. What gave me pause, though, was the fact that some people would be attending in costume. Was this perhaps a local chapter of Comic-Con disguising itself as a birthday shindig? I had to investigate.
My research proceeded in the bluntest, most efficient manner possible, with a point-blank question to the host himself. What percentage of guests, precisely, would enrobe themselves in bespoke digital attire? Less than half will try, he wryly answered, and less than half of those will get it right. He then spoke fondly of one guest who would come as Hitler from Wolfenstein, complete with a pixelated mustache.
Well, I’m not going to be in any of those populations. I’m opting out. I’ve selected a muted, tasteful t-shirt subtly related to a video game franchise, plus a nice pair of jeans. That will have to do. My nerd stat will undoubtedly level up after this weekend, but hopefully not by much. I’ll report back. There are times when a man must sanction limits, you see, and guard them without compromise.