My Geek Moments

So if you know me well, you know I'm a geek. I'm one of those strange geeks that doesn't have a problem loving both Star Wars and Star Trek. You always hear you have to choose between the two, but I'm here to say that's not true. I am huge fan of both for many reasons and through the blog, you will see a geek moment posted which will give some insight into my enjoyment of each, but for now, I must focus on Star Wars. With Episode 7 fast approaching, its an exciting time for anyone who is a fan of the Saga. For most of us, 2015 cannot come fast enough, but its still a ways away. So in the mean time, I have been biding my time till then with re-watching the Saga, yes all 6 movies (I do like the prequels too), re-watching The Clone Wars TV show, loading my iPhone up with all the John William's scores I can get my hands on, as well as listening to great Star Wars Podcasts like Coffee With Kenobi, Rebel Force Radio, and the Cantina Cast. All provide different insig...

So I know it's been a while since I have posted anything. There has been spot going on in my life lately that has kept me away from fandom and blogging for a little while longer than I wanted. I'm trying to catch up here at my daughter'a piano lesson. First off thanks to all you who have sent messages and comments of support for my family. For those who aren't aware and one of the reasons I've been away, my 90 year old grandmother is in her last days with us. And since this was an overnight change in her health, I had to make an emergency trip to Alabama to see her, which heartbreakingly will most likely be the last time. I'm blessed with a great job who worked with me to get me up there to say my good byes and is continuing to work with me  to get my princess to school while my parents are still up there with my grandmother. I'm blessed and grateful for my cousin who is giving of herself day in and day out to take care of Mammaw in these last days and ma...

WOW!!! So much news has been released about the upcoming Star Wars Weekends and we are just weeks away from it all being reality!!!! Of course we have had the blockbuster news of Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, making his first appearance at Star Wars Weekends. We have had the announcement of the 5th week be added and the legendary James Arnold Taylor returning to reprise his role as host.  Disney has since announced several items of interest through out the last couple of weeks. First it was announced of several dining options offered this year for the first time. These are Star Wars character based meals. For a Disney price, you can wine and dine while having photo ops with Star Wars characters who will be hanging around the dining hall. Also for the first time ever, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, instead of the old sci-fi movies, they will be playing clips from the Star Wars movies. If you are going and want to participate in any of these dining events, make your reservation...

So for years I have heard of Dr. Who and how great of a sci-fi show it was.  Yet, with my fandom of so many other franchises, I didn't want to get tied into a show that has been around since the 60's. That's a lot of seasons to catch up on. Besides, Star Wars has a new show and movie coming out, Star Trek has a new movie in the works, then with all the other franchises that aren't producing anything new: Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Space Above And Beyond; I wouldn't just have the time to squeeze in something else. So what changed? Well I started on a new team at work and my new cubicle partner is quite the fangirl. Besides liking Star Trek The Next Generation like me, she is quite the Whovian. So with her encouragement, plus since my free trial of Netflix was still going on from when the 6th season of Star Wars The Clone Wars was released, I bit the bullet and gave the good Doctor a try. Starting with what Netflix calls season 1, which aired in 2005, I began....

So at the last minute, at the behest of my friend Robbie and his brother Angelo, I headed out Saturday morning for to the Orange County Convention Center to attend Megacon 2014. The announcement of my trip to Megacon scored more likes on Facebook than I expected and to be perfectly honest, I had no clue what to expect. Sure, I have been to several conventions....through my church...and they were nothing like this. So this was my first official con. Robbie and Angelo had attended several over the years, from Megacon to multiple Star Wars Celebrations. I had heard stories of conventions past, but to experience the excitement, craziness and pure fandom at a convention is unparalleled. Besides Robbie and Angelo, I knew no one. So Robbie picked me up early Saturday morning and off we went to Orlando. Angelo, being an active member in the Rebel Legion, was already over at the convention center attending to booth the Legion had set up. We arrived, thinking the convention started at 9 A....

Yes, I'm doing the typical top ten list. This will probably be the first of several too. The topic this time is my favorite episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation (TNG for short). Now before I proceed, I know I will get this question: "Aaron, why start with Star Trek? Why not do your favorite Clone War episodes?" To them I reply: I will do a Clone Wars top ten for sure, but I'm waiting to see the bonus content, lost missions, or what ever Lucasfilm will wind up calling it, first. So while waiting, lets do Star Trek TNG. The Next Generation lasted for 7 seasons and produced some great stories. It was the second series in the Star Trek franchise, and one of, if not the, most popular of the series. A stellar cast commanded the Enterprise into a new era and new life.

One thing question I always hear get asked is "what is your favorite Star Wars movie?"  And I have heard every answer under the sun. So that got me thinking which of the movies do I feel is my favorite? Which holds the fondest memories of me? Now the general consensus is that The Empire Strikes Back is the greatest of the the 6 movies and I would have to agree. ESB is darker, has the start of Han and Leia's romance, Luke's first lightsaber battle, the revelation of Vader's and Luke's relationship, and the introductions to Lando and Yoda. It generated some of the most quotable lines in Saga: "Do or do not, there is not try."; "I love you!" "I know."; "No, I am your father."; and so many more! The unmatchable score by John Williams for the pursuit of the Falcon through the asteroid field is still by far my favorite of all his compositions. And of course, the first appearances of Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett, who is one...

Well it's that time of day that comes around once a year where everyone is in their post turkey comas, the Lions are playing on national TV for the only time this year, and every commercial is trying to entice me to be at their store at the butt crack of dawn to get the best deals of the year. I worked retail for over 10 years, let me let you in on a secret...Black Friday doesn't have the best deals of the year! Sure retailers will tell you it is, and they will have a dozen or so items at an extremely high discounted price, but chances are the number of items are limited and what you truly want isn't on sale. Retailers want you to focus on the sales and "savings" going on tomorrow, but what about the true meaning of Thanksgiving. It's not the sales.  It's not the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, or what ever else is cooked. The true meaning is family and being able to spend time not only with them, but a time to focus i...

Hello again. Today  I want to discuss Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.   Spinning out from the success of Marvel Avengers, this show focuses in on a rag tag team of non superhero agents of a not so secret agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division) as they run the globe protecting the unknown. Now I'm gonna make this clear right now, I'm not a comic book reader. I can't say I have ever actually read a comic book in its entirety. My exposure to the Marvel and DC universes are strictly through the movies: Superman, Batman, X-Men, Iron Man, Avengers, etc.; or through T.V shows: Batman The Animated Series, Super Friends, Batman Beyond, etc. Now knowing this, my views of these properties and this show in particular are not going to be based on comic books. I'm a big fan of the podcast Geek Out Loud! and the hosts Steve and Derek keep me in stitches each show and have a great insight into most things geek (except Star T...