The Weekly Geek

Links for 2009-11-07 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Trials developer put its own game on torrent sites for marketing
I like this. I think this was smart.
Broke, Unemployed, Underemployed Americans to Spend $1 Billion This Year on "Virtual Goods"

Links for 2009-11-06 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Media Molecule: We'd never want to do LittleBigPlanet 2
Surprising statement from one of Sony's biggest franchises. A franchise done right, despite its flaws?

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:20:16 -0800

T-shirt winner! Arissa Slasher by Jenar Fellbane

VOID: Zombie Hunter by voidmunashii

The Prince and Rocco

Pop and Spock by robotcloudart

Every week we feature our community members' excellent photography (or art, or whatever) culled from our Flickr pool. Why not submit your own geeky or otherwise interesting photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool? You'll get your photo featured on the site with the added incentive that I'll pick one photo a week to win a Weekly Geek T-Shirt. Runners up get some sweet Weekly Geek swag. Click here to join!

Practical Alchemy: Super Easy Dulce De Leche

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:27:53 -0800

Of late when I think of true alchemy in the kitchen my mind often wanders to the wonders of desserts. Caramels are one of those magic creations that have but a single ingredient, yet manage to have a rich variety of preparations with tantalizing end results. One particular kind of caramel bests all others in its ease (and potential danger) of preparation: Dulce De Leche.

Click through to learn how to make this drop-dead simple dessert enhancement.

Caramelization is the chemical process of oxidizing sugars. Caramelization is what browns meats, and transforms some vegetables from crisp raw forms into delicious sweet browned delights. At its simplest form making caramel is simply heating sugars to the point where they start to brown. Often this is a delicate process as the sugar must be mixed well during a gentle heating process to avoid burning.

Dulce De Leche avoids the hassles of slaving over a hot stove to carefully heat the sugars 'just right' by doing the process slowly, and sealed in a can. Start off with a can of sweetened condensed milk and without opening the can remove the label and put the can in a large pot filled with cold water. Heat the pot at a very low heat (low to simmer) and monitor the water levels to ensure that the can is always covered. As hard as it is to believe by placing a can in a pot of water you have completed the hardest (and really only) step on the path to making Dulce De Leche.

Let this simmer for 2-4 hours and when done carefully remove the heat and then once the can has cooled open it to reveal a delicious mass of milky caramel. A 2 hour cooking will result in a thin, pourable caramel, while the longer end of the spectrum will result in a thick, solid mass of caramel as the end result.

The low heat is essential not only to prevent burning, but also to prevent the can from exploding due to pressure. While this method is drop dead simple, ensure that you take your time on a lower temperature to avoid the method becoming drop dead explosive and ruining a good pot, as well as potentially causing great harm to the cook in the form of burns and shrapnel from a burst can.

What to do with the caramel when it's complete? Golly - what NOT to do? Dulce De Leche goes great on almost any dessert, and can take simple cut fruit from plain to sublime with a little drizzle. Breakfast of bananas with a little drizzle of caramel, or apple slices dipped in Dulce De Leche for a snack all the way to a heavy dessert cake employing the sweet treat as an icing.

Links for 2009-11-02 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Robert Zemeckis Confirms Roger Rabbit Sequel

Podcast postponed!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:35:46 -0800

So the flu has struck the Weekly Geek headquarters, and we're quarantining the facility until the fumigation process can begin. Jinny is currently hooked up to an IV full of sugar-free strawberry Jello, and I will be reading arcane spells to her from this magic tome I got in the back of the used book store down the street. We'll be back next Monday! Go play some Borderlands.

Links for 2009-10-28 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

God of War III demo shipping on District 9 Blu-ray

Links for 2009-10-26 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Podcast for 10.26.09 | Deadstreaming: Afterlife 2.0

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:03 -0800

This week's podcast sees the return of Ryan to the land of the living. He joins Jinny, Ross and I in discussing Microsoft's new Apple stores and the (actual) innovations that brings, Halo Waypoint, dead people and social networking, sous-vide cooking and Ronco-style informercials (this podcast, by the way, can be obtained for three easy payments of $19.95) and Borderlands. Oh, to have a game like Borderlands to discuss on a podcast. Oh, yes. It is That Time.

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Show Notes:

Links for 2009-10-22 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

MS does on-demand software printing at retail
Some interesting things going on in the new Microsoft retail stores.
Microsoft offering on-site Xbox 360 repair at new stores

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:26:16 -0800

T-shirt winner! Space invader by Ichtyostega

Wind Waker-styled Adult Link Custom Figure by RandomCreations

Links for 2009-10-20 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Welcome To Halo Waypoint [Microsoft]

Practical Alchemy: Beer Batter Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:46:48 -0800

Nothing starts the weekend off right like a lazy, delicious brunch with some friends. This weekend I tried my hand at making bunch and served up some beer batter cinnamon rolls hiding a bounty of bacon and pecans within their sweet folds. The recipe originally came from this post on Serious Eats, and is every bit as delicious and easy as the post claims.

Click through for my take on their recipe and a few hints on making this brunchy treat come out quickly and with great deliciousness.

Ingredients
For the cinnamon filling:
4 or 5 strips maple cured bacon
1 cup raw pecan halves or pieces
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 12oz bottle nutty ale, at room temperature
5 tablespoons melted butter for brushing onto the dough

For the caramel topping:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Having whipped these up once following the Serious Eats recipe I think that things need to happen in a slightly different order than they suggest. Next time I'll start with the toppings and do the dough last. To get things started take a large cast iron skillet and get it up to a medium high heat. Fry the bacon to render out the fat and get it nice and crispy. Once the bacon is crispy remove it to some paper towels to drain and start the oven pre-heating to 350.

Immediately put the pecans in the bacon grease and fry them lightly. I overdid this and they got a blackened smokey flavor which was interesting, but a little less would have been better. Once they just start to change color immediately remove the pecans to the paper towel with the bacon and put aside.

Pour out the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving a light coating, and add the butter and brown sugar for the topping. While making the dough leave the skillet on a very low heat so the brown sugar and butter can melt, but won't burn.

To make the dough mix together all the dry ingredients and then combine in the beer gently. I used a full-bodied winter ale and after sampling the finished product realized something a little less hoppy would be a better choice. Serious Eats suggests a pecan ale, however I don't know that even more pecan flavor is necessary given amount of pecans already in the finished product.

Once the dough is formed transfer it to a heavily floured work surface and start to knead the dough. If the dough is too sticky to work with re-sprinkle with flour and keep kneading until the dough is elastic and sticks to itself significantly more than the work surface or your hands.

Let the dough rest while crumbling the bacon and pecans into a bowl with the rest of the dry ingredients for the cinnamon filling. Once this is complete roll out the dough into a 1/2" thick sheet and brush with some of the melted butter. Put about half of the cinnamon filling over the rough and roll it up into a log and cut the log into 1 1/2" discs.

Put one half of the remaining filling (that's 1/4th of the total filling for the math geeks in the class) into the botton cast iron pan with the caramel and then start putting the rolled up dough discs into it, starting in the center and spiraling outward. Finally brush the remaining butter on top of the rolls and sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon filling.

Once the rolls are all prepped put them in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls have puffed up and are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and invert onto a serving platter then dive in to bacon pecan bliss.

--Sparky

Podcast for 10.19.09 | The Future Hates You

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:55:40 -0800

It's a relatively low-key podcast this week as Jinny and I tell Ross about how much fun we had without him in San Fransisco. We discuss Flynn DeMarco's production of Bride of Frankenstein, the Treasure Island Music Festival and the Flaming Lips, time travel and Higgs-Boson particles, hyperspace, Demon Souls, bit.Trip Void and more.

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Note: if you are having audio issues with the podcast, please download a new copy. It should fix the issue

Show Notes:

Practical Alchemy: Orange Rum cake

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:59:00 -0800

Cake! Who doesn't like cake? I mean seriously: cake! Last night I needed some cheering up and decided to make a recipe from Joy of Cooking I'd been eying for a while: the orange rum cake. While this cake may not win any beauty contests it tastes great, and is rumored to go great with a chocolate glaze.

This is a quick and easy cake to whip together in 10 minutes and is ready to eat less than an hour later. The simplicity of ingredients produce a spongy, buttery cake with the warmth of vanilla and the zesty citrus of an orange, not to mention being doused in a few shots of rich spiced rum.

Making one is easy - click through the jump below to learn how to make your own tasty orange rum cake.

You'll need:
Eggs
Sugar
Salt
Orange zest
Unsalted butter
Baking powder
Vanilla extract
Heavy cream
Spiced rum

Preheat the oven to 375F, and grease an 8" round cake or springform pan. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and allow it to cool.

Whisk together 1 cup sugar, 1/8th tsp of salt, 3 large eggs, and the zest of a large orange until the mixture is pale yellow and frothy. At this point I diverged a little bit from Joy Of Cooking and added a teaspoon of Mexican vanilla extract and a hint of ground cardamom for a little warmth to the finished product.

Add to this mixture 1 1/4th cup flour and 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and gently fold together. Finally add the melted butter from earlier and 1/3rd cup heavy cream and stir gently with a spoon. Be careful not to overwork the batter so the end result remains fluffy and doesn't get doughy like bread.

Pour this mixture into the greased pan and bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. After the cake has cooled invert it onto your serving dish and poke a series of holes into the top of the cake with a wooden skewer before drizzling 5 tablespoons of dark spiced rum over the top. If you are like me then feel free to bump up the rum for a deliciously intoxicating cake-based experience when you serve.

Quick, delicious, and intoxicating - what more could a baker ask for?

--Sparky

Podcast for 10.12.09 | That's a Bad Cake

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:32:03 -0800

This week's podcast features me, Jinny, Qais and Ross discussing how Brutal Legend surprised us with its humor and style, this week's releases including Uncharted 2, Afrika, Half-Minute Hero and A Boy and His Blob, Cryptic's new Champions Online comic book creation software, The Bride of Frankenstein in San Francisco, and more. Batman and cake and the Kindle. A random array of things discussed for your enjoyment.

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Show Notes:

Header image blatantly stolen from Cake Wrecks.

Hot Dog Prints by Hawk Krall

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:57:46 -0800

Serious Eats recently ran a series called "Hot Dog of the Week" where they featured a vast and delicious-looking array of regional tube steaks. Each of these posts was accompanied by an illustration of the featured dog by Hawk Krall. Mister Hawk (or Mister Krall, as the case may be) is now selling prints of a few of the more notable depictions, including the Tiujana Dog seen above. Bacon-wrapped goodness.

Each print is 27$ (+S&H) and you can snag a selection of four for $100. Check 'em out here.

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:12:16 -0800

T-shirt winner! Pixel Nintendo Zapper by Gamer Grrlz

Taokaka Kokeshi Doll by roserevolution

Practical Alchemy: 3 Cheese Baked Ravioli

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:14:47 -0800

Nothing says comfort food like macaroni and cheese, and boy do I like to say comfort food. The other day I tried mixing up this great classic by using fresh feta-spinach ravioli I bought at the market rather than macaroni and the results were decadent. This makes for a quick recipe as if store bought ravioli from the market are used only the white sauce must be made.

Click through for my white sauce recipe, and instructions on how to layer up your own casserole of fabulousness.

Start by preheating the oven to 400f so it will be ready once the white sauce is done. Next melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the foam subsides. The foam is caused by water in the butter boiling and when that process subsides the butter is ready. To this melted butter add 1/4 cup flour and whisk constantly to both smooth out the mixture and prevent the butter or flour from burning.

Slowly add a mixture of 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream, continuing to whisk to prevent burning. The mixture will have a thick texture at first, but with constant whisking will become smooth over time. Once the mixture has become smooth add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and reduce the temperature to medium low.

Finally add in a mixture of 1 cup Gruyere, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese slowly, sprinkling it in bit by bit and waiting for the cheese to dissolve prior to adding more. Once the cheese has melted completely and the sauce is a smooth, thick pale yellow the sauce is complete.

Add a little sauce to the bottom of a Pyrex baking dish and then make a flat layer of ravioli on top of it. Pour more of the sauce over this, and then repeat, layering sauce and ravioli until the dish is almost full. Pour the last bits of sauce over these ravioli and liberally sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and your favorite diced fresh herbs over the top then pop it in the oven.

20-25 minutes later when the cheese on top has become browned and crispy a delicious meal is ready. Serve with bread and a fine red wine.

--Sparky

Podcast for 10.05.09 | Vapor Weasel

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:19:33 -0800

It's just two old dudes reminiscing about "the good ol' days" on this week's podcast. Yup. Just me and Ross waxing nostalgic about the golden age of gaming, LIFE magazine, Monty Python, Mickey Mouse, Queen and Super Mario Bros. Ah, the memories! We also crack open the mailbag and ask the eternal question: Why are there so many people named Diego listening to the podcast?! And more. There's always so very much more.

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Show Notes:

Video from BrickCon 2009 in Seattle

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:11:55 -0800

Weekly Geek video correspondent Andrea documents this year's Seattle BrickCon festivities. BrickCon is a gathering of grown-ups who still love creating with the ubiquitous little things, with an exhibition floor displaying expertly pieced together models. The event also has community building activities, presentations and other LEGO-related activities.

Check out Andrea's video which shows off some impressive LEGO mecha, minifig dioramas, and even some of Angus MacLane's LEGO CubeDudes (featured previously on SuperPunch). Looks like a fun event for the hardcore LEGO fan.

Ask Dr. Helmig #32: "Vertically Challenged"

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:49:26 -0800

Don't forget to send your qvestions to helmig@weeklygeekshow.com

My Bag, Let Me Show You It

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0800

A couple of years back Lifehacker ran a series of posts displaying user-submitted shots of readers' Go Bags (what you grab and haul every day) and their disgorged contents. I sat entranced for hours, leering over this voyeuristic yet impersonal display of things usually hidden away. Eventually I made my own.

More recently several editors shared the contents of their laptop bags and a similar spell was cast, I simply had to know each and every gadget and velcro wrap and oh my my is that a stainless steel thumb drive?

Hit the jump for a taste of madness. Or better yet share your own Go Bag over in the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool.

1. Camelback MAXIMUM GEAR
Left over from patrolling days, decently constructed and doesn't show the dust.

2. Kindle 2
After leaving all my DUNE books behind on a sandbox foray several years back I decided to make the digital plunge for this go around. Great to haul across the world in place of pounds and pounds of books.

3. Pelican Hardback 1080
Do yourself a favor and purchase this plastic and steel personification of Peace of Mind. You can drop your laptop in a dire otter filled lake and BE OK.

4. Macbook 2.4GHz 4GB RAM
Still stickerless as I keep balking at varied arrangements. You have no idea.

5. Siig cooling tray laptop elevator

6. Lacie Ruggedized 500GB
Encrypted system backup

7. Lacie Ruggedized 500GB
Comics, software, ebooks, wikipedia snapshot

8. Mandatory reflective belt

9. Mechanix gloves

10. WD 500GB
Video media, sure beats a spindle or jacket of the easily destroyed optical alternative.

11. Microsoft BT mouse

12. Headlamp, white or red LED

13. Cultural Smart Card and Maps
Knowing is Half the Battle.

14. Moleskin
Squared reporter style, two pages left.

15. iPhone 3G and Otterbox case
Unlocked for use on the local network, nigh impervious to dust.

16. Oakley Half Jackets, Polarized Lenses

17. Orange Bag
USB cable, USB Y cable, Firewire, holds all external drives.

18. TAPATIO
Mandatory because enough of this stuff drowns ill flavored chow.
(Thanks to Chris and the Jinnster!)

19. Multimeter

20. Wireless 10 key pad
I hate it like poison but sometimes you gotta do some database entry.

21. Butane lighter with an LED on the bottom
So you can see what you are burning!

22. Amazon Kindle proprietary USB cable

23. Tripod for non-pictured Panasonic DMC-LX3
Mostly used for documenting gear breakages. Yes, it's pink.

24. Crystal light powdered drink mix
Reserve supply.

25. Sharpie, Mechanical Pencil, Black Pen

26. LED, two strengths or strobe
Oh SNAP was that a camel spider!?

27. Leatherman Surge, matte black
Replacing still-servicable Leatherman Wave (6 years old?) but the tiny flathead screwdriver already broke.

28. Chapstick
Lips be parchin'

29. 8GB corsair, two middling quality flash drives
Corsair has work stuff in a truecrypt volume.

30. Fake money
They don't do change out here.

31. Cravat
Hangs out back pocket. Use in case of sandstorm or need of tourniquet or breakdancing.

31. (dammit) AAA batteries
For mouse, headlamp

32. 5V USB charger

33. Leatherman Micra
One time a lady was running arround frantically looking for tweezers and I saved the day. So she could pluck her eyebrows.

34. Keyring SD case with 4GB Sandisk

35. USB to Serial adapter
Now I'm kind of curious where all my console cables ran off to.

36. LED flashlight, backup

37. Earplugs

38. iPhone USB cable

39. mini DVI to DVI adapter

40. SkullCandy something or other headphones
Cheap backups that have wormed in to circulation

41. Microfiber cloth
Used for e v e r y t h i n g

42. RSA SecureID card
To access work VPN, wish they'd given me the key fob.

43. Casio Pathfinder
Best piece of wearable tech I've bought to date. Syncs with atomic clock via RF (well, in the states and Japan), solar powered, altimeter, world time, barometer, all kinds of magic. I can sit in a hot tub and tell you exactly how hot it is, baby.

44. Clif Bar
This has been in my bag for 3 months and I see no reason to throw it away.

45. Some off brand headphones
Cloth covered cables made the sale but now they are spotty and they need to be fixed.

46. A towel sized wetnap
REFRESHING.

Practical Alchemy: Crispy Salted Garlic Noodles

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:08:18 -0800

Ever since my early cooking days I've been obsessed with noodles and different ways to make/prepare them. Today I want to cover a new technique I'm experimenting with that can elevate fresh egg noodles from their normal lofty excellence to something even better. You heard me: better than excellent! This preparation technique makes for a crispy salted exterior that crunches delightfully in the mouth while still having a rich noodley center with a bit of chew to it.

To follow along with the recipe, click through the jump.

To start off make the fresh egg pasta as detailed in a prior Practical Alchemy. Once the dough has been kneaded, rested, and cut into thin strips the dough should be soaked for 10 minutes in heavily salted room temperature water. This will help hydrate the noodles and get them properly seasoned without cooking them.

While the noodles soak heat up a cast iron skillet and saute some garlic and pepper in butter. I usually use about a tablespoon of butter per egg that went into the pasta dough. By the time the pasta is done absorbing the salt water the skillet should be quite hot and the garlic should be starting to brown. Be careful not to brown the butter yet, turning down the heat as necessary.

Drain the pasta and transfer to the heated skillet once the pasta is done dripping. Be careful not to get splashed with water contacting the hot butter as it will pop and sizzle quite spectacularly. Fry up the noodles moving them constantly so they don't stick to each other or burn. As they fry they will start to brown and become lightly crispy. Once they are nearly cooked turn up the heat and stir quite vigorously to brown the butter a little bit and then transfer to plates for the good eating. Make sure to eat this pasta dish quickly while the butter is still warm and delicious.

And there you have it - 10 minutes of dough prep time, and 15 minutes of cooking time after for delicious garlicky noodles with a crispy browned butter finish.

--Sparky

Podcast for 09.28.09 | Losing Your Soul

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:25:08 -0800

When is enough enough? Franchises losing their luster is a main topic of discussion on this week's podcast with me, Jinny and Ross weighing in on Street Fighter, Katamari and Metal Gear Solid. We also crack open the mailbag, which was filled to the brim this week with your questions. We talk about meeting Internet People in person! We even got a few death threats. Love you all bunches. Tune in for an impromptu puzzle-solving contest, as well!

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Show Notes:

Super Street Fighter IV Confirmed, Is Standalone Title

Ask Dr. Helmig #31: "Specialties"

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:25:22 -0800

Don't forget to send your qvestions to helmig@weeklygeekshow.com

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:06:32 -0800

T-shirt winner! Death by JSMc 2082

charlotte. by pbm.

Every week we feature our community members' excellent photography culled from our Flickr pool. Why not submit your own geeky or otherwise interesting photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool? You'll get your photo featured on the site with the added incentive that I'll pick one photo a week to win a Weekly Geek T-Shirt. Runners up get some sweet Weekly Geek swag. Click here to join!

Practical Alchemy: The Cape Greyhound

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:26:06 -0800

Sometimes you need to take a break from things and kick back with a refreshing drink. This week is one of those times so rather than a big, meaty delicacy for Practical Alchemy I instead present a cool, clean drink to whip up with some friends. The Cape Greyhound lets the sweet essences of a Cape Cod combine with the sour delight of a Greyhound.

The Cape Greyhound
In a cocktail shaker combine the following ingredients with a generous handful of ice

3oz fine Vodka
4oz unsweetened cranberry juice
4oz pink grapefruit juice
a dash of fresh lime juice

Shake well and serve into two rocks glasses. Enjoy with a friend, or if your week requires a bit more refreshment enjoy with yourself. Twice.

Podcast for 09.21.09 | The Mexican Internet

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:44:19 -0800

This week is all over the board as Jinny, Ross and Qais join me in discussion about the Tesla Roadster (and how I got to drive one!), Scribblenauts (and how Ross hates fun!), the official Buddhist stance on violent video games (and how I like to alienate my friends!), the prospect of Twitter-enabled games and how to make an incredibly good Fallout 3 laser rifle. And then, sometime during the show, Qais finally puts the Kanye meme to bed. We hope you enjoy.

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Show Notes:

Test Driving the Tesla Roadster

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:23:08 -0800

Back in 2007 when we first heard about Tesla Motors opening up dealerships around the country, I never thought I'd get an opportunity to actually drive one. Tesla is a company fighting hard to bring the electric car to mass market, starting with their Tesla Roadster. The roadster could be described as a sporty little golf cart on steroids, but then you'd be missing the point. It's a remarkable piece of technology, but prohibitively expensive at around 100k. Tesla plans on releasing a sedan in 2011 which will be moderately less expensive, but the price doesn't really matter. What matters is that a car company has emerged that wants to do something different.

I'm going to get to the test drive in a second. First, I want you to go to the Tesla website and see what dealerships are near you. Is there one within 50 miles? Good. Now call them. Schedule a test drive. It is so very very worth it.

Now, I am by no means a car buff. I drive an efficient little Scion xA and I am quite happy with it. I don't have to do anything to it to make it go beyond filling it with gas and giving it the occasional oil change, it just goes. I value this in an automobile beyond all else. I want it to just work. The Tesla definitely fits this bill. The roadster basically just has one moving part to its engine: the spindle. The engine is fully electric and is powered by a bank of lithium-ion batteries, the same ones that power this laptop I'm typing on right now. Instead of having to replace one giant battery (and and expensive one in the case of the Prius) you can take them out individually and get them replaced. The batteries supposedly have a 8-9 year lifespan, however, so you probably won't be replacing them any time soon. The Tesla is also completely upgradeable. Because it's mostly electronics and software, you can literally just go in and get the firmware flashed as technology advances and improve the efficiency of your car. Say Tesla develops a way to squeeze a bit more life out of the battery, or a bit more performance out of the already incredible engine, just go into your dealership and tell them to make it so. There's even iPhone apps being developed that interface seamlessly with the car.

It never requires an oil change. It costs around $4 to fully recharge and a single charge lasts around 250 miles of straight up driving. You can get a charging station installed in your garage which charges you fully within 3.5 hours. It comes with a portable charger which you can use at any RV hookup, or as the dealer I talked to pointed out, any Target store (Target apparently always has an RV hookup in the back). It is electronically locked at 125mph, though the dealer tells me it can go up to 200mph. That is ridiculous. As a matter of fact, everything the dealer told me sounded completely ridiculous. I was literally laughing out loud as he told me this stuff because of how magical it all sounds. Like Tesla the man, Tesla the car company seems to be tapping into some mystical space energy to achieve their goals. I was geeking out hardcore.

But how does it drive? I can honestly say that I have never ridden in a ground vehicle that could accelerate so fast, outside of a roller coaster. When you go zero to sixty in five seconds, you can really feel it. This car has G-forces as you accelerate. It's an incredible thing. The steering feels a bit tight and the deceleration is slightly awkward but I can tell it would be easy to eventually get used to. It has no real shifter, as it has no real gears. Driving the Tesla is as easy as driving a Power Wheels.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend trying one of these out. Even if you feel like you could never afford one, you need to experience what is essentially the car of the future. You owe it to your 10 year old self to drive an electric car named Tesla. This is the future, man. Live it. See how happy Jinny is? You could be this happy too.

Music Feature: Top 10 Albums of the 2000s

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:56:50 -0800

Everything is better with some perspective. When I started my tenure as Music Editor for The Weekly Geek, it was 2006. Bird flu was still the most feared contagion, I had a steady job with a mortgage company (you can guess what happened to that in 2007), and Google had just purchased YouTube. Now we're nearing the close of the decade and I'm happy to say that many of my favorite picks are from the first half of it; namely, things I haven't had the chance to cover since coming on board here.

Much has happened in the audio realm and I'd like to culminate it with my Top 10 Albums of the 2000s.

I've tried to be judicious, definitive, and for the sake of my own sanity, not second guess myself (still, I'd have to expand the list to 25 to fit all my "honorable mentions"). And obviously, it wouldn't be fun if all these spots weren't up for vehement debate and thus, I welcome it.

List your choices, tear mine apart - take your pick. But make no mistake: the imprint this decade's music will leave on the world is rich and storied, undeniable in its merit and gravity.

Hit the jump for the full list!

10) Sigur Rós - ( ) (2002)

Of the albums you'll see on this list, none are more reliant on your perception and patience than ( ). If you'll let it, this masterpiece of reverberating guitars, glorious string quartets, cymbal washes, and singer Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto gibberish will take you to another dimension; where all your worries and dreams are irrelevant and all that exists are these eight untitled songs. Maybe it's fitting that this album is titled with parenthetical symbols. They represent a responsibility of the listener - to fill the album in with their own understanding, and to assign it an individual meaning.

9) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (2006)

Historically, it's taken women to push the envelope in the country genre: Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette. In the spirit of these fine dames, chanteuse Neko Case brought a certain fire to her alt-country efforts. Unlike her predecessors, whose lyrics were merely skin-deep, Case brought years of rock involvement and a more cryptic brand of authoring to the game. Fox Confessor is home to a series of fairy tales brought to life with assistance from dusty, Southwestern stalwarts Calexico in one of the most exhilaratingly gorgeous productions of this decade, or any other for that matter.

8) Jay-Z - The Black Album (2003)

At the apex of his popularity, Jay-Z shocked everyone and put a figurative end to it all. The Black Album would be officially his last. Growing up without a father, he was a self-made man of the streets; a hustler who just happened upon a rap career. For all we knew, he was dead serious. And to his credit, the rhymes he brings on this album are intense, unapologetic - he really sounded like he was pouring every ounce of effort. He draws most obviously from the late Biggie Smalls, who was cut down in his prime. But Jay didn't face the same violence that enveloped Notorious B.I.G. in the 90s. He'd go on to become a hip-hop mogul, and recently, to release more records of his own, but listening to this album only begs the question: If he had hung it up with Black Album, would it be the best rap record of all time? It's certainly arguable.

7) Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise (2005)

The soft-spoken, reserved Stevens, after the issuing of his album Michigan, made what might be the most hyperbolic statement of the decade in music: he would systematically make a concept LP based on every state in the union. True to his promise, he set out to tackle another Midwestern state. On Illinoise, he pulled out all the stops. Lush strings, boisterous horns, huge pianos, and glorious harmonies regale us a wide range of tales covering everything from serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Jr. to Lincoln, The Great Emancipator. It served as the perfect emotional epicenter for the decade. So much so that if he bucked the trend and never made another LP about a state, he would've made good on the grandness of his commitment with this record alone.

6) Björk - Vespertine (2001)

Iceland's prolific princess was finally free of her creative restraints. On past records, she'd been captive to her (albeit capable) production help and Vespertine was a chance to assert herself not only as an astonishing singer, but as the complete package - a true composer. She went to work with her laptop and an open mind and came away with a counterpoint to the warmth of Homogenic. Featuring samples of footsteps in snow, a shuffled deck of cards, and cracking ice, the stark, twinkling landscapes of Vespertine were the most fitting backdrops for her stunning artistry.

5) Johnny Cash - American IV (2002)

The Man in Black was already a legend. He didn't have to release anything else to prove it. But he just wasn't done singing yet. With the aid of Rick Rubin on the boards, the American sessions were fragile and poignant. Cash showed us all how a brave man meets his death. With a calm, low rumble of a voice that could send shivers up any spine, Johnny went down in classic form, re-tooling the songs of others to do so. In spite of poorly-executed guest appearances (Don Henley, Fiona Apple) and his own failing health, Cash's light burned out bright with yet another brilliant gleam of relevance.

4) Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)

If Jay-Z's was king in a decade of derivative hip-hop, MF Doom was its tyrannical dictator. This didn't become apparent until he merged with the jazz samples and found-sound genius of producer Madlib. Madvillainy was born and it shook up the rap landscape from the underground, much in the same way Enter the Wu-Tang did in the 90s; maybe even more so given the commercial glaze coating most of the genre's offerings at the time.

3) Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)

From the now iconic L.A. wall on the cover, to the bittersweet melodies within, Figure 8 was Elliott Smith's Abbey Road. The last release while he still lived (Smith died of an apparent suicide in 2003), his songwriting brought to the table all the trademark talents of his mop-topped idols: Lennon's heart-on-his-sleeve lyricism, McCartney's instantly familiar harmonies, and Harrison's lilting vocal delivery - all this from a single person, with his own joys to exude and his own demons to exorcise. And although every listen is painful in retrospect, the classic tunes on this record keep us returning time and time again.

2) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

An experimental roots-rock record made completely on their own terms and in the midst of tumultuous in-fighting between frontman Jeff Tweedy and his now deceased co-writer Jay Bennett, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and its coupled documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart were utterly unique. An off-putting lack of immediacy, yet a magnetic intimacy in the subject matter were the calling-cards of this record. It was so beautifully odd and unmarketable that major label Reprise financed its creation, shit-canned it on first listen, and then paid again to release it on a subsidiary - truly a remarkable accomplishment.

1) Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

We couldn't see it coming, especially from a group so framed in the esteem of multi-Grammy-winning, multi-platinum OK Computer, but Kid A confused and alienated listeners and critics alike who expected a "safe" release from London's Brit-pop darlings. It ushered in 10 years of uncertainty with a wash of electronics, stark synthesized ambience, and angry guitar outbursts. Almost prophetic - it was the lone dark thunderhead on the otherwise sunny horizon - the fear of terrorism, the new Iraq war, and the global economic meltdown were captured in feelings here before they ever occurred. Radiohead blasted a musical warning shot out to a generation.

Agree? Disagree? Have your say in the comments! And as always, you can purchase the albums seen here from the Amazon MP3 Store.

Your Personal Soundtrack: The XX - Basic Space

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:36:01 -0800

I've been listening to The XX's debut album approximately twice a day for a few weeks now, and there's no end in sight. I can't get their simple, elegant melodies out of my head. If anything, it's perfect mood music. I've been stressed out at work and my commute in the morning is more of a death march than anything. The XX serve as a relaxing respite before and after the hell that is a less-than ideal work environment.

Pay attention to the very last riff of Basic Space. I had a difficult time choosing just one song from their album (mainly because I believe you should listen to an album all the way through, just as the artist intended) but the riff at the end clinches it for me. Any other artist in the same vein would repeat that riff over and over again, drilling it into your head. By using it sparsely, building to it until one final release, it becomes more effective. It resonates and reverberates in your mind until you can't take it anymore and you set the track to repeat. Be sure to listen with headphones. There's an intricacy to the sound that can't be missed. It's spartan, detailed, precise and lovely.

The worst part is the band is comprised entirely of 19 year olds. It smacks of early Portishead and I can't wait to hear more from these talented youngsters. Now get off my lawn.

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:53:53 -0800

T-shirt winner! Untitled by nanoplasia

Scribblenauts Cap by vlukyniuk

Practical Alchemy: three pepper chicken with mushrooms

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:59:35 -0800

Today's delicious alchemical concoction is a sweet tangy chicken served over a bed of mushrooms. This entree is something I've worked up over the last few months - it's moist, twice cooked succulence goes great over rice, either plain or a lemongrass rice. It's quick to make requiring about 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven, thus ideal for a delicious meal after a long day at work.

Click through the jump for the ingredients list and details on the preparation.

Marinade:
1 part lime juice (usually one large limes worth, other components scaled to that)
1 part red wine (bright, fruity wines work best for this)
3 parts olive oil
3 cloves of crushed garlic per lime
~2 tablespoons brown sugar
the ground seeds of 4 pods of green cardamon per lime
equal portions ground green, black, and cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste

Whisk the marinade components together in a large bowl and put 4 butterflied chicken breasts in the marinade for 15-60 minutes to soak up some of the flavor. While the chicken is marinating heat a cast iron pan to white hot, and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Once the marination is done sear the chicken in the pan with a little squirt of olive oil. The goal is to brown the exterior for flavor and later moisture retention, but not to cook the chicken. If the pan is hot enough the searing should only take a minute or so per side.

Once the chicken is browned put it in a glass pan lined with sliced raw mushrooms (I prefer baby portabellos myself) and then pour the marinade over it all before baking for 30 minutes. The baking will cook the chicken and mushrooms, and the liquid marinade will keep everything moist and tender.

When served over rice the sweet marinade makes for flavorful chicken and starch and a complete meal made with 15 minutes of effort.

--Sparky

Podcast for 09.14.09 | The Love You Take

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:44:11 -0800

There are things we talk about in this podcast that are not Beatles Rock Band related, but those things are inconsequential. Perhaps we discuss Batman: Arkham Asylum (like the last three podcasts) or perhaps we talk more about PAX (which is old and busted by this point) but for sure Jinny, Ross and Qais join me in discussing Bethesda suing Interplay over the Fallout franchise, Disney's D23 convention and the Cheapest Muppet Movie ever made, the new Pirates of the Caribbean, how much Qais hated the movie 9, and the secret internet rivalry between Ectomo and the Weekly Geek. It is a rivalry for the ages, this one.

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Show Notes:

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:09:15 -0800

T-Shirt Winner! Staring Banana by voidmunashii

Frankenstein's Monster by JSMc

Tenacious Toys' Who's Da Bomb?! Custom Show Is Live

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:01:46 -0800

I recently participated in Tenacious Toys and Delicious Drips' custom toy show Who's Da Bomb?!, where we were tasked to customize Toy2R Kozik Mini-Bombs any way we like. Seen above is my entry, Beppy the Happy Bath-o-Sphere. Check out the rest of the entries on Tenacious Toys' site, there's some spectacular customs from over 80 amazingly talented artists.

Practical Alchemy: food-free post-PAX edition

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:31:50 -0800

As astute readers may have noticed the Penny Arcade Expo was last weekend, and it took Seattle by storm. I attended with our fearless editors Chris and Jinny and was left as amazed and exhausted as they were by the whole event. I got to see some great games, stunning cosplay, and meet some cool new people.

As the exhaustion prevented me from getting into fresh new foods yesterday I humbly submit a few of my favorite photos from PAX in lieu of an article on cooking. Click through below to see my favorite photos, or check out my PAX 09 Flickr set - and of course check back next Tuesday for your regularly scheduled dose of dish!

Excited about ODST? This dedicated fan sure is

Dueling hand-made PIP BOYS

The Monarch would be proud

Team Fortress 2: Red vs. Blue

Jinny's raider costume

--Sparky

Podcast for 09.07.09 | Post-PAX Depression

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:17:34 -0800

I know you're expecting us to say something like "we invaded PAX this weekend, and PAX didn't know what hit it" but in all honesty, we went for a day and a half, had some fun, and then went home to play Beatles: Rock Band. In this week's show, I am joined by Qais, Ross and Jinny as we talk about the events of last weekend (including our spectacular community meet-up) as well as Beatles: Rock Band, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Shadow Complex. If you didn't make it out to PAX this year, perhaps this podcast will make you feel better. Or worse. Mostly worse.

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Tettix as Wander from Shadow of the Colossus

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:31:45 -0800

You may be familiar with Tettix, the incredible soundsmith who composed the Weekly Geek theme song, but you probably aren't aware of the extent of his geekery. It takes someone with serious nerd cred to compose something like Technology Crisis, but the nerd gene runs deep in this one. Here's Tettix's costume constructed for this weekend's DragonCon. Wander from Shadow of the Colossus never looked so good.

PAX 2009: Weekly Geek Meetup at Six Arms on Friday!

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:26:37 -0800

When: Friday, September 4th @7:00 PM
Where: Six Arms

We're going to be at the Six Arms brewery on Friday, giving out Weekly Geek buttons and stickers, eating some burgers and enjoying a pint. Won't you join us?

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Photo credit: fiveinchpixie on flickr

Practical Alchemy: Onion-Gorgonzola "Caprese"

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:20:16 -0800

The crisp bite bite of a sweet onion balanced by sour cream and Gorgonzola, all layered beautifully with tomato and basil into a not-so-classic caprese salad. This delicious blast of flavor is mere minutes away from gracing your hungry mouth. Being new to cooking I don't feel bound by conventional ingredients, and as such started experimenting with the classic insalata caprese to create my own spiritual successor.

No need to wait to make one of your own - let's make these drop dead simple 5-minute appetizers here and now. Click through to follow along with the delicious.

This simple caprese twist is easy to make. The longest part is the creation of the sour cream sloat dressing which tops it, so lets start there. Based on the vinaigrette recipe from a previous Practical Alchemy entry, mix a teaspoon of sour cream and 1/3rd teaspoon of white wine vinegar (per individual "caprese") with some salt and pepper. The resulting dressing should be just runny enough to pour a dollop onto each appetizer - if its too thick or thin to slowly pour add a little sour cream to thicken, or a splash more of vinegar to thin it.

Once the dressing is ready all that remains is slicing. I prefer smaller tomatoes to make each individual portion bite-sized, enabling the consumer to chew it all at once for an almost overwhelming blast of flavor. Slice your ripe tomato into 1/3" slices, and place each slice over a whole basil leaf.

Next slice up a sweet onion to place on top of the basil and tomato. I prefer Walla Walla sweet onions for their crisp yet sweet flavor, but in a pinch any sweet onion will do. The onion slice should be almost as large as the tomato - don't worry about putting too much onion on as the Gorgonzola does a great job of cutting the acidity of the onion.

A meager three minutes have elapsed and the appetizer is almost done! Place a dollop of the sloat dressing on top of the onion then sprinkle on a healthy dose of crumbled Gorgonzola and serve.

Personally I can never eat just one of these so I recommend making 2-3 of them for each person you plan to serve, or 4 if you want to blur the lines between appetizer and fantastically plated salad.

Enjoy!

--Sparky

The Furniss Dance

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:17:16 -0800

Every week, your inimitable podcast host, Mr. Chris Furniss, does a little dance to appease the Gods and bring good fortune in the hopes that we will have yet another mind-blowingly excellent podcast.

As any listener can tell you, this works like fucking gangbusters.

This week I decided to share Mr. Furniss' glorious Podcastdance with the world, that we might all know the beauty that is a wriggling anorexic manchild.

Go on, bask in his epic glory. If this doesn't make you want a Furniss of your own, nothing will.

Podcast for 08.31.09 | PAXsplosion 2009!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:01:39 -0800

A Penny Arcade Expo approaches! Command? This week I am joined by the esteemed mister Qais Fulton, the always dapper Ross Rosenberg, and the fabulous miss Jinny Koh to talk about this year's Penny Arcade Expo festivities. We talk about the crazy variety of things to do during the sold-out convention, the Weekly Geek meet-up, what we're cosplaying as (!) and other PAX-related things. In addition, we talk news! Disney acquired Marvel, EVE online's had some sort of virtual money banking scam, Professor Layton is ruling our lives and Batman: Arkham Asylum is waaaaay better than expected.

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Show Notes:

New Author's Version

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:55:15 -0800

Michael Kupperman writes:

A gentleman in Connecticut had been buying magazines- mostly men's magazines- for several decades, from the forties to the early seventies- and deconstructing them. He would take them apart, and then he would make a new magazine from the remnants of several, arranging the pages to highlight certain stories and downplay others. He would staple the pages back into the cover, and then he would cross out whatever stories weren't in his version with a wax pencil. Finally he would stamp his name on the cover and number the whole thing, presumably for his "library."

Quite a sharp contrast to the scanned comic backups I've been consuming this month. Absent are the yellowed pages, dog-eared spreads, and general abuse / defacement that naturally translate to affection. I'll take what I can get out here but it's like comparing a fluorescent buzz to the sun.

I agree with Mr. Kupperman (certainly you own and treasure a copy of Snake 'n' Bacon, right?) in the value of his score, an inorganic snapshot of a different generation combined with one member's personal interpretation by way of amorphous grease pencil and personalized stamp.

As I type my external hard drives grow hot to the touch and I imagine the satisfying drag of a melting was pencil across its aluminum chassis, making my mark should any happen across it decades from now.

You can see more of these scanned covers, an admitted source of inspiration to one of my favorite comic authors, here.

[via Michael Kupperman]

Made Of Myth

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:04:00 -0800

Tetris by Marc da Cunha Lopes

When Alexei Pajitnov first ordered a load of bricks from Karpov Abramtsevo's workshop, workers there were wondering who could be interested in all those right-angled blocks. No one in 1985 could have imagined those concrete Tetriminos would become world famous and constitute Russia's deadliest weapon against Reagan's America.

A series of images by Marc da Cunha, for AMUSEMENT, depicting the industrial underpinnings of some of our most treasured videogames; revealing the toil, sweat, and craftsmanship that goes into their construction. We may call these games but, as you can see, they are indeed serious business.

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:57:32 -0800

T-shirt winner! Phaedra Computing - My two year old geeking out - by skinnerofmonkies

Dear Otterbox

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:42:58 -0800

Podcaster, life streamer, and long time friend Jessica Mullen has a few things she wants her broken Otterbox to know:

Dear Otterbox,
I can't believe it's over, just like that. One day, things are going fine. Sure, you're dirty, but I always know you're clean on the inside (cream on the outside?). Then you start changing. Falling apart. Losing pieces of your self. Your cute little rubber port protector flaps, it almost seems like you have that disorder where you want to be an amputee. Then one day (at the beach no less), I discover a chunk of your skeleton is gone forever. Maybe I was too rough with you. But you begged for it! I could drop you from the top of the fridge and you liked it. Yeah, your rubber started getting a tiny bit stretched out. But your delicious skin was the most comforting fidget device I didn't realize I needed so bad.

My new case is a bitch, total rebound case. She has like, zero traction. You always stayed firmly connected to the surface you were on, this CapsuleRebel slides around like a floozy. A floozy with oozing sores on her plastic peeling face. Did I mention her face was self-adhesive?! Christ, I want a sturdy case because I'm clumsy! Do you really think I can get that sticker on straight, sans cat litter?!

Otterbox, I think we should give us another chance. I feel lost and vulnerable without you ...and your bulk.

Take care of yourself ok? Get that crack patched up and maybe we can talk.

Devoted love,
Jessica

ps. didn't you say you had a sister? a PINK one?

In the 2 years I've been sporting Otterbox cases my evangelical wiles have seen no less than 8 converts to this ruggedized religion. While several of my ilk inhabit harsh, unforgiving climes (there are 4 such cases not 20 feet from where I am typing) it was Jessica that was able to utterly destroy what I previously marked as indestructible.

The product's finer points are addressed above, and I'll maintain that the latest case design remains a sound buffer between my iPhone and the super-heated talcum-powder dust bath it's exposed to every day. Aside from a change in the belt clip between 2G and 3G/3GS models there is little room for improvement for those seeking a stout protection for their most often used gadgets.

Suggestions should be made, however, to the folks over in R&D at Otterbox. Forget military contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan when stress testing, seek out instead Austin-based super users like Jessica to see if your gear can stand up to trials of real rigor.

Practical Alchemy: The Omelet

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:44:01 -0800

Omelets are a quick, easy, and delicious way to start or end the day. Fluffy yellow eggs with a hint of butter wrapped around fresh vegetables or succulent bits of meat. After a long day at work the omelet's simplicity and ease of cooking (and single pan cleanup) make for a quick nutritious meal.

Julia Child has been referred to as the ambassador of the omelet and I must admit that the video below inspired this post. Check it out, then click through the jump for a few variations on her delicious 20 second French-style recipe.

The venerable Julia Child's recipe focuses on a quick cooking over high heat to make the omelet thin and fluffy. I've tried her method a few times with great results, although I've had better luck with medium-high heat than full on butter-burning HIGH. With a few extra minutes, a more classic American omelet can be created with a larger, fluffier feel and with delicious things folded in rather than sprinkled on top.

The fluffy texture of an omelet comes from water or milk being added to the beaten eggs. The water expands when it turns into steam during the cooking process and much like the expanding CO2 from yeast in bread creates gas bubbles which create the texture as the egg around them solidifies with heat. For a larger omelet, a hybrid approach is needed to get both the searing heat required for creating steam, as well as the lower heat required to cook the eggs fully without burning them or giving them a rubbery texture.

For the larger American-style omelet, start with the medium-high heat used in the French-style, but after 20-30 seconds when the bottom of the egg has congealed remove the pan from the heat start using a wooden spatula to gently lift the edges and let any remaining liquid seep under the now-cooked egg to congeal. Let the larger omelet rest for a minute or so in the cooling pan to finish cooking. If a browned exterior is desired, put the omelet in the oven for a few minutes under a low heat (200-250 degrees) to finish cooking. Be careful not to leave it in the oven long or the texture will get rubbery and the eggs will feel 'old.'

As for adding in other ingredients there are two big ways to do it. Some people fold the ingredients in when the omelet is almost cooked, thus fully integrating them. Personally, I prefer to dice the ingredients onto the serving plate and flop the omelet on top of them. With this approach you can select which tastes to include in each bite, and can have some very precise control over the presentation of the omelet.

What's your favorite way to make an omelet? What do you like to top it with?

--Sparky

Podcast for 08.24.09 | Tangenital

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:39:18 -0800

PAX is rapidly approaching, Blizzcon came and went, and we've got a great batch of games to talk about on this week's show. This week I am joined by Ross, Qais and Jinny to discuss all the aforementioned happenings, as well as the big gay Shadow Complex debate and more. Lots more. Too much to mention. I also admit to crying at a movie. Quit hassling me, man!

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Show Notes:

Apologies to Diego, who actually did send in a mailbag this week. We will read it next week!

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:22:59 -0800

T-shirt winner! Their Warrior. Their Savior. by Jasohill

The Machine by ajax the mediocre

Practical Alchemy: Burgers and friends

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Burgers are the classic American fare, ideally grilled up and shared with good friends over a nice beer. Burgers are simple yet can be deeply complex, with an infinite number of variations turning flavors this way and that. With a handful of cookouts under my belt, I have yet to make the same burger twice and I'm always excited to try a new way to serve them.

Click through for my basic patty recipe and a few of my favorite topping combinations so far.

The base of any burger is the burger patty. While plain old hamburger can be formed into patties, mixing in a few things helps season the meat and hold them together better. Starting with a pound of high quality lean ground beef and adding an egg makes the hamburger stickier and easier to work with. A half teaspoon of salt and a heavy grind of pepper seasons the meat, while a half white onion, minced finely, adds a bit of crunch and flavor.

To this staple, fresh herbs and spices can be added to enhance whatever toppings and dressing you intend to add. I've enjoyed some shredded basil as well as a few minced mint leaves. For a bit of a kick, add a dash of cayenne pepper or a little cinnamon and nutmeg for depth and warmth.

Once the ground beef is mixed and ready it can be formed into 3 larger patties or 4 smaller ones. These should be cooked over medium-high heat on the grill and cooked all the way through. Unlike a slab of meat where bacteria is only able to penetrate the very outside and a searing will make it safe to eat hamburger needs to be cooked through and through to kill any bacteria and avoid the oh-so-glamorous vomiting fiesta associated with food poisoning.

Some classic (and not-so-classic) topping combinations I like:

Sliced avocado, tomatoes, and pepperjack cheese

Sauteed mushrooms with swiss cheese

Thinly sliced apples and gorgonzola cheese (goes really well with the cinnamon and nutmeg mentioned above)

Thinly sliced fried potatoes - think a mashup between French fries and potato chips, garnishing like slices of tomatoes

Pesto and cheese

What is your favorite way to make the great American burger? What are your favorite toppings?

--Sparky

Podcast for 08.17.09 | In Which We Do Not Spoil District 9

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:02:36 -0800

This week Ross and I are once again joined by Qais and Jinny, who have since returned from quarantine. We fly by the seats of our collective pants in this completely unscripted and dare I say completely hilarious episode, discussing District 9 (no spoilers, we swear!), Ponyo, the XBLA "Summer of Arcade" including 'Splosion Man, Trials HD, Shadow Complex and more. We also discuss some rad-ass iPhone games and how District 9 is amazing. Oh, did I already mention District 9? BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING. Enjoy.

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Show Notes:

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:56:11 -0800

Peakoutlook by kaydee87

I know a bunch of you lovely humans are great photographers, so why not submit your geeky or otherwise interesting photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool? You'll get your cool or otherwise geeky photo featured on the site and win a T-Shirt and some Weekly Geek swag. Click here!

Insectobot Overlords

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:39:30 -0800

via The Big Picture

This is a robot attached to the brain of a silk moth, sensory input transferred and interpreted to mechanical activity by way of electrodes and algorithms. Scientists in Tokyo are experimenting with this insect-machine hybrid as a method to "steer" the apparatus towards whatever it is a silk moth is attracted to.

I work in sight of unmanned aerial vehicles being piloted from half a world away, satellite dishes belch terabytes not 20 feet from where I now type, and I feel as though the Gibson I've been reading is more in line with this tech than anything seeing action in my locale.

And why shouldn't it? The same cockroaches I battled daily in college have been walking this earth for something like 300 million years and their ilk have learned a few things along the way. Equally useful is the lack of insect interest groups, exclamatory protests of cruelty and abuse absent as the test subjects lack the anthropomorphic features and perceived intelligence that spare larger mammals from the test slab. Why create something new when a time tested, nature approved template is available in ready supply?

Today's coal mines demand new canaries, chitinous exterior a plus.

Further reading exposed me to existing projects, such as the DARPA funded HI-MEMS which is

"...aimed at developing tightly coupled machine-insect interfaces by placing micro-mechanical systems inside the insects during the early stages of metamorphosis."

We have scientists growing insect cyborgs folks, taking advantage of an existing evolutionary process to yield low cost, highly effective hybrid machines to do our terrible bidding. Surely it won't be long before swarms of these Insectobots patrol our airports seeking out chemical traces of explosives or casually infiltrate the previously private world of high level commerce like in The Fifth Element.

I, for one, embrace our future Insectobot overlords.

Each morning brings a bevy of information as the substantial girth of my RSS reader swells the night prior, periods of inactivity marked in unread counts that threaten to overwhelm no matter how much careful feed pruning is enacted. As such there are few sites I check religiously, daily content that is actually anticipated and consumed in a manner opposite the pulse and glide technique I employ for sites lacking the same prestige.

Subscribe to The Big Picture, you will not be disappointed.

Practical Alchemy: Sparky's 3 tomato sauce

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:30:38 -0800

While many a sauce exist to top your fresh pasta, the classic tomato sauces reign for a reason - they rock. I've experimented around with quite a few recipes and melded a few of them to my own liking in the form of Sparky's 3 tomato sauce. The name three tomato sauce comes from there being 3 recognizable forms of tomatoes in the finished sauce.

While this preparation takes a little planning and time the results are worth the effort. Click through to find out how to make some for yourself.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings of sauce:
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 large white onion
3 cloves of garlic
6 fresh basil leaves
1 cup red wine
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbs. olive oil
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

The night before you plan to serve this delicious sauce, mince the garlic and sauté it with the sun dried tomatoes in a small amount of the olive oil. Once this is done put the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and remaining olive oil in a bowl. Dice one of the tomatoes and the onion and add them to this bowl, along with the stewed tomatoes. Shred 4 of the basil leaves and mix them in, then add salt and pepper to taste.

This mixture should be covered and left in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to blend. In the morning put this mixture, along with the red wine in a crock pot or a large pot on the stove. If you want to add some meat brown 1" cubes of steak and add them in now. The mixture should simmer all day on the lowest crock pot setting, losing about 1/3rd of its volume.

About 30 minutes before serving shred the remaining basil leaves, and add them with the oregano and cream. When serving dice the remaining tomato and mix in with the sauce. This sauce goes wonderfully with fresh egg pasta and a little Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

--Sparky

Podcast for 08.10.09 | Army of Two

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:50:48 -0800

Jinny is sick this week and Qais didn't want to get sick, so they're off this week. But guess what? You have the amazingness of Ross and I and that's all you really need in life. Ross and I discuss a variety of news from this week, including the Bioshock ARG kicking off with bottles found on beaches, Civilization Revolution for the iPhone, an augmented reality star chart app, and I regale you with the tale of how I tried starting Final Fantasy 11 again. We also address the issue of games being pushed back past the holiday, the market for used gamertags and a brand new Kids in the Hall miniseries. Is good, you like.

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How Did I Get Here?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:44:42 -0800

Man, we're only seven days into August and there's already a fresh steamy load of weird-ass search terms actual people have actually used to actually get to this site. It just boggles my mind thinking about someone taking the time to sit down, open up a search engine and type these phrases in, expecting results. Then clicking on this website, perhaps with a glimmer in their eye, hoping for it to deliver exactly what they were searching for.

My notes are in bold. Here goes:

mysterious dance of chaos and love
what do you do when your bored of your old video games get boring but you dont want to sell any of your game (Google won't help your existential crisis, friend.)
anime about poop
chris furniss loves david bowie (it's true, I do! This one is relevant.)
wish fye video store have quest for the seven holy dildos
why are republicans fat?
you computer man fix my pants
order a tapeworm
crusties
titanc saling game
paranoid bumper stickers
how to act a indie (I DEMAND TO KNOW HOW TO ACT A INDIE)

Header photo by craigdamlo, from the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:11:32 -0800

Loco Mocos for Breakfast by voidmunashii

Burning Desire by ozshadow

Nintendo Club Hanafuda cards by vlukyniuk

Submit your geeky or otherwise interesting photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool and get your cool or otherwise geeky photo featured on the site. Prizes are involved. Click here.

Practical Alchemy: The Vinaigrette

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:31:15 -0800

While not as rich (and figure-wrecking) as a bearnaise-drenched steak, the humble salad can pack a flavor punch worthy of singing praise from the rooftops and mountain peaks. Crisp veggies, sweet fruits, and protein packed nuts (no, not those nuts) tossed together with exotic dressings can make for a healthy side or a meal by themselves.

Michael Ruhlman's Ratio provides the basic template for a vinaigrette: 3 parts fat and 1 part acid. This basic template can provide a basic dressing, but with a little creativity amazing things can burst forth from the mixing bowl. Click through for some ideas for your own

Making a salad dressing takes mere minutes and tunes a salad in any number of harmonious ways. Upon putting the fat and acids together with any seasoning, a quick whisking combines them and gives the fat a creamy consistency. Adding a touch of egg yolk acts as an emulsifying agent which keeps the dressing from separating later, albeit at the expense of having the dressing require refrigeration if there are any leftovers. If only making enough dressing for a single meal don't bother with the egg yolk to simplify the ingredient list.

A classic vinaigrette dressing is 3 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar. Many add a dash of salt and pepper to increase the flavor, but count on the oil and vinegar to add the tangy punch of flavor. For some citrus highlights, a portion of the vinegar can be replaced with lemon or lime juice.This basic dressing works with almost any salad, but with a little tweaking can go from a mere dressing to the finishing touch on an artful salad of common and exotic ingredients alike.

Another classic variant comes from my Mennonite heritage in the form of a sloat dressing. A sloat is 3 parts sour cream and 1 part vinegar, again with salt and pepper to taste. This is a much creamier variant than a classic vinaigrette. While still drop-dead simple to make, it goes well with a variety of vegetables, particularly tomatoes and onion flavors.

Armed with the basic 3:1 fat to acid ratio a dizzying variety of dressings can be created to match a salad. Just fried up some bacon to dice onto the salad? Use the bacon grease as part or all of the fat, and whisk in an appropriate acid. Putting a unique and potent ingredient into the salad? Find a liquid acid that pairs well with it to whisk in with oil or another fat for a dressing crafted and paired with your salad.

Have fun experimenting! If you uncover a magical combination that produces amazing results post a comment to share your creation with other Weekly Geeks!

--Sparky

Making Magic

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:14:21 -0800

Unlike a few of my Weekly Geek cohorts, I grew out of Magic: The Gathering in my early teen years. For whatever reason, the game simply couldn't hold my interest in the same way it kept my friends captivated for years. However, in spite of having no real use for them, my cards safely tucked away in their plastic sleeves, subsequent cardboard boxes, and redundant boxes for boxes of cards. At some point during the period spanning then and now, my boxes of boxes of sleeved Magic cards made their way into the hands of cardsharp magii who would make better use of them.

It is only now I have realized the grave error of my ways.

SomethingAwful forums member, TheYellowAnt, demonstrates a particularly clever use of Magic cards which serve only to take up the space of former Magic: The Gathering players that have yet to part with their monstrous menagerie of cardstock creatures. With a craft knife and a little patience, the sleeves upon sleeves of cards become artwork any geek could be proud to hang on their wall.

For those still locked in card combat, TheYellowAnt's crafty ingenuity serves as the smartest life-counter I've seen, which you can see in the video below.

[via Something Awful Forums]

Podcast for 08.03.09 | Indie Shoegazing

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:38:56 -0800

We look to the shoes in this week's podcast. The shoooooooooessss! Ross, Qais, Jinny and I talk a little about this week's news, a lot about Fallout 3's final DLC, answer TONS of mailbag questions (literally. Qais was crushed under the giant bag.) We chat about the rumored Epic Steampunk Disney game, The Matrix Online's creative way of ending the MMO, Coraline's Blu-Ray *lies*, and more. We had also planned on having a special guest on the show, and due to technical difficulties, he couldn't join us. I've added a bit of inside baseball to this week's stinger. Hope you enjoy.

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Podcast for 07.27.09 | Clowns!!!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:08:46 -0800

There's a bit of a heat wave in Seattle this week, making us here at the podcast a little batty as we discuss the week's geek news, including highlights from San Diego Comic Con. Jinny, Ross and Qais join me for a roundtable about cosplaying, downloadable games involving rotund royalty, making your own Fallout 3 meds, new Left 4 Dead classes, the Scott Pilgrim game, Jeff Smith making new Bone comics, and Settlers of Catan coming to the iPhone. There's also an argument about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland crammed in there, with differing opinions on each side! You don't get that in your average podcast. Enjoy.

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Fallout Cosplay Accoutrements: Make your own Nuka Cola bottlecaps, Buffout and Med-X

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:08:47 -0800

Hello, new visitors! Did you know that we do a weekly podcast that some people find highly enjoyable? Perhaps you will as well! Click here to subscribe in iTunes, yo! Or, click here to subscribe to our feed for more awesome stuff like this!

It's no secret that I enjoy dressing up like video game characters at PAX. This year, I'm dragging Jinny along for a joint Fallout cosplay. I'll be posting the costumes (and instructions on how to make them!) but first, let's talk accessories. Nothing ties a costume together like attention to detail, so I decided to whip up some little Fallout doo-dads to stuff in our belts. I've made some Nuka-Cola caps, a bottle of Buffout, and some Med-X. And you can, too! Here's how to do it:

Nuka Cola Caps

You'll need: Bottlecaps (I like the caps from Session beer, but any caps will work), rubber cement, this template (right click, save as.).

Print the template and cut out the cap tops. Paint some rubber cement on the underside of the paper and on the top of the bottlecap. Let it dry. This technique allows for maximum adhesion. Be sure to get the edges! Touch up the sides with some red paint. Use a spray sealant (matte or gloss, doesn't matter) to make them shine.

Med-X

You'll need: Small syringes, spray paint (get the stuff formulated especially for plastic)

Paint the syringes. Easy!

Buffout

You'll need: A medium-sized plastic medicine bottle, rubber cement, this template (right click, save as. You know the drill.).

Print out the template to the size of your bottle. I've made the template a standard size, but you can shrink it to fit any size bottle you'd like. If your bottle isn't black, you can always spraypaint it. Buffout bottles in-game are black with a white lid, but really any bottle will do. Use the same cementing technique for the label you used on the bottlecaps. Fill with candy and give to small children! They'll love the sweet delicious taste of Buffout.

Up next: Wasteland wanderer costume, Raider costume and some nice shiny glowy Nuka Cola Quantum. Stay tuned!

Ask Dr. Helmig #30: "Symptoms of Life"

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:41:19 -0800

Don't forget to send your goddamned qvestions to helmig@weeklygeekshow.com

Practical Alchemy: Galette Dough

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:49:52 -0800

As any astute reader of Practical Alchemy will notice I'm a little obsessed with desserts. My obsession comes front and center again this week in the form of galette dough. A galette is a flaky pastry prepared similar to a pie, however with a stronger dough and without a pie tin. To clarify, a galette is pure delicious, a galette is a reason to get out of bed in the morning, a galette will be the driving force behind world peace in the year 2014*. As amazing as a galette can be the best part is galette is how quick and easy creating this fancy desert really is.

The galette dough can be made in bulk and frozen ahead of time, needing only a quick overnight thaw in the fridge before being rolled, having fruit added, and baked making it an ideal dessert to make when you are pressed for time, but really want to impress friends and family alike. Click through to find out how to stock your freezer with these ready-to-go discs of deliciousness.

Recipe from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Like all pastry doughs the layering of cold (and thus firm) butter and flour creates the flaky finished product. Start by mixing 8 3/4oz (1 3/4 cup) white flour, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. This mixture should then be placed in the freezer and left for at least 10 minutes until it is chilled throughout.

When the flour mixture is chilled, cut 6oz (1 1/2 sticks) of cold unsalted butter into 1/2" cubes then toss the cubes in the frozen flour mixture. Mix the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or food processor and work it until the mixture has become course with the butter in small fragments no more than 1/4" around.

Re-freeze the flour-butter mixture for another 10 minutes while mixing 3 tablespoons of ice water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Pour this over the cold flour-butter mixture and mix with a fork until the dough loosely holds together. It will not form a solid glob, and will be crumbly. If the dough does not stick together when pressed with fingers add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of ice water gradually, mixing until the the dough behaves properly.

Put the mixture on a floured counter top and gently press it into a rough rectangle. Fold this rectangle over itself several times to form the many layers of butter and flour that will become the flaky texture of the final baked product. Once you're done folding, flatten the dough into a 1" thick round disc and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Prior to baking the galette the disc of dough should chill for at least another hour in the fridge. I know, it's a lot of chilling. It's worth it.

This is an easy recipe to double. In this case the second disc can be frozen after it's been tightly wrapped in plastic and foil. It will keep for up to 3 months. The night before baking, just move the disc from the freezer to the fridge to thaw.

When ready to bake roll the chilled dough into a 12-14" circle and place any fruit tossed lightly in 1:1 mixture of sugar and corn starch in the middle. Leave about 2" on the edge to fold over to form a hollow area for the filling. The completed galette should then be chilled in the fridge for at least 20 minutes while the oven warms to 400 degrees. More chilling. I know.

The galette should be baked at 400 for 30 minutes, then at a reduced temperature of 350 for an additional 20-30, until the crust is golden brown, and cooled before slicing (pizza-style!) and serving. Enjoy!

--Sparky

*world peace via galette not guaranteed.

Podcast for 07.20.09 | Hobology

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:51:29 -0800

The podcast is jam-packed full of content this week with me, Ross and Jinny talking about Comic Con in San Diego and how it will harm your wallet, some new toys and prints you'll find there including Jhonen Vasquez's limited edition Bioshock 2 print. We also discuss the new Goozex Blu-ray and DVD trading capabilities, Futurama's recasting, Rock Band's new content creation system, the iPhone 3gs and how the old iPhones are still selling like iPhone shaped hot cakes, and music recommendations for 2009. Tune in, won't you?

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Geek Chic Contest Winners

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:07:16 -0800

The Weekly Geek community's lookin' goooooood. Last week we asked you to submit a photo of your favorite outfit in the Weekly Geek flickr pool to win one of these great shirts from Robit Studios and you delivered! We've got a bunch of classy lookin' listeners, I tell you what.

Danton D. in customized Up 3d glasses and a kickin' pixellated paisley hoodie

Zonugal, in his "Confidence Outfit"

Lior, who really really loves Spiderman

Chesh, whose epic moustache perfectly compliments his classy vest and tie combo

n0brein, who apparently lives in a fashion catalog

Rocco Anthony, who rocks the newsboy hat and vintage tee

And finally, Jinny and I adding to the collective

The first place prize (your choice between Chance of Reign or Oldschool) goes to: Danton!

Second place goes to n0brein, who will receive whatever shirt the first place winner didn't choose!

Thanks to everyone for your participation, it's nice to see geeks breaking the baggy black t-shirt stereotype. Winners, please give me your mailing address so you can get your prize.

Practical Alchemy: Grilled Kebabs

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:59:01 -0800

Sourced from Middle Eastern culture, the kebab is a quick way to meld flavors by grilling meats, fruits, and vegetables together over an open fire. Kebabs are an easy out after a long day - at its simplest form you can chop some ingredients, thread them onto skewers, and grill with your meal ready to eat in 10-15 minutes.

When preparing the kebab almost any ingredients can be used. I'm a big fan of mixing beef, bell peppers, onions, apples, and squashes myself, although great results can be achieved with fewer or more exotic ingredients alike. I like to make sure I have a little mix of everything--sweet, spicy, and savory.

If using ingredients that cook at drastically different speeds, it may be advisable to put those ingredients on separate skewers to allow them to cook for varied periods of time. If all of the ingredients being combined cook at approximately the same temperature, then interweaving ingredients on the skewers can give the flavors a chance to blend during the marinating and grilling. Bear in mind that larger chunks of meat will take longer to cook. If you're considering pairing with tender vegetables, cut the meat into thinner or smaller pieces.

Once the meat, vegetables, and fruits are skewered, drizzling them with marinade can add a blast of flavor. Typically I prefer a more simple preparation with some oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper whisked together and poured over the kebabs 5-10 minutes prior to cooking. I re-drizzle the marinade a couple of times while rotating the kebabs during the cooking process to infuse more flavor and help keep the ingredients moist and succulent.

Unlike larger cuts of meat, the smaller bite-sized chunks used in kebabs won't need to rest after grilling because the juices won't need to redistribute and the temperature will already be more consistent. Kebabs are ideal for serving hot of the grill, either plated in their skewered state or quickly slid off the skewers and plated as a pile of pure deliciousness.

--Sparky

Podcast for 07.13.09 | Ludonarrative Dissonance

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:43:43 -0800

This week, Jinny and Ross join me to discuss a few big news stories in the geek realm - Professor Layton's Twitter account was a fake, Bioshock 2's release date was pushed back and Bit.Trip Core was finally released. We also discuss guilty pleasures, Fallout 3 (because we may as well just be an official Fallout 3 podcast at this point) and more. It's the same conversation you love, with the same cast you probably tolerate. Enjoy!

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Custom Toy Fun Times: Beppy the Happy Bathysphere

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:46:56 -0800

I just completed my entry in Tenacious Toys' recent Mini Bomb Custom Show Off. I am calling him Beppy the Happy Bathysphere. Though he's more like a little submarine guy than a bathysphere. He's based off of a Kozik Mini Bomb, and was augmented with Sculpey and paint. The coins even glow in the dark! Because I am a nerd like that.

I changed the design of the Mini Bomb pretty drastically for this one, but I really wanted to do something a bit more sculpted, a bit less just painting on a bomb shape. I didn't want to draw a face on the bomb and call it good, you know? This was also the smallest custom I've painted yet, and really forced me to be more careful in my detailing. So much fun, so much delicious learning. Many thanks to Tenacious Toys for starting this!

The Weekly Filmschool #4: Sync Sound

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:55:46 -0800

Pretty neat huh? Using an iPod as a flash recorder/microphone. It's a trick of editing I'll show you how to do below.

It may seem pretty hard to believe, but really high-end video and film cameras don't have built-in sound recorders.

So why does a crappy $100 camera have sound and not a $200,000 camera? Well, because that's not what a camera is for. You want the camera (and especially cameraman) to be focused on nothing else but recording the visual scene. Not to mention that any decently sized production can have several different microphones that would make plugging into a camera impractical and awkward. Sound is handled by a separate team with a separate reel-to-reel tape or flash recorder.

The sound is later synced up in editing with the help of a very simple device: a clapperboard. Its image is iconic with Hollywood movies, and has been in use since the 1920's. Its primary use is so that the person in editing has a definite visual indication of when the film and soundtrack should sync together. The editor advances the footage frame by frame until the two pieces of the clapperboard meet, and that's where the beginning of the "clap" sound should start. The board also provides useful information like who's the cameraman, who's the director, scene, take, and even timecode for video productions.

Well, that's all well and good, but how does that relate to somebody who has a dumpy $100 camcorder with built-in sound? Well, sync sound can still be very useful. Almost every self-respecting nerd has an iPod, and wireless microphone systems are expensive, so why spend hundreds of dollars on something like that when you can just use what you have in a clever way?

The first thing you want to do is find in your footage where the sound event takes place. In my case, it was when I clapped my hands.

Once you find the EXACT visual instance, you'll want to put a marker on the clip in the timeline. In Final Cut, it's just the "M" key. In Adobe Premiere, you have to go to Marker -> Set Clip Marker -> Unnumbered.

Next, you want to unlink the video from the sound so you can edit them independently. In FC it's simple CMD+L, in Premiere, it's Right Click -> Unlink.

Now you have to scrub through the sound file that the iPod recorded. You have to find the "clap" sound. Place a marker on the beginning of the clap's waveform.

With snapping on you'll be able to line up the two markers perfectly. You'll probably want to suppress or cut out the main soundtrack as I did.

That's it! You may run into a little trouble with the file format that the iPod produces. On a Mac you can just use quicktime to export it as a WAV file, and I ran into no trouble on the PC, so you should be good.

Your Personal Soundtrack: Passion Pit - Manners

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:01:02 -0800

For all the railing against hipsters and the meta culture of the past few years, there are a few great things that have come from our current obsession with past aesthetics. "Retro" gaming has breathed new life into old gameplay tropes, games like bit.trip beat and Mega Man 9 show that just because it looks like it's from the 80's doesn't mean it's old or dated, it's just a different aesthetic. A chosen, purposeful aesthetic. I've heard complaints that there's no new ideas being generated in art these days; that we've done it all and now we're cannibalizing ourselves and perverting existing works. I blame the movie industry and the obsession with remakes and sequels. With music, it's a bit different. Many artists are just taking certain sounds and moods that make them happy, and shaping them into a new and refreshing product. Enter Passion Pit.

In 2008, Passion Pit released their first EP, Chunk of Change. The first four tracks on that album were made by lead vocalist Michael Angelakos as a gift to his girlfriend at the time, and it shows. The tracks are lovingly crafted and the EP showed great potential. Manners feels like a logical progression from Chunk of Change, building on the retro-synth and Angelakos' wailing vocals into a swirling vortex of pure joy, without ever feeling saccharine.

Manners is just that: a joyful album. Angelakos has obviously been influenced by sounds from his youth that made him happy. A little bit of Tears for Fears here, a little bit of Bee Gees there with a dash of... Mega Man? As a matter of fact, most of Manners feels like it could be from the lost Mega Man soundtrack with it's catchy hooks and driving melodies. It's bubbly and full of energy, while never feeling fake or put-on. In this current meta-culture - stinky with hipsters and their thick colorful sunglasses and co-opted (read: questionable) fashion choices - it's all about consumption. Chew up one trend, spit it out to prepare for the next one. Passion Pit transcends this perversion and becomes something entirely new.

Standout tracks like The Reeling (above) and Little Secrets show depth both in their lyrics and their production, without ever feeling manufactured. It's an authentic joy that Angelakos takes in his music, and history shows that if the artist puts his heart and soul into his work, the end product is better for it. Personally, I can't stop listening to it. I fall asleep with Passion Pit stuck in my head, and I wake up with Passion Pit stuck in my head. It's not often that an album comes along and inspires me to play it over and over and over again, usually I'm afraid of wearing it out. Manners reveals layers the more I listen to it, and the pure joy of Passion Pit inspires me in the way few albums do.

Sure, you could compare them to other recent synth-heavy indie pop bands like MGMT and just calling the sound a fad, but you'd be selling Passion Pit short. Railing against the current rash of hipster culture is one thing, but if you write them off just because they sound like a retro revival you'd be missing out on what is one of the best albums of 2009. Full of emotion and joy and brilliance.

look at me oh look at me is this the way i'll always be
oh no, oh no

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:34:47 -0800

Dragonfly by kaydee87

Indiana Jones and the Train with a DS by jasohill

Submit your photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool and get your cool or otherwise geeky photo featured on the site. Prizes are involved. Click here.

AND don't forget to enter our Geek Chic contest to win a great t-shirt from Robit Studios!

Geek Chic: Show us your best outfit, win a T-Shirt from Robit Studios

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:06:09 -0800

I like to think that Weekly Geek listeners are a fashionable bunch. We take more care than the run-of-the-mill geek when it comes to appearance, even if we just slap on a t-shirt it's usually a dang good one. That's why we're teaming up with Robit Studios, purveyors of fine hand-printed apparel for our first Geek Chic contest. We've got two great shirts to give away, as well as a handful of Weekly Geek stickers and buttons for the runners-up. The winner will get their choice from these two lovely shirts, Chance of Reign and Old School. Second place gets the shirt the first place winner didn't choose. So, how do you win these things?

Show us your best outfit and post it to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool. We're not looking for wacky, we're looking for style. What do you have in your closet that makes you feel like an absolute rock star? It doesn't have to be a suit and tie, or anything formal. The winners will be chosen on July 16th. We'll pick out whoever looks the fanciest.

In addition! If you're interested in purchasing some of the shirts from Robit Studios, use the code weeklygeek at checkout for 10% off! Not bad, yo.

Practical Alchemy: Grilled Pineapple

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:00:19 -0800

Having the family in town for the big 4th weekend meant a lot of grilling happened in the Sparky household including grilling my first pineapple. Almost immediately upon grilling my first pineapple I was struck with its sheer awesomeness and was required to procure and grill a second pineapple a mere day later. Have you had grilled pineapple? If you haven't you should - lightly salted, grilled pineapple is pure amazing wrapped in charred wonderfulness.

Grilling pineapple is drop dead simple. Chop the top and bottom from the pineapple and then slice off the sides to reveal a hexagonal pillar of sweet yellow goodness. Slice the goodness pillar into 1/2" hexagonal discs of sweet yellow goodness then lightly sprinkle with salt. Allow the salt to soak in while the grill heats, then once the grill is as hot as can be toss the slices on to their sizzling fate.

In a few minutes the pineapple will be lightly charred on one side. Flip the slices - and redistribute around the grill if you have hot spots (like I do). A few more minutes and the sweet steamy slices are ready to be whisked back from the grill to the kitchen. A few quick cuts to remove the succulent ring of deliciousness from the fibrous center and your pineapple is ready to serve.

Podcast for 07.06.09 | Doldrums

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:39:29 -0800

Despite the Summer doldrums, we've got a packed podcast for you this week. It's me, Jinny, Ross and Ryan talking about what we're currently playing, reading, listening to and eating. It's also Ryan's last podcast for a few months, which is a sad thing. We've also got a new contest to win some great t-shirts from Robit studios. It's a crazy mish-mash of things this week, but we do discuss things relevant to your interests! I swear. Enjoy.

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The Weekly Filmschool #3: Animation #2, The Story Thus far

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:40:05 -0800

It's been about two months since I declared my intentions to make a fully digital animation in Toon Boom Studio. So how's that going? Well, it's roughly 75% done. However now that summer has rolled around my initiative has been somewhat sapped. Not to mention work and trying to get this Filmmaking Club started at the University.

But just as an interesting side, I figured I'd post all of the backgrounds I did. You can find them all here on my Fickr Gallery.

Under the cut I'll show you the basic process I went through to make them.

The first thing I did was take a piece of paper and scribble the basic rough sketch of the background. Then import it into Adobe Illustrator as a template.

I like nice, clean lines with little variability. So Illustrator is perfect for me. Most of the inking process is done with just simple mouse clicks with the Pen Tool, but occasionally I also used my Wacom pen tablet to make short work of complex lines.

Once the inking process was done, I imported everything into Photoshop.

Coloring cartoons or comics in Photoshop is super easy. You set the line art layer to multiply and have a layer underneath for color. You then use the Magic Wand and other select tools to fill in the colors.

I used the default color pallet I made for the houses. Meaning I colored the houses, yards, and street with no regard for any lighting effects later on. The sky is on a separate layer due to some effects that'll be added later in AfterEffects.

Now With the sky in place (the major light source) I can start shading. Obviously I going for a hot day so red will dominate.

Once again the select tools are used. The polygonal lasso tool is very hand for making shadows.

Finally, I made a red shape on a separate layer that only covers the foreground and set it to color burn. This gave everything a red tint. Then used a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer to make everything really bright and vivid.

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:04:51 -0800

Boom. by pbm

Lively Scene from "Ponyo on the Cliff by the sea" by jasohill

Submit your photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool and get your cool or otherwise geeky photo featured on the site. Prizes are involved. Click here. (Oh god please no more Perler bead creations unless they are COMPLETELY AWESOME)

Practical Alchemy: Tools of the Trade

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:25:05 -0800

While traditional alchemy relied on the alembic, vials, and lead, my alchemy relies on a different set of tools to perform the arcane culinary arts. While the end results of cooking are much more related to the ingredients used and the skill of the chef, the process of cooking is affected significantly by the equipment at hand. Like any mad scientist, I'm into the geeky gadgets that make my job easier, be that job dominating the world or just the taste buds of my guests.

Almost any chef will tell you that virtually any preparation can be made with a simple pan, a single knife, and a wooden spoon. In the spirit of Alton Brown I'm not a fan of uni-tasking kitchen gadgets, but having a few additional versatile tools in addition to those three will certainly make the alchemical arts easier. Click through the jump to see some of my favorites.

A good knife
While I already mentioned a knife as one of the three basic things required to cook, I wanted to emphasize how great a good knife can be. When I started cooking I had one of those knife block kits you can get on Amazon for $30 and it certainly fit the bill of letting me cut things. Now that I've gotten myself a really nice knife, however, my prep work in the kitchen has changed dramatically. A good, sharp knife makes slicing, dicing, and mincing a breeze. It cuts more cleanly through tough and soft vegetables alike. Finally, a sharp knife is much less likely to catch on something and slip - studies have shown people injure themselves with sharp knives much less frequently than with dull ones.

High-quality knives will last a lifetime, are easier to sharpen, and hold their sharpness longer. A good knife will also be comfortable to hold in your hand. Before purchasing an expensive knife, it's recommended to try it out either at a friends place or in a store to make sure the handle is comfortable in your hands. If only buying a single knife, I've found Santoku-style knives to be very versatile - long enough to make cutting vegetables of any size possible, and with a wide blade to make flipping cut food around quickly.

If you put out the cash for a nice knife or two, it's also worth noting that a nice cutting board is a great tool to have around. A solid heavy wood one is ideal because wood won't dull knives and a heavy one won't move around on the counter when in use. Wood isn't ideal for cutting meat on due to microbial concerns, but it's the best surface, hands down, for anything else. I solved this problem by getting a small plastic board that I can lay down over my wood board when I need to trim chicken or beef. Editor's note: it's ok to cut meat on a wooden cutting board, as long as you sanitize it with a squirt of water/bleach solution. Use about a teaspoon of bleach in a small squirt bottle, and your board will be clean and free of germs. - Chris

Kitchen scale
Nary a meal goes by that I don't use my scale to make in some way. Weighing ingredients makes measuring things out quick and accurate. Particularly when dealing with powders or other compressible ingredients, a scale helps take the guess work out of the equation. When baking the amount of flour in a 'cup of flour' can vary by as much as 50% depending on how compressed the flour is in your measuring unit, but humidity aside 10oz of flour is pretty much always the same amount.

Scales also allow for easy modifications of recipes to adjust the quantity. Once you have figured out the ratio of ingredients in relation to one another, by weight, making a single serving or making 10 is just as easy. Place a bowl on the scale, toss in the ingredients one at a time, and tare the scale after each one is added. A good scale will allow enough weight that even a heavy metal bowl from a stand mixer (discussed below) can be used as the container things are being weighed into making for nearly instant measuring when baking bread, cakes, or other ratio-based foodstuffs.

Stand mixer
Admittedly there is nothing a stand mixer can do that you can't do by hand with enough elbow grease, but boy do they make a lot of things easier. Particularly for baking, being able to quickly and effortlessly combine ingredients while working on other tasks in the kitchen is a joy. From fluffing eggs into meringue to kneading bread dough, a sturdy mixer frees the cook from the most laborious tasks in the kitchen. Another great example of how a scale and stand mixer can shine is cookies - tossing the mixing bowl on a scale and throwing ingredients in followed by a quick blitz in the mixer can have cookies ready to go into the oven in 5 minutes flat.

While I'm sure any stand mixer will do I personally selected Kitchenaid based on their reputation. Both my mother and grandmother had Kitchenaid stand mixers their entire adult lives, and neither of those wore out. When my grandma died, her 40+ year old Kitchenaid passed on to my cousin and still churns out baked goods on a daily basis. The extra money is worth it for a tool that will serve for a lifetime.

Silpat
Finally I want to wax poetic about the Silpat. A Silpat is a non-stick baking mat that is pure magic. With a fiberglass interior to evenly distribute heat, and a silicone exterior that nothing sticks to the Silpat is perfect for everything from cookies to bread. Even when working with sticky doughs and oils, the Silpat simply wipes clean after use. Offering more benefits than parchment paper, my Silpat will pay for itself over the course of its life by being reusable unlike the parchment paper it replaces.

--Sparky

Podcast for 06.29.09 | Satisfaction

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:41:12 -0800

At what point does a game stop being fun and start being work? This week, Ross Rosenberg, Jinny, Ryan G Biv and I focus on the theme of satisfaction. What makes us continue playing a game even if it kicks our ass all over the room? Why do we persevere in the face of ridiculous difficulty and unfair game mechanics? We also touch on game and movie news, from the new Heavy Metal movie, to a Facebook movie, Miyazaki's new movie, a rumored PS3 operating system refresh, Nintendo's new auto-play help system, Michael Jackson's death (and how it affected the internets), along with some great iPhone games to download. And then we answer some questions from the mailbag.

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The (somewhat) Weekly Filmschool #2: Chroma Key

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:15:55 -0800

Chroma Key (or Green Screen) is one of the most popularly known compositing techniques in our film-literate society. The concept is simple: put a pure-color in places where you want to be transparent later on. It sounds simple in theory, but can be very complex in practice. Fear not though, for it is not out of reach of the average geek! I'll show you how it's done.

Chroma key is really simple and really affordable (which is why it's so overused.) All you need are:

A vivid green or blue background.
Multiple lights for lighting the background and your subject. Large fluorescent lights work best for the background. Ideally you don't want to cast any shadows or see any detail in the background.
A DV camera, or film camera and access to a telecine machine.
A pretty beefy computer with at least 2GB of RAM, and Adobe AfterEffects.

You can use any color for the chroma key, but you don't want common colors that may make isolating your subject difficult (such as red.) Hence the use of day-glow green and pure blue. You could also use pure black or white ( a "luma" key.) Deciding on what color to use depends on what exactly you're compositing. For instance, on the first Spiderman movie, they shot Spiderman on a green screen because his costume contained a lot of blue. Then they shot the Green Goblin in front of a blue screen because, well, yeah.

You can find fabrics or paint that can make good green screens at a hardware store or any fabric shop for cheap (fuzzy fabrics like velvet work great.) Heck, even construction paper will do the job!

Now you're going to need a program to do the chroma key for you. The sky's the limit in terms of price, especially if you want to do something real-time like what TV meteorologists use. If you have slightly less money than God, I'd suggest Adobe AfterEffects. It's a good, consumer-level program that has other very useful tools. The downside is AfterEffects is one of those programs that requires a rather steep learning curve, because it's not very intuitive to somebody who's never used a post production suite before. But at its core, AfterEffects is simply Photoshop for motion pictures.

The biggest hurdle I think is truly understanding how AE handles your footage. You import video same as any other program, but you do not usually work directly on it. You nest your footage into compositions, which are like canvases. You can have compositions within compositions within compositions to make very complex animations or composited footage.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's make some movie magic. I took a picture of a crecent wrench on a green piece of fleece, just for demo purposes.

Open AfterEffects and ignore all the startup prompts. You want a totally blank slate. Import your footage by hitting CRTL+I or CMD+I on the Mac. Or you can left click in the Project window and select Import → Footage.

Hit Ctrl+N or CMD+N to create a new composition. Set it to whatever format you're using. I'm using a still image, but most likely you'll be using NTSC DV (United States) or PAL DV (Everywhere else). You'll also want to set the background color to black under Composition → Composition Settings.

In AfterEffects CS4, you have two tools with which to create a chroma key. You have your basic color key effect , and you also have the Keylight 1.2 plugin. Keylight allows you to do much more than just the basic effect from Adobe, but we'll just stay simple for now.

So double click on Color Key in the Effects & Presets panel on the right. You can go to Keying → Color key, or you can just search for "color key" in the search bar and it'll just pop right up.

In the effects panel, under key Color, use the eyedropper tool to select the color you wish to cut out. At first not much will happen, you have to move the color tolerance up to around 70 to get most of the color out, but not so much that it starts cutting out the subject as well.

Well, that's a fairly decent key. Aside from a hint of green around the edges, it looks pretty much isolated. However, if this was video, it would look like crap. That hint of green, and jaggy edge, would look really cheesy and ruin the effect. No chroma key is ever perfect. 90% of the work is hiding the flaws.

We need to apply another filter. It's the Spill Suppressor effect under the Keying menu. Use the eyedropper tool to carefully pick the color that is spilling onto the subject. Do not pick the background color itself, that will mess up everything. Pick the color that is being cast on the edge.

Now to get rid of the jaggies. Under the Color Key effects controls, there's the Edge Feather slider. Move it until it looks good (but not too fuzzy.)

You might have other stuff in the scene that the keying filters can't cut out. Such as, say, a boom operator or set rigging. The edges of the green screen might not be lit properly. For this, we need a garbage matte (or junk mask.)

It's super easy. In the upper left hand corner is the tool pallet. Select the Pen Tool, and on the subject layer, click to make little points, and make a shape that fits the subject as tightly as possible. This gets tricky with a moving subject, but I won't get into that now.

Finally, import your background put it beneath your subject layer.

Well there you have it. A super fast Chroma Key. It certainly won't get you any jobs, but for the average video jockey, it'll be an indispensable tool for his or her internet videos.

Weekly Geek Flickr Pool Finds

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:24:04 -0800

Epic Fail by Oh Yeeeeah drink Kool Aid

Castle Crashers by SnotRockt2

Submit your photos to the Weekly Geek Flickr Pool and get your cool or otherwise geeky photo featured on the site. Prizes are involved. Click here.

On Failure, Obsession, Inspiration

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:06:42 -0800

For your approval, a steam engine of enthusiasm in black, defining light source replaced with twin beaming orbs framed in plastic. I give you mine own Muse, Adam Savage.

A while back the nefarious Ross linked Mr. Savage's talk on Obsession, in which our hero reveals not one but two rainy-day craft projects gone awry that exemplify his own power of focus and palpable will of force. He proceeds to make something out of nothing.

It's times as these, sinking in a pool of writer's block and isolated at a timeless swamp, that I listen to Savage talk and find inspiration. In the above clip he speaks on Failure, an odd topic in light of his own widely recognized success in model production, special effects, and, of course, television.

Still Savage's relation of professional failure, often in the grip of a crushing deadline, only makes me like him more. If he has failed, and persevered, then maybe so can I.

Both talks bear watching. If not now then perhaps later when you need a lift, a middle-aged fiery-haired catalyst to jump start your creative doings. Save this on your iPod, a virtual defibrillator to be applied in case of emergency.

Practical Alchemy: of Internet inspiration

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:30:00 -0800

While the Practical Alchemy archives consist of a scant six entries, it's understandable that you'd feel as though it's not your end-all be-all resource when it comes to making a meal. I've got a couple other great Sparky-approved™ websites that I browse through for recipes, pairing ideas, or just general inspiration to give my creativity the jump start it need sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean always.

Click through to see a listing of some of my favorite online cooking resources, and then share your own in the comments!

Foodpairing.be - My ultimate inspiration source for when I have a new or fresh ingredient I want to build a menu around. Enter any food and it will give you a web of food pairings showing what flavors it mixes well with. I could spend hours in a well stocked pantry playing with Foodpairing and mixing small bites of multi-flavor glory.

Michael Ruhlman's blog - Michael's writings have been a both an inspiration and a guide for me in learning how to cook. Both Ratio and The Elements of Cooking were instrumental in getting my alchemical juices flowing. His blog is a random smattering of divine photos of food by his wife and delicious ideas which makes it a must-subscribe.

Friendfeed Foods Group - Friendfeed is a great online community offering a way to share and discuss your online activities. The foods group is an eclectic mix of recipe ideas, kitchen gadgets, and random questions about food and cooking.

All Recipes - A sometimes hit or miss resource given its user generated nature but always a great browse. Like Friendfeed, All Recipes, a community based around food, allows members to post recipes and keep their own food blogs. Often when I just want to figure out the ratio of ingredients for a particular sauce or preparation, I'll look at the top few results on All Recipes and average their ratios as a starting point.

Slashfood - Slashdot's culinary little sibling, without the scathing comment culture of its more famous sibling, Slashfood is another random smattering of food-related content that's great for inspiration when you want to figure out what to make for dinner.

Cookthink - Cookthink is a new-to-me resource I uncovered while researching for this article. Like Foodpairing, it offers culinary inspiration based on the input of a user. Unlike Foodpairing, Cookthink offers full recipes and techniques rather than solely flavor pairings and substitutions.

And there you have my five favorite foodie sites on the internet with a bonus link that is sure to be a favorite soon. Leave your favorite online food resource in the comments to share with fellow Weekly Geekers.

--Sparky

Podcast for 06.22.09 | Go Ask Alice

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:50:24 -0800

Bringing you the week in geekery, it's Jinny, me and the super famous Ross Rosenberg. We talk about the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland remake, Fallout 3's new Point Lookout DLC, the iPhone 3GS and Ngmoco's new Plus+ network, a life-sized Gundam statue finally finished in Japan (and set to become our new overlord), Lord of the Rings coming to Blu-Ray, 1vs100 and how dirty Bob Saget is as a stand-up comedian, Pixar granting a dying girl's last wish... look, if I tell you that this podcast is epic you have to believe it. It. Is. Epic. How can you possibly distill all this information on your own? I say, you cannot! That is why we are here, to bring you all of these good things in the span of an hour and ten minutes or so.

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