Nerd Girl Army

Geek fashionista for the web

2012-04-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Victor Faretina designs fashion for the geek femme fatale on Deviant Art as Neko-Vi including a number of calendar, pop culture and lolita styles. Recently he's completed a series of internet fashionista personas for popular websites.

A guide to the content and reading order for Discworld novels

2011-11-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

Bat-bras & Super-scivvies

2011-11-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

Time was that Superhero underoos were something to be mocked or laughed at...
Not so much now thanks to Japanese company aimerfeel and their "We Love Hero" range of licensed lingerie and loungewear.

via ComicsAlliance

Kick ass and look hot...

2011-11-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of boxy shapeless kevlar vests? Sick of resorting to spandex show off your curves while kicking ass?

Tactical Corsets are the brainchild of Alex Peake "Fashioner Memeticist" and are made from high durability fabric available in black and a range of real camo patterns not to mention more pouches than you can poke a Rob Liefeld at.

So if you need a little more Shadowrun in your wardrobe you'll be hard pressed to find anything more fitting.

See more at http://tacticalcorsets.com/

Insert Coin(s) Retro Gaming night!

2011-10-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Like games? Like Music? Course you do! Oxford Art Factory is putting on another round of Insert Coin(s) an event for the adult gamer.

Attendees pay just $10 for a night of retro gaming (tabletop, pinball and standing arcade units) and the latest gaming titles). DJs will spin a blend of 80s, 90s and modern rock and upcoming Aussie band Glass Towers will take to the main stage.

The series will also showcase modern gaming favourites and upcoming games from leading publishers, giving gamers and casual fans a chance to sample the latest titles ahead of release.

Co-founder Patrick Kolan adds, "We were overwhelmed by the success and sheer fun of the first Insert Coin(s). It was an insanely fun night, pure and simple. Old school and casual gamers, music and art fans mingled with the retro and new games and there were a lot of red eyes the next day in Sydney."

A custom 80s-style milk bar, built into the venue, will serve alcoholic milkshakes and there will be free candy and surprises all night! Doors open at 6pm.

As arcades become a rarity, nights like Insert Coin(s) give a new generation a taste of yesteryear - but with the edge of 'cool' that patrons have come to expect from the team at Oxford Art Factory.

Pinball machines including - Addams Family, Fish Tales, Back to the Future, World Cup Soccer, Terminator 2 + Getaway, classic arcade games Pacman, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Frogger, Space Invaders + more, Tekken 5, Marvel Vs Capcom, Raiden Fighters Jet, Street Fighter 2, Metal Slug X, Simpsons, King of Fighters, Wonderboy, Shinobi, Double Dragon and more!

Oxford Art Factory, NSW

Buy Tickets on Moshtix
Thu 10 Nov, 2011
06:00 PM

View Larger Map

University of NSW CS Revue: Hack to the Future!

2011-09-13T19:00:00.001-07:00

The University of NSW Computer Science students put on an annual "revue" which is an annual sketch comedy show incorporating dancing, singing, sketches videos and all things funny! With our roots in Computer Science and Engineering, the show delivers a fresh, innovative take on comedy.

This year it's Hack to the Future!

Since 2002, CSE Revue has proven to be a hit with a wide range of audiences, leaving everyone awed by the special effects, slick videos, exciting set design and our commitment to make them laugh.

Great scott! This year, CSE Revue is hacking to the future! So relax, grab a bunch of friends and come for an all round good night! Get your tickets fast, or you'll be outta time!

Details

Week 9 - Tuesday 20th to Friday 23rd September
Please be there by 7:20pm (Doors open at 7.30pm)
UNSW Science Theatre, 400 metres along the Main Walkway from the Anzac Pde Gates.
Adults $15, Students/Staff $12 and Arc Members $10.

Book tickets online.

View CSE Revue 2010 - Pacman: The Dark Byte in a larger map

HTTPS and SSL Explained in Plain English

2011-08-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

Ever had to explain secure web browsing to a less computer literate friend or relative? This video tutorial is one of a number of great items from the Google Privacy team perfect to send to the security paranoid aunt in your life.

6

Love your Sysadmin like they love your systems on SysAdmin Appreciation Day!

2011-07-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes their jokes can be a little left of field, and sometimes you roll the dice and hope you haven't hired a Bastard Operator From Hell, but SysAdmins do a lot of hardwork in the hours that you and I don't want to be working.

This Friday is SysAdmin Appreciation day, so why not take some time out to appreciate your under appreciated, late night keyboard jockeys and 24/7 on call saviours?

Buy them a slab of caffeinated drinks, an unusual Rubik's cube, a bottle of good Scotch whiskey, even that weird old computer you've had at the back of your cupboard for 10 years will probably make their eyes light up. Later remember safe and warm in your bed at 3am that it's not you on call that night out in the cold with blinking terminals peering out at you.

http://www.sysadminday.com/

Missed Girl Geek Dinners at Google Sydney? Watch the speeches on YouTube

2011-07-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I was involved in helping run a Girl Geek Dinner event at the Google Sydney office and we had an overwhelming response and a great night. It even made the official Google Australia blog!

If you weren't able to attend or watch the Livestream you might be interested to know that both the key note speech from Mary Gardiner from the Ada Initiative and lightning talks from some of our female Google software engineers and the organiser of Girl Geek Dinners are available on YouTube. Apparently I'm in them, complete with bad jokes.

Keynote:

Lightning Talks:

Love this? Live in Sydney? Come to our next event! You can read all about Girl Geek Dinners on the official blog.

AlgoRythmic: Computer science through dance

2011-07-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ever have trouble remembering Big O notation and sorting algorithms for those CS classes? AlgoRythmic have a great YouTube channel of algorithms illustrated through Central and Eastern European folk dance.

Merge-sort with Transylvanian-saxon (German) folk dance

Shell-sort with Hungarian (Székely) folk dance

Select-sort with Gypsy folk dance

69,419 views - 3 months ago

Bubble-sort with Hungarian ("Csángó") folk dance

Insert-sort with Romanian folk dance

More reasons to love Nathan Fillion

2011-07-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

I've been travelling a lot the last few weeks so apologies for the radio silence. To put you back in a Nerd Girl mood here's Nathan Fillion earning more geek love through his PSA to help end "swamp ass" a terrible affliction that haunts many a hardcore gamer.

True Blood

2011-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I won't spoil the season premiere for True Blood if you haven't seen it yet.

But I have to say this.

Thank the entertainment gods for whoever decided to cast that actor for Eric Northman and that wonderful actress for Pam.

NOM.

That is all.

P.S. I'm new to posting here at the Nerd Girl Army. Thanks for having me, Rachel. I'm thrilled to be here.

It's like Christmas for geeks: Free Comic Book day

2011-05-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

This Saturday the 7th of May is Free Comic Book Day!

It's the best day to be a geek, local comic book stores hold events and attract custom supporting your local small business. It's a great day to dress up, hang out around other geeks, visit your comic book shop and catch u p on your favourite graphic novels.

There'll be free promotional items to be given out, sometimes you get special editions and one of a kind items on the day, or if you're lucky there might be an artist or writer at your local store.

To top things off in Sydney there's the added bonus of all paid comics being an additional 20% off at Kinokuniya including manga and special editions and Kings Comics will be having its annual sale to coincide.

Why not make it a day out and meet up with some of your nerdier mates after you've shopped your heart out for a drink and to compare purchases and freebies, it's one of my favourite days of the year!

Girls Read Comics?! Help a fellow Nerd Girl

2011-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Fellow Nerd Girl Macabri, Owner, Writer & Head Executioner of
www.StrangeLikeThat.com, needs your help with feedback for an article.

4 Quick questions, leave your answers in the comments!

Why do you like comics?
What are you reading?
What is your fav. character?
How did you first get into comics?

If you wanna bake a pretty cake...

2011-04-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

You should put something inside it.

I recently discovered the screen-lickingly good blog Bake It In A Cake and since there's barely a nerd girl who doesn't love cake I had to share it here.

The idea behind the site is astoundingly simple: Cupcakes are great but they're better with a surprise inside.

finally, on theme of sweet with a surprise, one of my favourite mashups "Cooking by the Book" A Lil' Bigger Mix by Mastgrr

8 bit pantyhose for the Gamer Chick who wants to feel sexy

2011-04-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

This image has hit the web via So Geek Chic and is driving gamers crazy as gamer girls clamber to find a store that sells them and gamer boys clamber to find girls that will wear them!

If you find a store online that sells them or news that they're a custom job with a "how to" guide please let us know, here at Nerd Girl Army we want a piece of 8 bit sexiness ourselves!

Portal 2 Aperture Investment Opportunities

2011-04-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Portal was the perfect game; short, engaging, challenging and funny. It left us all wanting more and more we collected from the Companion Cube plushy, to the deliciously moist Jonathan Coulton song. But wait! There's more!

Portal 2 comes out this month and the Investment Opportunities are growing by the week!

Game Of Thrones coming to HBO this April

2011-04-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

If you're a fantasy fan like me you'll be happy to know that the TV series based on the George R.R. Martin high fantasy fiction series A Song of Fire and Ice is starting soon on HBO in the US.

The series will debut on April 17, 2011 in the US and in the UK, the series will debut on Sky Atlantic on April 18, 2011.

Check out the drama and quality in the extended trailer

Great news is that the ruggedly handsome Sean Bean best known for his role as Boromir in Lord of the Rings is returning to the stable of sword and sorcery amongst other British character actors taking a turn for epic television.

The author himself has also stated that the script is very faithful to the novels which is great endorsement for any reader.

Makeover for Wonder Woman

2011-03-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like Wonder Woman...but when you think of Wonder Woman, what image does you mind conjure?

Yup I bet it's the good old classic star spangled pants with the red corset...and those iconic red boots...just do a google image search and that is what you will get.

Who could forget Lynda Carter making nerd girls around the world beg their parents for gold cardboard to make some bullet-reflecting gauntlets? Or blue undies to stitch felt stars on? Practising boomarang throws with that Princess tiara? Or twirl around in the yard to the point of falling over or being sick?

Besides all the awesome stuff such as a role-model teaching young girls to stick up for themselves and not needing a guy to save them, or that a strong, powerful woman could be good, (as compared with other super hero television - women were either villains or oooh I sprained my ankle)...intelligent and good looking at the same time.

Wonder Woman has had many outfit updates...the pants went from shorts to grannie pants to high cut bikini. The iconic red corset with the golden eagle has had many modifications.
Even Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince has had her hair keep you with the trends...from her original tight curls to the bullet-reflecting-hair-spray-helmet to that 80's perm to 90's layers...if there was ever great documentation for hair style fashion through the decades it is Wonder Woman comics.

But DC decided for Wonder Woman's 69th birthday she needed a make over....and a tv series...

Oh yessssss....yes they did....

So here is what DC did ...

The New DC Wonder Woman

I personally like it - I miss her boots but I love the gauntlets but...no-one will laugh at this girl walking down the street...no-one would dare. And her new top has straps!...and she looks like she can do all those smash the evil-doers moves...and she looks comfortable!
It's almost as though she is on her way back from gym and off to pick up some chocolate at the supermarket before PMS kicks off...or kick some baddie butt which ever comes first.

For the first time in a long time, she looks young....not mid 20's/30's.

So how are they incorporating this look into the new TV series starring Adrianne Palicki?

Badly...

I have a lot of opinions about this look, all of them bad, most of them involving the bacon grease fetish that seems to be popular in today's "fashion"...for Heroines and alike.

Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman

Lip Gloss - It looks like bacon grease...guys find it sexy because it reminds them of bacon....but they feel disappointed when it doesn't taste like bacon.
Is stretch pvc or latex the new spandex?...all I can think of when looking at those pants is yeast infection waiting to happen.
If this is the Heroine I do not want to see her pimp
Too much Shine = Tacky!...Blow-Up-Girlfriend
Ahhh she comes equipped with Air-Bags!
Yeah...no one will laugh at this woman when she walks down the street....

I'm finding a hard time respecting this new look for Wonder Woman, true she'll end up beating up (off?) a lot of sleezes but is that what an Amazon Princess who fights crime really wants?

But then again MAC Cosmetics have released a Wonder Woman range...yes what every Super Hero wants...make up....and yes I want some.

DC you make my alter ego sad

Edit - Video from the set!

Looks like they paid attention to most of the grumbles of WW fans...gone are the thrush-inducing pants and the red boots (with a sensible heel) are back!

Manga & Anime 101

2011-03-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

We all know manga and anime as those "Japanese comics and cartoons".
Some of us are avid fans and try to consume as much as we can...sometimes with horrific results.

Like most Westerners my first real introduction was Astro Boy...I thought Astro was cute and blowing rockets from his butt was the apex of toilet humour. Please remember I was seven at time.
Then came G-Force or Battle of the Planets which I later discovered was a butchered American adaptation of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. I say butchered because to edit out most of the violence from the original, the Americans created 7-Zark-7. This little robot who loved oil showers was basically was a C-3PO in a shape of the love child of R2-D2 and a football. He would explain what was going in the guise of worrying.

My family could not understand me and my obsession. My school mates just thought I was werid. I could not articulate how I was waiting for the show's only female character Princess to die...horriblely. In a vain hope that 7-Zark-7 would call me and ask me to take Princess' position as kick-arse-ninja-girl. But I was going to insist on an outfit similar to the show's villian Zoltar.

Things change and so did public programming so I got into ponies instead. My family relieved that I was becoming a normal girl and a result of lots of school friends due to my uncanny ability to draw horses for them.

Then Jap-animation came to town.

As someone who was blown away by Akira when it first hit our shores, I went anime and manga crazy...and I sat through some dreay flicks and read some crappy things but when I found a gem I feverently grabbed it. Anime movie festivals were rare and usually only featured three movies at a time. Most of the time new things were seen via video tape swaping...or going to Chinatown and grabbing the chinese translation and try to figure out what was going on by looking at the pictures...these were the days before DVDs and Madman Entertainment. And they were not that long ago.

So I'm just going to give you a basic low down on the types and genres of manga and anime, for those of you who already know this I apoligise for the re-hash. For those who don't, well this is for you if you are trying to find direction in locating something you like.

DEMOGRAPHIC:
First of all there are the demographic market (I'll be using the more well known manga/anime as examples):
Kodomo/Children's: Usually reserved for those under the age of 10.
Examples: Doroemon and Asto Boy
Shōnen/Shounen: Aimed at male market from ages 10-18.
Examples: DragonBall, Yu-Gi-Oh and Naruto
Shōjo/Shoujo: Aimed at the female market from ages 10 - 18.
Examples: Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew-Mew
Seinen: Aimed at males from ages 18 and up.
Examples: Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Battle Royal
Josei: Aimed at females from ages 18 and up.
Examples: Honey and Clover and Loveless

GENRES:
Within these demographics are the genres. Besides the usually genres (comedy, fantasy, sci-fi, romance etc) think of it like Rule 34 of the Internet - if you can think of it there is a manga/anime for it. There fore I will not list all of them just some of the major types - most of them you'll recognise...again listing the more well-known titles.

Dojinshi: These are mangas created by fans that are usually a parody or have an element not included in the canon such as hentai (porn), yaoi or yuri nature...similar to fanfic but usually beautifully drawn.
Food: Yup there are mangas about cooking and eating...think Iron Chef/My Kitchen Rules as a comic. Some of these are great if you want to understand certain cultural foods.
Examples: Oishibo, Yakitate!! Japan
Harem/Reverse Harem: Three or more girls and one boy...comedy ensues!/ Three or more guys and one girl...comedy ensues!
Examples: Love Hina, Tenchi Muyo, Ranma 1/2, Wallflower
Hentai: Simply put...porn and there are many sub-genres. Don't get me started on Rule 34 again. No I'm not listing examples...I shock myself in the amount I know.
Magical Girl/Boy: Girl/Boy has magical abilities and needs to save the girl/boy/world/mum/money etc. Often possessing a secret identity, there is usually some kind of transformation scene which happens when power is activated. Think of Superman or Spiderman but with panty flashes. Scary stuff.
Examples: Sailor Moon, Tokyo Mew-Mew, Princess TuTu
Mecha: Giant robots, power suits, need I say more
Examples: Gundam, Patlabor, Neon Gensis Evangelion
Yaoi(Yamete, oshiri ga itai (やめてお尻が痛い "Stop, my butt hurts!"): Boy-love and topics concerning romantic/erotic relationships between men . This genre started due to the demand of of the dojinshi market. There are a huge amount of female fans of this genre, in and outside of Japan. The majority of Yaoi creators are female. The fans can be rather scary...particualary when stuck between then in a convention line.
Not to be confused with Bara which is a more realistic view of homosexual relationships
Examples: Antique Bakery
Yuri: Girl-love and topics concerning romantic/erotic relationships between women
Examples: Revolutionary Girl Utena

This is my first entry on this blog so feel free to send through constructive criticism or suggestions on what you want to read.

I also cook, do craft and sew

Girls Read Comics Too!

2011-03-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

It might seem obvious to some of us here at Nerd Girl Army but often it seems like the industry forgets that girls read comics too!

Girls Read Comics is a Wordpress blog by women for women that read comics; it features reviews, interviews and recommendations and also features a great geek girl blog roll. You can also find Girls Read Comics on Facebook and Twitter (@GirlsReadComics).

They've recently been nominated for an Eagle Award for their effort in bringing great comic book content to the web and here at Nerd Girl Army we salute them for their familiar mission of reminding the world that women like geek culture just as much as the boys

Terry Pratchett at the Sydney Opera House

2011-03-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Fantasy fans take note Terry Pratchett is coming to Sydney to speak at the Sydney Opera House in his talk 'Sir Terry Pratchett: Imagination, not Intelligence, Made us Human'

Pratchett will be interviewed by local adolescent fantasy author Garth Nix and they will be taking questions from fans and the audience. Pratchett is best known for his epic work on the Discworld novels and related graphic novels, cartoons and TV films. His work is so far reaching that he was knighted in 2009 for his contribution to English literature.

The show is on at the Opera House on the 17th of April, a continuation of incredibly popular pop culture talks that the Sydney Opera House has conducted including Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry and Kevin Smith.

Tickets are only $30 and still available from the Opera House website, they're also conducting a competition to meet Pratchett in the flesh and have him personalise a book. Purchase tickets to be in the draw.

Young Justice

2011-03-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of most of the DCAU (DC Animated Universe) franchises so when I heard about a new series I was pretty excited. Justice League Unlimited was my favourite by a long shot so when I learned that the newest series would be Young Justice I was even more thrilled.

If you're a fan of the Young Justice comic series the changes will probably infuriate you, happily for me I only have a passing acquaintance with the original series so the name changes and trade-outs don't bother me but here are a few of them so you're forewarned.

Aqualad is an original character created for the series then introduced into the comics, it's Kid Flash, not Impulse, and is also Wally West and producers have said that the Robin is Dick Grayson (but this hasn't been said in the series, in fact Batman has told Robin not to reveal his face or name to the others).

The series is cute, and funny. I love Robin's creepy stealth laugh, Wally being the miniature version of the JLU version of the character and Superboy needs a hug and a hot pocket (and a few years of therapy to deal with his Daddy issues). Really, the only thing that missed the mark for me is Miss Martian.

If you've seen the series, I'll just say Helloooo, Megan! and if you haven't, well then you'll understand soon enough as the only girl in the first few episodes bakes cookies, makes moon eyes at boys and sprouts the most annoying catchprase since Excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess! Why, writers, producers and directors? Why would all the other characters have cute schticks or personality quirks (Robin hates Prefixes) and you give the often awesome Miss Martian a valley girl headsmack and cringe inducing catchphrase?

I'm whelmed, guys, but hopefully the later season introduction of Wonder Girl (held up due to legal issues) will give me some kickass girly goodness aside from Ditzy and Bitchy over there.

Girl Geek Dinners Sydney is back

2011-03-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

The first major event for the year is booked in for March 10th at UTS.

To help celebrate International Women’s Day we have organised a fun-filled event full of tech talks and a special section on softer skills as requested by some of you last year.

Technical talks:

Recent cyber attacks and information security
Pia Waugh will be coming from Canberra to discuss the National Broadband Network
OzGDI Jscript teacher Cathy

Career and soft skills:

Salary negotiation: Find out what you are worth and get it
Smash the glass ceiling: What has really worked for Lynn Kraus, partner at Ernst & Young (with a Q&A so have your questions ready)
Coaching: Emily Baxter, girl geek turned life coach will give a short talk

What: Girl Geek Dinner
Where: Aerial UTS Function Centre, level 7, UTS building 10. Enter at 235 Jones St, Ultimo Foyer, take the lift to level 7.
When: Thursday 10 March 2011. Talks start at 6:30 but don’t miss the nibbles and drinks first from 6pm!

More at: http://www.girlgeeksydney.com/

Social Media Women Australia

2011-02-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Social media really speaks across roles in business today; not just for the geeks social media has gained the eye of Marketers, sales people, brand representatives and digital strategists looking to reach out to the public and start the two way conversation.

The great news is there are a lot more roles out there for women in Social Media and we'd like to see even more.

If you're in Sydney you can sign up to be at the next Social Media Women event in person:
http://socialmediawomenmarch.eventbrite.com/

The next event is all about International Women's Day and it's 100th Anniversary and contributing to one of the greatest achievements in social networking; Wikipedia.

Date: Tuesday 8 March 2011
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Venue: The Supper Club at the Oxford Hotel,
134 Oxford St, Darlinghurst.

Fear not if you're not nearby you can follow the campaign on Twitter follow #women4wikipedia and join in the weekly Twitter Chat Monday nights 8pm AEST (Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney); 7pm Brisbane; 7.30pm Adelaide; 5pm AWST Perth/WA; 9am UTC/GMT.