Geek Survival Guide

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 8 - Editing Now Gets You a Crane Kick to the Face!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Because the fountain of wisdom just keeps bubbling up... here's day 8 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement and warnings considering...
Allowing Yourself To Suck Now! And A Word or Two on the Sweeping of Legs! (Don't!)

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo8.mp3.

NaNoWriMo Weekend Update #1

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Because I have awesome friends... here's the first Weekend Update brought to you by GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode I get to sit back and listen to Doug Rapson over at Geek Acres regale us about... me? Really? Maybe this will give us some context...

Enjoy!

Download gsg_NWu01.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 6 - Emotional Boomsticks!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Because the voices in my head won't shut up... here's day 6 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement and warnings considering... Writing with an end in mind! And Fighting Zombies Across Space and Time!

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo6.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 5 - Minimum Battery Requirements

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:13:00 +0000

Because I'm just that kind of guy... here's day 5 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement and warnings considering... Minimum Word Counts! Batteries!

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo5.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 4 - TK and Sports Almanacs!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:28:00 +0000

Because The Power of the Black Can Compels Me, here's day 4 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement and warnings considering... Editing your work as you go! (DON'T!) Scalzi! Stackpole! Last Year's NaNoWriMo! And Sports Almanacs!

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo4.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 3 - Google Docs and Monkey Paws!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Because I have too many hours in the day, here's day 3 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement and warnings considering... Sharing your work online at Google Docs! Like I'm doing Here! And The Horrors of Potassium Benzoate! (YouTube Link)

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo3.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 2 - Dropbox and Mashed Potatoes!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:36:00 +0000

Because I'm obviously delusional, here's day 2 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement, and warnings considering... Backing up your stuff! Mashed Potato Sculpture! and Axe Wielding Ed McMahon Impersonators!

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo2.mp3

GSG NaNoWriMo Tip 1 - Space Vampires!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Because I'm obviously not busy enough, here's day 1 of 30 days of GSG Quick Tips.

In this episode you get a few words of encouragement, and warnings considering... Space Vampires! (Hulu Link) BattleStar Galactica! Six Degrees of Survival Separation!

Enjoy!

Download GSGNaNo1.mp3

GSG33 - Disappointment

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:36:00 +0000

First of all, congratulations to the guys who beat me at this year's Parsec Awards. Bells in the Batfry (Comedy/Parody), and 365 Days of Astronomy (Infotainment).

Today's promo is for the Podiobooks.com edition of G.K. Chesterton's "Heretics".

Today, we talk about discouragement. No reason.

Enjoy!

Download GSG33.mp3

GSG Special - Feedbackapalooza!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:26:00 +0000

In which I take a bunch of questions (which I hopefully haven't answered incidentally along the way) and cobble them together into a new episode chock full of delicious yumminess.

I should point listeners to Geek Radio Daily (ding) and their twitter feed.

Enjoy!

Download GSGFeedbackapalooza.mp3

GSG 32 - Cliffhangering!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:06:00 +0000

This episode of GSG is lovingly dedicated to the FDO, JC-209, The Irascible TeeMonster, Mighty Mur, and all the other podcast authors who keep me coming crawling back for another taste of sweet, sweet candy... bam!

Also, Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper novels, Double Share in particular, and Brand Gamblin's Tumbler. More podcast fictiony goodness is always available at podiobooks.com. Incidentally, you can get Scott Sigler's Nocturnal there, regrettably without the pre and post show "jibber jab". Yes, I know it's old jibber-jab. It's still Sigler.

And Simplify Media, and podcastready.com - Podcast Ready is great, I've used them before. Simplify Media - we'll see how it goes, and they may get an update.

Meanwhile, Enjoy!

Download GSG32.mp3

GSG Special - GATEWAY DRU... we mean... CONVERSION STORIES!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:25:00 +0000

In which Zach and his lovely wife Reeta use a necessary car trip to discuss how she became geeky. (long term exposure to zach, mostly)

Enjoy!

Download GC-Conversion.mp3.

GSG Bonus: High Moon

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Here's the story I wrote for Great Hites 63, and said I'd put in the feed. Consider it a birthday present from me to you.

Enjoy!

Download HighMoon.mp3

GSG Special - BAD MOVIE BINGO REDUX

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:01:00 +0000

In which Zach explains how to enjoy GI Joe, and why it's impossible to enjoy Transformers 2.

Also, lots of crazy ranting.

Enjoy!

Download GSGBadMovie2.mp3

GSG Special - BAD MOVIE BINGO REDUX - BINGO TEMPLATE

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:47:00 +0000

This post contains the PDF template for Bad Movie Bingo, and the notes I took for Transformers 2. (ugh)

Show begins - Pretty. Petter Cullen rocks.

Strike Team + Autobats = Cool.

Racial Stereotypes. Inappropriate Parent Comedy.

More clothes please.

Oh - a Gremlins-like kitchen sequence. Bumblebee - reduced to family pet.

Yeah, let's give that super-dangerous shard thing to the girlfriend and NOT WARN HER.

Megan Fox gets her own Bad Movie Bingo square.

Kitten Calendars? Really?

Crass language... a Jawa Report poster?

Oh, hey, look. Nanobots!

Surprisingly bloody. Co-ed skanks. This is entertainment? I can tell why (a friend) hated this.

Octopi at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal?

It is a pretty movie. Dwight Schrute!

Nobody hears the Decepticon? The obnoxious, foul-mouthed Decepticon?

Girlfriend comes in as crazy girl attacks. That's a square.

Oh, here's a reference to another really bad movie. When you're making Species references, you're one bad movie.

Kid screams like a girl.

Bumblebee can't be called on a cell phone? Pretty does not equal good.

Human life - like Lay's or M&M's, no one can stop with just one.

Game changer - no more disguises.

Lots of blowing stuff up.

Robots + Prophecies... really?

Tyrese - horribly misused.

John Turturro is... ugh. Self-tazing slapstick.

SO... MANY... INAPPROPRIATE JOKES!!!

Where'd those cop cars come from, and why are they chasing them?

Military not obeying orders.

Michael Bay attempts romance.

Sideways Plane - People inside not sideways.

Everyone comes to the crazy temple.

More Bumblebee - less twins, please.

Robots look for millenia - Sam finds in 1 day.

Parents have to go - Girlfriend not so much.

Bay is consistently pro-US Military, at least.

US Militar takes out Devastator, and many more Decepticons.

"SAM!"

"Autobot Heaven"

Michael Bay is an emotion manipulating hack.

Stabbing Robots with with things (all sparks, matrix of leaderships, etc) is good.

Punching THROUGH a bad guy is also cool.

BAD MOVIE BINGO TEMPLATE

GSG Special - AUGUSTPALOOZA!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:45:00 +0000

A special quick base-touching episode here. (why is everything entendres?)

GSG is a Parsec Awards Finalist 2 years running despite their purported desire for excellence. And in two categories no less. But considering the competition, I'm pretty secure in my decision not to head for Dragon*Con this year. Next year, maybe.

I have a short story out in the latest Great Hites podcast - Great Hites #63, file #1. (It was a really popular writing prompt. The text is on the website, and the audio is in the file I mentioned above. Listen to the ep, where I explain.) If you get this soon enough, you can get to greathites.podcast.com and vote for my story. If not, no big deal, I don't really need the Snickers bar. I'll release the audio file for my story "High Moon" into the feed later this week once the new GH goes up and the voting for the current one (where my story is) is over. Probably Thursday.

And we're making it official - August is GSG PODCASTPALOOZA month, wherein you can expect piping hot fresh episodes of GSG on the 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st of this month, because Zach needs to Get Back On The Stick. And he's having a birthday this month, and birthday people get to do what they want, right?

And that's it. Tune in next week for another allegedly great episode of GSG!

Enjoy!

Download GSGSpecialAugustPalooza.mp3.

GSG 31 - Super Powers

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Brought to you by CIRCUITS, for the iPod touch and iPhone. (iTunes link)

This week, we discuss the unfortunate downside to having super powers. In the process we reference a lot of different things... but here's the more esoteric ones.

Cosmic Rays?

Running Backs who might be hired by the 49'ers?

The Crimson Gem of Cyttorak?

Acute senses of smell?

And if you're missing any others, leave a comment and I'll point them out. Just be glad we didn't get into the dangers of fusioncasting. Phew! That's an episode all by itself.

Enjoy!

Download GSG031Superpowers.mp3

GSG 30 - Working for a Super Villain

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:47:00 +0000

Yes, in today's competitive economy, sometimes you have to take the job you can get, but henching is a dead-end job. Literally.

Today, we refer you to...
www.radioisopod.com (thanks for the great idea, Natalie!)
The Venture Bros.

Our Promo This Week is for www.strangerthings.tv.

We also refer you to Season 8, Episode 2 of The Simpsons.

Enjoy!

Download GSG30SuperVillains.mp3

GSG 29 - Balticon

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:24:00 +0000

Yes, it's that episode.

So Many People To Thank: Especially those who contributed to "FEED ZACH AT BALTICON".

Geek Acres
GutCheck
Into the Blender
Tale Chasing
Requiem of the Outcast (Mr. Adventure)
Steampunk Spectacular

Enjoy!

Download GSG29Balticon.mp3

GSG Special Live from Balticon: BetterThanGutCheckAcresGuide

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Howdy, everyone. I survived Balticon, but before the official "How To Survive A Con" episode which should be out later this week, I thought you might enjoy something MA in the PA recorded between herself, me, my partner in crime Doug Rapson, and Mistress Jett. It's not meant as comedy, though parts may be amusing. (directly after recording this, I wound up playing Pokemon with all three of them and four or five kids who got REALLY excited when they saw the DS's out). So, if you're looking for the regular GSG-style shenanigans, skip this one, and we'll get you taken care of later this week. If you're curious about cons, though...

You can catch MA on Better Late than Never, Doug on GeekAcres and the GutCheckCast (with me), and Mistress Jett providing voices in various projects.

Enjoy!

Download BetterThanGutCheckAcresGuide.mp3.

GSG Balticon Pre-Con Countdown Pre-Show Show

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:23:00 +0000

Hi! It's a Balticon Pre-Show Show. Not as funny or crazy, so if that's your thing, you may want to skip this.

But in it I make a SHOCKING REVELATION! (at 11:50)

I talk about basic con rules I've heard from others and how I'll be applying them myself.

HUGE thanks go to Gary the Great for a very generous donation to the FEED ZACH AT BALTICON drive. Gary truly IS Great.

You can donate too, by clicking on the "Donate" button at gsguide.blogspot.com.

Promo: MovieMantras.com

Also, you should be reading/listening to Nina Kimberly the Merciless. Heck, you should buy it!

And I think that's it. If I've missed anything, let me know by dropping an e-mail to gsguide *at* gmail *dot* com, or by leaving a comment here at gsguide*dot*blogspot*dotcom*. We'll be back in two weeks to report, and in the meantime, I may turn up in other places.

Enjoy!

Download GSGPreCon.mp3

GSG28: Dragons

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:10:00 +0000

Don't know how we overlooked this one for so long:

We discuss:

Determining if you're dealing with an Oriental dragon or an Occidental one.

The efficacy of Gift Baskets - Fruit (Oriental), or Steak (Occidental)

The wonders of coconut juice.

Donate to Feed Zach at Balticon

We also discuss reviewing your insurance...

Hiring an exterminator...

and Deep Crows.

Enjoy!

Download GSG28.mp3

GSG Special Report: Surviving a Pre-Screening of Star Trek

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:20:00 +0000

First, know that I try my best to avoid all spoilers here.

Really enjoyed the movie, but the story of how I got IN to it is good material for geek survivalists everywhere.

Enjoy!

Download GSGSurvivesStarTrek.mp3

GSG Special Edition: Ask GSG!

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:19:00 +0000

Tonight, a bunch of questions from all over the place, done in a different style.

First: Where to order chocodiles.
Second: Physical Projects, Mental Projects, and companionship. Twinkies are more durable than Fruit Pies.
Surviving a Con. Hey, maybe you could donate at gsguide.blogspot.com to help Zach research that very thing?

So You Want to Rear a Half-Breed?
Dice Make Bonk
Also, Evernote.

Killer dolls: Look for the "Good/Evil" switch. (UPDATE): And the Flamethrower link again, because I love it. (END UPDATE)
Star Trek Engineers and the proximity technobabble protection they may or may not provide.

Surviving a Con (again)
Bruce Campbell
Gotham City
Zombie Hordes. Hey, haven't we covered that?

Thanks for listening. If you can't donate, maybe you could burn a cd of your favorite three episodes and start leaving it at random places. Starbucks, bookstores, anywhere.

Our promo this week is from Great Hites. Check out the writing prompts, and submit your stories!
Next week, back to regular form. This week, Enjoy!

Download AskGSGSpecial.mp3

GSG27 - Surviving the Loss of a Beloved TV Show

gsguide@gmail.com (Zach Ricks) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:03:00 +0000

Thanks to Gary the Great for the suggestion, and to my wife, who thought it was a fantastic idea.

In This Show, We Discuss:

Pandora (Send me a note, and I can send you recommendations for Beginning and Ending your Deep Compression Depression Session.)

Florists

Hostess CupCakes

Buffy Between the Lines

Babylon Podcast /ScapeCast

Little Brother (Available in various Digital or Analog flavors).

Enjoy!

Download GSG27.mp3