Vacation Fail!

Back 1/3/11...

O Holy Night

Let me sum up:
Quintessential Hallmark Christmas commercial...





Let me splain:
I'm pretty sure we snagged this commercial on VHS while taping Hallmark's 1987 "The Secret Garden," so I saw it quite a bit growing up. We lived in Orange County...my big sister eventually headed to New York for college, so she was dependent on the whims of planes and weather to get home. I later went to college in Northern California, so I had to cross through the occasionally treacherous Kern Country "grapevine" on my drive home for Christmas. We always both made it on time...I loved sneaking home a day early, especially when weather promised to be fickle.

My sister just arrived home. I'll be heading home in a couple days and I just got off the phone with my parents. As we started discussing the weather, my sister ran to the window and pretended to look outside with expectant concern. We have had many cheesy family moments reenacting this sap-tastic commercial.

~Geek out

Mythbusters II

Let me sum up: An unprecedented second week of celebrating the Mythbusters, thanks to their recent episode featuring a very special guest...



Let me splain: Alright, call me lazy. But I gots a good excuse for using the same tear fodder two weeks in a row. Not only did I cry at the Presidential Mythbusters last week, the HUSBAND cried. I have known my husband for over a decade. I have seen him cry exactly 3 times. One was an excruciatingly sad funeral. In the other two situations, science was to blame. "Steamboy" was the first culprit. It's been a while since we watched it and neither of us can remember whether it was a line by Eddie Steam or Lloyd Steam that made him cry. He's trying to claim it was Lloyd, who pushes for science with heart. I believe it was actually when power-hungry Eddie states "Science should reveal universal principles, not assist humanity in its folly."

Jaime's closing statement on this week's Mythbusters was a happy medium between the two Steams--a heartfelt celebration of the pursuit of knowledge. Exactly what the episode set out to achieve. Without getting too political, this is the most excited I've been to see Obama on TV since the election. And while (spoiler alert) the myth in question was not born out, Jaime's closing words made standing in the sun all day to NOT set something on fire seem noble, purposeful, and super cool. And then my husband covered his face with a blanket.

~Geek out

Balloon Girl

Let me sum up: "Balloon Girl" on Mythbusters





Let me splain:
Where science and whimsy meet, there are bound to be gleeful tears. Nertz to "Balloon Boy's" family for tainting the joy inherent in the myth's title alone. This is one of those undertakings that my husband and I can both truly delight in--childhood fantasies made real through the power of maths! Plus this episode features Kari at her most adorable. Both Kari and ex-mythbuster Scotty rock pretty hard in the balloon popping sequence.

Incidentally, for you Mythbusters and/or comedy geeks, I highly recommend you take a listen to Adam as a guest on the Nerdist Podcast. Mr. Savage tries his hand at stand-up, with great aplomb, and also geeks out on Star Wars and the joy of making stuff look like stuff.




~Geek out

Operation P.R.O.M

Let me sum up:
Last week's Venture Bros season finale.



Let me splain:
It's a rare prom episode that fails to make me cry, and Venture Bros was no exception. Brock's final mad dash to the compound did evoke a tender tear. I'm a sap for Warburton. And hilarious failure. And this beautiful show.

More importantly, I wanted to do this as a shout-out to the good folks at AstroBase Go! Their noble effort helped to keep this past weekend from turning truly tragic for my spousal unit and me. Thanks to past episode "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean," my husband knew to get himself to the ER right away on Friday. Consequently, he still has two balls. Doc and Jackson, we love you.



Seriously boys, if you've ever had pain that feels like a twisted testicle, even if it went away after a few minutes, talk to your doc. Apparently they aren't supposed to be able to twist at all--you may have the Bell Clapper Deformity, which can be fixed with a minor surgery, and prevent your balls from ever getting so twisted up that they DIE.

~Geek out

Deathly Hallows Part I--Tear Countdown

Let me sum up:
The 8 movie moments that induced salty spillover in the most recent Harry Potter installment. Spoiler heavy...



8. Hermione "obliviating" her parents

7. Charity Burbage calling out to Snape

6. Harry taking a last look at the cupboard under the stairs

5. Hedwig's death

4. Harry and Hermione at his parents' grave

3. The Doe patronus

2. Dobby I (Dobby's death)

1. Dobby II (Harry saying they'll dig the grave by hand)

Let me splain:
I don't retain a whole lot of detail from anything I read, and the HP books are no exception. This leaves me in the delightful position of thoroughly enjoying every movie, rather than leaving miffed because of details they left out. Deathly Hallows Part II has the potential to violate this rule since I do absorb Snape trivia rather well. But I actually just ran into some photographic evidence that the epilogue WILL be included, so yay.

I was fairly certain that DH Part I would end with Dobby. I believe I mentioned in a previous post that I ran across pics of them filming Dobby's burial sometime last year and that was enough to undo me. If Dobby's death hadn't led to tears, the movie would have been a complete failure in my eyes. But, as with reading the book, it led to several waves of tears. In fact, in anticipating this sad moment, I almost lost it a few times during Dobby's sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving lines at Bellatrix's house before the final, fatal moment.

There were 4 or 5 other solid moments of tear-up sans spillover, but I didn't keep track of these. I do recall that one was Scrimgeour going through Dumbledore's will (always pictured Billy Connolly in this role--if only to give the wig folks a break--but I loved Bill Nighy).

Anyhoo, as with the books, Dobby took the cake for tears. Which, as I've noted, shocked me since until this scene Dobby had always stuck me as mildly annoying. While viewing the movie, the Doe patronus came in a close second for tears. Even I was surprised the sobby-goodness here. Snape girl, through and through.

~Geek out

Optimus

Let me sum up:
The death of Optimus Prime.





Let me splain:
This is for all you XY chromosomes. I'm a lady. I didn't have much of a relationship with the Transformers as a kid. But I was blown away by my husband's reaction to Optimus when we settled in for a weekend with the cartoon dvds 6 years ago. And when we went to see the first live action movie. The look on his face when Optimus spoke was akin to something I've seen him share with his Dad on one or two special occasions.

When I was at college, the resident university comedy magazine noted that it's really easy for a guy to attract the ladies in English class by pointing out that ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING is a Christ metaphor. I won't belabor the point. Whatever your stance on spirituality and religion, it's not difficult to be drawn to characters that emulate love and sacrifice. It's why Christina Ricci has an Aslan tattoo, for goodness sakes. Whether you think these characters are fictional shadows of a factual creator, the stuff of Jung and Campbell piped through our blood and brains, or simply great writing, they're pretty kick-ass. And I think it's rather nifty when we get a glimpse of what makes us human through a lion or a robot.

~Geek out

PS--Potter geeks: I will be keeping tear minutes during the movie this weekend. Play along and we can compare!

The Sting

Let me sum up:
Futurama episode, "The Sting"



Let me splain:
While searching for photos I found a thread declaring this the worst episode ever. Those dudes are crazy. If you don't love heart wrenching Frye/Leela storylines, you don't love Futurama. I dig their relationship because it reminds me of my husband and I in high school...we didn't start dating until we were 21, and I think that was a good call. Frye will get there (as we saw in recent Futurama movies).

Anyhoo, the episode is delightfully psychedelic, and the ending makes me very weepy. But hey, if poignant twist endings and trippy sing-alongs aren't enough for you, this episode is still golden because it has a callback to the fact that Frye copulated with a radiator.



~Geek out

Disneyland Commericals

Let me sum up: Um, pretty self explanatory.

















Let me splain:
Man, I have been at this for a couple hours now. I'm fricking exhausted, and about to go into a coma from all the sugary, cloying goodness. These are not for the faint of heart. But man, I love them.

I actually set out tonight to find my favorite Disney commercial ever, and failed. It's the one where the Grandpa says his ears don't work too well, and then his granddaughter gets him some Mickey ears. LOVES IT. Last week one of my supervisor's discussed a Vietnam vet he's working with whose main therapeutic goal is to be able to take his granddaughter to Disney World. That's the good stuff.

Incidentally, there's been a recent campaign showing footage of parents surprising their kids with a Disney trip. This one is especially near and dear to me. My parents took the ruse one step further--starting the day by telling us we were going to the dentist. Youtube is full of surprise videos. The kids usually go into shock, and then often become oddly mature and detail oriented, with comments like "But I have to go to school, don't I?" Or, as in this video, "Where's our shoes!?"

~Geek out

A Pining Pumpkin and Tim Curry Props

Let me sum up:
It's a Halloween two-fer, with...

"The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile"


and "The Worst Witch"




Let me splain:
Wow, finding the first video was a total nostalgia trip for me. This movie was one of our trusty, VHS recorded TV specials growing up. My big sister's room was Raggety Ann and Andy themed when she was little. My mom actually made really cool Raggety costumes for herself, my dad, and my sister for my sister's very first Halloween. Anyhoo, I don't remember jack about the plot, except that it centers around an unwanted pumpkin (picture the tree from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" if it were a pumpkin, and could talk, and CRY FRICKIN' PUMPKIN SEEDS!!!)

I first saw the second movie, "The Worst Witch," in 5th grade. Which was right around the time I realized that Rooster in "Annie," Darkness in "Legend," Hook in an after school "Peter Pan" cartoon running at the time, and Dr. Frankenfurter (who theatre pals had just introduced me to) were all the SAME AMAZING ENGLISHMAN. The scene I've posted above is the ending. I know that I would cry if a wizard played by Tim Curry declared it a half-holiday thanks to my awesome heroism, and then asked me to go flying with him. With Mrs. Garrett's blessing, of course. Jump to 2:12 in the clip above for optimal Curry smarm-tastic-ness. X-Entertainment did an amazing run down of this movie many years ago. If you're going for chuckles, not tears, please enjoy this mind blowing song:



~Geek out
(You're not the worst witch, anymore!)

Finding Meaning in Pain--Doh!

Let me sum up:
This awesome bit from Simpsons episode "And Maggie Makes Three."





Let me splain:
So if you're a heathen and haven't seen the episode...it starts with Lisa asking why there are no photos of Maggie in the family photo albums. In a series of flashbacks, we learn that after Bart and Lisa were born, Marge and Homer got their finances under control and Homer quit his job at the power plant to take up his dream job of working at a bowling alley. However, celebratory snuggles led to Maggie's conception. Homer had to beg for his job back. Mr. Burns complies, but places a demoralizing "DON'T FORGET YOU'RE HERE FOREVER" plaque above in Homer's work station. In the final shot we learn that Homer used Maggie's photos to transform the plaque.

I described this scene last week during a seminar I'm taking on Logotherapy--I barely got through the punch line. Logotherapy was devised by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, and focuses on the human ability to seek meaning in life, even in suffering. Taking a page from the books of Logotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, kicking it about values is a major part of what I try to do with clients. Values tend to be tricky because they go hand in hand with pain--typically you aren't hurting unless there's something in the picture you really care about. And the things we care about give us all the reason we need to walk through hell. Or Mr. Burns' yard. Release the hounds.

~Geek out

Rorschach

Let me sum up:
Rorschach's death in "Watchmen"







Let me splain:
This one comes at the request of Smeagol92055 who asked for a reaction to "Watchmen." Rorschach's the biggest source of tears for me here...though The Comedian comes in a close second, especially now that I'm working at the VA.

The picture is from me watching Rorschach's death scene in the movie--Jackie Earle Haley is friggin amazing--but the book has a similar impact on me. Rorschach has some obvious pulls for a psychology geek (every now and then I get someone who is sad I don't throw ink blots at them). Mask aside, his tie to the Kitty Genovese murder is a slick backstory facet.

I have some pretty inflexible notions of how I'd like the world to be. And I've seen glimpses of how this rigidity can get in the way of life. When Rorachach invites death, it's clear he sees it too.

~Geek out

Ghostly Flash Mob

Let me sum up:
Improv Everywhere's stunt at the New York Public Library.



Let me splain:
It's rare for me to encounter a flash mob video that doesn't reduce me to tears. Doesn't matter if it's essentially a commercial for a new reality show or a performance for a wacky talk show mogul. Synchronized human movement is sexy as hell...but this only really applies to musical mobs. With musical mobs, I get a kind of perverse delight from the fact that a group of people are countering my husband (and many other folks') main objection to musical theatre--when do people ever burst out into song and dance in unison?

But whether your mob is musical, riddled with zombies, or simply absurd, the common delightful thread seems to be introducing the possibility of the impossible into everyday life. And when everyday life seems to be overrun with fear and apathy, there's something really neat about the way spectators in these videos gradually overcome their surprise and confusion and buy into the whimsy. I was super bummed last winter to miss an adorable mob of high school kids at our local grocery store (love the old guy who just wants to keep picking out apples). I'm confident that if I ever do find myself witnessing a flash mob I will be reduced to a puddle of laughter and tears. And I look forward to it.

~Geek out

PS--If you enjoyed Improv Everywhere's Ghostbusters video, check out their Star Wars Subway video.

Learning Is Forever

Let me sum up:
Story Corps >> Germans in the Woods



Let me splain:
I know I've posted a fair amount of sad tears, but this one was probably the most painful for me so far. In the photo you can see remnents of the "stork bite" that would pop up when I cried as a kid--looks like a little paw on my forehead. I can't find anything online about stork bites reemerging in adult life...maybe I've been crying too much.

The photo also provides some evidence of both my NPR geekery and psychology geekery. Let's start with NPR. StoryCorps is a non-profit organization with booths set up in several major city's where people can come to have their stories heard. StoryCorps has a weekly segment on NPR's "Morning Edition." Their stories also pop up on "This American Life" from time to time. This is the show that introduced me to NPR. My sister and I were road-tripping to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when I first heard "This American Life." It was an episode about fabricated realities. We were in the middle of a segment where they took a historian to Medieval Times (essentially, Arthurian Disneyland) when we started to lose reception. My sister drove for the remainder of the hour with her hand out the window desperately trying to keep the antenna in check. NPR and "This American Life" are chock full of touching, pointed, delightful, and wrenching little bits of humanity. Many of which make me cry. So I was excited to read that they've made animated shorts out of some StoryCorps stories.

As to psychology...I am currently on an internship to finish my graduate degree in psychology. I'm working at a VA and picked the PTSD program for my first major rotation. One of the most important ideas I've picked up during grad. school (from a wonderful, behaviorally oriented supervisor who reminds me of Dumbledore) is the fact that learning is forever. If I say "twinkle twinkle little _____" to you, no amount of therapy is going to stop the word "star" from popping into your head. You can learn new things, and you can choose to change your behavior, but learning is forever. Vets with PTSD know this better than anybody.

"And I don't know how to get him...off my mind."

~Geek out

They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Let me sum up:
Sam's Speech from "Two Towers"




Let me splain:
Oh man. Sean Astin. Adopted son of John "Gomez Addams" Astin. You have brought me many geeky tears. First you made hunting for pirate treasure look even more awesome than it already is. Then you actually made me care a little bit about football. But it doesn't get any better than this speech. Reminds me a bit of this picture and quote from awesome "StoryPeople" creator, Brian Andreas...


"Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero."

~Geek out

PAX Double Whammy

Let me sum up:
My reaction to....

1) The PAX Wedding Proposal





2) Tycho's post regarding his Mom and gaming

The high point of the show for my Mom was watching "Of Dice and Men" the first night. Playing host to dramatic theatre is not, strictly speaking, in the PAX charter. We talked about moving parts on Wednesday, but if you want to talk about some moving-ass parts, a stage performance constitutes an authentic whirligig. It takes some fucking balls to put on a show anywhere, let alone in a converted convention room. Something special must have happened in there, though, because people wanted to talk about it for the remainder of the show.

My mother has never entirely understood roleplaying. I don't intend to belabor the point, but when I was a young man it was the position of our church that Dungeons & Dragons held within it the clustered seeds of apostasy. She was so bewildered by what she had seen during Of Dice and Men that she made it a point to attend our D&D Live panel, where her son and his friends played this mysterious game on stage. The devil did show up, true, and we did go to hell, just as the clergy had suggested we might. Except in the actual version of events, as has happened so many times, we stood against the King of Lies at the very gates of his damned realm and emerged triumphant.

My mother came up to me after the panel was over, saying, "I'm sorry, Jerry. I'm sorry." She wiped the corner of her left eye with her thumb. "They told me it was something else."

(CW)TB



Let me splain:
I have yet to attend a Penny Arcade Expo. My husband was at the original Necrowombicon--30 dudes hanging with Gabe and Tycho at a mall arcade and food court. He's old school. We fantasize about moving to Seattle one day, and dressing up fancy for the Child's Play Charity Auction each year.

In the meantime, I sate myself with such PAX news as pops up on the internets. Last Friday I heard that new hire Erika got engaged onstage during the expo, so I popped over to youtube to check out some video of this momentous event. I then emailed my husband so that he could feign surprise at the fact that I'd cried during said video. He mocked me roundly, and then pointed out that Tycho's Friday post would also likely make me cry. It did indeed.

I've actually only played D&D once, in an adventure made possible by lovely DM Kato (one of Geek Tears' 8 kindly followers to date). My husband kept inviting me over to play during high school, but his parents usually weren't around, and my parents didn't like the idea of me alone in a house with 4 testosterone fueled nerds and a bag of dice. But I love the game. I love everything it gave my husband. I also love the ways that families evolve and change over time...Tycho's post speaks to this quite niftily. I still remember the wonderful moment when I realized my Mom had gone from viewing the "The Simpsons" as something crass and offensive to something she was comfortable laughing at. Anyhoo, the photo of me reading Tycho's post doesn't show tears very well. But I love my husband laughing at me in the background.

Incidentally--this little blog usually gets 2-4 hits a day, driven almost entirely by traffic from my youtube channel. When I saw I'd gotten a whopping FORTY hits today, I new something was up. Thanks to Cyriaque Lamar from i09 for posting a link to my Dr. Mrs. the Monarch video and to stealthyslyth and Veg1v0 on the twitters making internet bird noise about it. And for any folks moseying this way for the first time--welcome! Ummmm, I'm a geek who cries easily. When I'm not working on my PhD in clinical psychology I enjoy making silly costumes and doing stand-up. Let's be pals. I come bearing gifts.







~Geek out

Scissorhands

Let me sum up:
Edward Scissorhands goodbye.





Let me splain:
I would have done the "Hold me." "I can't" scene, but the only youtube vid of it that I could find had Japanese subtitles.

But seriously, only Johnny can do that much with a simple gesture like closing his eyes.

Happy Labor Day! I love being a federal employee, and sleeping next to my husband more nights than not in a week.

~Geek out

Dragon Love

Let me sum up: The goodbye scene in kid's book "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher."



Tiamat stepped forward. Jeremy could feel her slipping away from him. He closed his eyes. Don’t go! he thought desperately. Don’t go!

Jeremy suddenly felt like he was being torn in half. He cried out. As he did, he heard an answering squeal of pain. Opening his eyes he saw an awful sight. Tiamat, half in the circle and half out, was shaking with terrible spasms. Light sparked and flashed around her.

“Something’s holding her!” cried Miss Priest.

Mr. Elives turned to Jeremy. “Let her go, you little fool!” he shouted. “Let her go!”

Miss Priest ran to Jeremy’s side. “Let her go, Hatcher,” she cried. “She’ll die, trapped between two worlds. If you love her, you have to let her go.”

A great sob tore from Jeremy’s throat. Go! he thought. Go home!

And then it was over. Tiamat was gone, and the place where they stood was plunged into darkness.

Let me splain: When I was working my first summer at Disneyland, a fellow cast member revealed that he'd also loved this book growing up, and bawled his eyes out at this scene. That was enough to make me briefly consider the possibility that he was my soul mate.

For many childhood years I thought I had the power to talk to unicorns. So I totally jived with the whole "psychic-link to mythical creature" bit. I've been taking in a lot of John Lithgow lately, and this scene smacks strongly of his goodbye in "Harry and the Hendersons." Letting go of someone you love for their own good...is teh sux0r.

~Geek out

Generosity En Masse

Let me sum up: Buffy's Prom award.



JONATHAN: We have one more award to give out. Is Buffy Summers here tonight? Did she, um...this is actually a new category. First time ever. I guess there were a lot of write-in ballots, and, um, the prom committee asked me to read this. "We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here."

Crowd outbursts: Zombies! Hyena people! Snyder! (Laughter).

JONATHAN: "But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history. (Applause from the crowd). And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this. It's from all of us, and it has written here, "Buffy Summers, Class Protector."



Let me splain: Pah, this one don't need splainin.

~Geek out

Bat Tears

Let me sum up/splain:
Here are the top 10 “Batman the Animated Series” episodes most likely to make me cry. Alright, a couple are technically “New Batman Adventures.” And several folks make multiple appearances (I like Baby Doll, dang it). But here they are…

10) Harley and Ivy


“Somehow I don’t feel like my old perky self—somethin's missin.”

9) Love is a Croc


Baby Doll getting smacked by Croc. And then finding out he’s cheating on her.

8) Appointments in Crime Alley


“Good people still live in Crime Alley."

7) Harley’s Holiday


“I’m having a bad day! I’m sick of people trying to shoot me, run me over, or beat me up!”

6) Baby Doll


“I didn’t...mean to.”

5) Heart of Ice


“I failed you. I wish there were another way for me to say it. I cannot. I can only beg your forgiveness and pray you hear me somehow, someplace... someplace where a warm hand waits for mine.”

4) Harlequinade


“Baby, you’re the greatest.”

3) Two Face (Part 1)


Grace. In the hospital corridor. With the roses. Then his scream.

2) Mad as a Hatter


“I’ll cut that cowl off your neck before you take her. I’ve waited my whole lonely life for her!”


“Would not, could not...would not, could not...oh, could not join the dance.”

1) Mad Love (Pretty much the whole episode...I could throw a dozen other moments in here)


“Stop it, you’re making me confused!”


“I finally see that slime for what he is: a murderous, manipulative, irredeemable...
...angel!”

~Geek out

Sullivan Ballou Tears

Let me sum up:
Video of the amazing "Dear Sarah" letter from Ken Burn's "Civil War" documentary. Plus a viewing photo.





Let me splain:
This is for all you history-geeks and romance-geeks. My Dad is a huge Civil War buff and I remember him playing this scene over and over when I was a kiddo. Quite right, Pops. That's some breathtaking letter writing. And some breathtaking violining while we're at it.

I think we have souls that'll last beyond these fleshy shells. If I'm wrong...I'm pretty happy with how I'm spending the time I have. But man...I sure hope Sullivan is right about that eternal after party. In large part because I enjoy spending time with that wacky husband of mine.

~Geek out

WOW Orphan Etiquette

Let me sum up:
Screenshot of World of Warcraft orphan, Salandria, and my undead priest. And text of the thank you letter you get when you complete this quest chain.



Dear Bellal,

Thank you for taking me out during Children's Week. Lady Liadrin, the leader of the Blood Knights, has asked that I be released to her custody for training in Silvermoon City!

I just wanted to thank you for taking me to see my friend, Hch'uu, as well as the Dark Portal, the Throne of the Elements and the Caverns of Time. I like my toy dragon very much!

I'm sure that you're taking good care of my pet. Please tell him that I miss him!

Sincerely,

Salandria

Let me splain:
Note: "Bellal" is a Bela Lugosi thing, and in no way a Twilight thing. For those who do not partake in the WOW--there's a world event called Children's Week. The week includes a series of quests where you can adopt an orphan and take them on maaaaagical adventures. As you might have noticed by now, I'm a GIANT sap. I love these quests. They are chock full of whimsy. And adorable pets as quest rewards don't hurt. It is to be expected that I got a little choked up while completing these quests for the first time last year. What I wasn't expecting was the friggin' thank you note that pops up in your mailbox soon after you complete the quest chain. Thanks to my Mom, I'm a little bit of an etiquette-geek. And yeah, I totally cried when I read the letter. Who knew a little NPC courtesy could wreak such havoc? Please don't use this as a reason ladies shouldn't play video games.

~Geek out

God Hates Hate

Let me sum up:
Photos from the battle of Westboro Church V. Comic Con...and one pic of me viewing said photos.


















Let me splain:
When I heard that Westboro Church would be crashing San Diego Comic Con, I was a little worried the whole affair would end in tears. Tears of the punch-induced variety. I could vividly picture a principled, curmudgeonly geek taking a shot at these creeps. And shots indeed were taken. BRAIN SHOTS, YO!!!! Which made me cry happy tears indeed.

I had vented my concerns to my husband, and he sent me a link to the article above on Friday. Buddy Jesus was the salty clincher. God bless you, geeks. I am happy to let my lacrimal fluids pool around my nose in an unbecoming fashion in celebration of your noble efforts.

~Geek out