Epic Giveaway: Game of Foams GEEKSOAP!

Winter is coming, friends. Be sure you smell your very best with this newly released line of Game of Thrones inspired soaps by the lovely Lesley at GEEKSOAP.net. Lesley has been a huge friend and supporter of Kentucky Geek Girl this last year and has graciously donated her Game of Foams soaps for an epic Pre-Christmas giveaway. It's been a great year for fans of George R. R. Martin's epic series "A Song of Ice and Fire" and what better way to celebrate than by lathering up?

Epic Skyrim Rap

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim releases this Friday, 11-11-11. To get you through the next few days Youtube user Dan Bull has released an Epic Skyrim Rap. It's got mad flow, dog. For shizzle, my nizzle. In all seriousness, it's a very cleverly constructed rhyme and incorporates a lot of aspects of the game, e.g. the ability to use magic in one hand and wield a weapon in the other. Pretty sweet. Check out the video after the break!

Uncharted 3 launch trailer released (Plus bonus video of Harrison Ford playing the game!)

We're about two weeks away from the launch of the third game in the Uncharted series. This time, Nathan Drake is searching for a 16th century artifact, only to be pitted against a "shadowy clandestine organization." There are elements of the occult, secrets and treachery. In short, it. looks. awesome.

Sony has just released the official launch trailer for the game, which comes out November 1. Watching it, you totally get a sense of what the game is all about. There are a few minor spoilers, but I think playing the game you'll get so immersed in all of the action, you won't even realize.

Check out the trailer and an extra special video after the break.

Gamebreaker to team with WoWInsider and Wowhead for epic Blizzcon party

Okay, I'm not going to Blizzcon. That would be pretty sweet, but it doesn't make much sense because I'm not playing WoW right now. To satisfy my need for all things World of Warcraft, I follow posts from WoWInsider, WoWhead/Zam and of course watch Legendary on Gamebreaker.tv. Those three entities of awesomeness are teaming up to host a reader meetup at Blizzcon that sounds like it's going to be pretty sweet.

You do not need to have a ticket to Blizzcon to attend the party, which will be held at the Anabella Hotel on October 20. There will be awesome swag, a chance to meet your favorite personalities from Gamebreaker, WoWInsider, and sites like Tankspot and Zam. It sounds like it is going to be a ton of fun and if you're not in California, like me, you can watch a live stream of the party on Gamebreaker.tv! 

There's even a Facebook event page for the party. So, if you'll be in the Anaheim area on October 20, even if you're not going to Blizzcon, check out the party, starting at 5pm PDT.

Disney meets the Lantern Corps

This is one mashup that I wouldn't have predicted, but that totally makes sense. SilverwingFox posted this rendering of the Lantern Corps on his DeviantArt account. He provided explanation for why he chose a particular character and they totally fit. Even though my favorite Disney Princess is Ariel, I totally get why he chose her for the Orange Lantern. Hope you all enjoy this!

Red Lantern Stitch-Based off his initial behavior
Orange Lantern Ariel-She's a horder, and incredibly selfish within the context of her own movie
Yellow Lantern Jack Skellington-He likes to inspire fear
Green Lantern Mulan-Most Disney characters fall under Will, so I just picked Mulan and gave her a Jedi ish outfit
Blue Lantern Beast-He has a lot of hope. And don't ask for what smartass
Indigo Lantern Aladdin - he's very compassionate, even more so in the series, so he fits
Star Sapphire Jessica Rabbit-She has great love for her husband
Black Lantern Flynn/Eugene Ryder-Fitzherbert-He died and came back to life, it's a no brainer
and White Lantern Rapunzel-She brought Flynn back to life, also DUH

Around the Web: I Tried to Play Alliance

I love World of Warcraft machinima. It's a thing. And I love when WoWInsider posts new videos to check out. This video by Palette-Swap Ninja isn't technically a machinima, but it's a wonderful parody of Thomas Dolby's 80's hit "She Blinded Me With Science." It sounds so much like the real thing it's creepily cool. The visuals aren't stunning like many machinima out there, this is simply a lyric video. I would love if they could create a video to go along with this. Even a live action video like "Arcade Gaming Shrine."

Not only is the song aurally pleasing, it also voices real opinions that someone playing Alliance for the first time might have. "Everyone made fun of me for playing a gnome..." "That worgen looks like it should be Horde..."

Enjoy the delightful goodness!

Explore history of Westeros in A Game of Thrones: Genesis

Yesterday, George R. R. Martin put up a post on his blog entitled "A Taste of Cyanide." It detailed the new fantasy strategy game being released by Cyanide Studios based on the lore of A Song of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones: Genesis, which is set to release on September 28, immerses the player in conflicts and intrigue between the Houses of Westeros. The game allows players to take different avenues to claiming power: economic, militaristic, or political, with many choices allowing you to complete your goal. More info and teaser trailer after the break!

Infographic: The Evolution of Star Trek

45 years ago yesterday the original Star Trek series premiered on television and it boldly went where no TV series had gone before. Today, William Shatner has a horse farm in Kentucky where his wife is a member of the local arts scene. We're proud to call The Shat an honorary Kentuckian! Infographic after the break.

Kentucky For Kentucky celebrates kick a** Kentuckians

A few months ago I noticed a Facebook page called Kentucky for Kentucky had been created. The goal: to spotlight the Bluegrass state and the amazing contributions and cultural influences it has made since its entered the Union in 1792. Some notable people include George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Josh Hutcherson, Diane Sawyer, Ashley Judd, Lee Majors, Jeri Ryan... okay the list goes on and on. It's been my mission since I founded KGG to spotlight the awesomeness of Kentucky's geeky side with features on comic book shops and gaming shops as well as other interesting stories. Our site is called Kentucky Geek Girl after all and we're very proud of our state!

Elementary, my dear geek!

Semesters are finally starting at colleges across the country this week and with it comes new classes and fulfilling the wonderful general education requirements. For my history major, I'm taking The Age of Samurai and Europe 1914-1945. For my Anthropology minor, I was able to get into a class on Explorers and Anthropologists where I'm going to be doing a project on representations of explorers and adventurers in popular culture. (Cue *Dun duh dun duhhhhh*) Transylvania University (where I attended college) has a history of offering some pretty awesome classes. There have been Foundations of Liberal Arts (Freshman writing and composition) courses on Appalachian stereotypes, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I took a course on comedy called Laughing Matters. Some classes have even studied ghost hunting! Pretty awesome stuff. Transy isn't the only university to teach some pretty interesting and geeky classes. Check out a list after the break!

University of Kentucky holds world's largest water balloon fight

Brigham Young University set world record for the world's largest water balloon fight in 2010. The University of Kentucky is nothing if not ambitious, so Christian Student Fellowship sponsored a fight during K-Week (freshman orientation/move-in week) on August 26. Over 175,100 balloons were used in the fight.

Balloons were provided by KAOS, a company that makes water balloon launchers. 8.957 members of the University of Kentucky community participated in the fight which was held at the Johnson Center (athletic center) at UK. 

As Transylvania alumnae, we're super proud of our friends at the University of Kentucky. Good job, guys!

Hugh Jackman to lead Les Miserables cast

In my first Broadway Geek post, I talked about my love for Les Miserables. Due to scheduling conflicts, shooting on Wolverine 2 may be pushed to Spring of 2012, which could allow Les Mis, starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, to begin production in February. I. am. stoked. Jackman has a fantastic voice. He won a Tony for The Boy From Oz and has hosted the ceremony several times. He also was Executive Producer of Viva Laughlin, a musical series which appeared briefly on CBS, in which he had a small role and did a number or two. Not only can he sing, but he can dance as well! I would  absolutely love to see him in a movie adaptation of one of my favorite musicals.

Gizmodo blogger threatened by the awesome

Two days ago, I read the Gizmodo article where Alyssa Bereznak blasts Jon Finkel for omitting his gaming habits from his OKCupid profile. As I have talked about before, I'm a gamer, but Magic the Gathering isn't my forte. So, I didn't know who he was, let alone that he was a World Champion MtG player. Was I impressed? I sure as hell was. What didn't impress me was Bereznak's lack of class in writing the article. I was a bit confused as to why her article appeared on Gizmodo, if only because it was about an online dating site, thus making it semi-tech. She didn't just talk about having a bad dating experience, she blamed the bad experience on the fact that Finkel was a world champion Magic the Gathering player.

Teaser for The Hunger Games premieres during VMAs

One of the most anticipated movies of 2012 is The Hunger Games, based on the first of a dystopian trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The story follows a sixteen year old girl named Katniss, played by Kentucky-native Jennifer Lawrence as she survives in the ruins of what once was North America. Another Kentucky-native Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta and Liam Hemsworth was cast as Gale. Check out the video after the break!

Williams-Sonoma unveils the Marvel Kitchen Collection

When I saw the Star Wars accessories last year, I was ecstatic. Last week, on their facebook page, Williams-Sonoma posted about superhero cookie decorating classes held at their stores. After a brief moment of sadness for missing such an amazing event, I delved into the Williams-Sonoma website in order to take a look at why they would host superhero decorating classes (okay... why wouldn't they?!) The reason: The Marvel Kitchen Collection! Holy fondant, Batman! These new items look freaking awesome.

Around the Web: Rolling with Mad Deeps (Adele Cover)

I love the song "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele. I've been a huge fan of hers since "Chasing Pavements" a few years ago. I've seen lots of people on the Youtube try to cover her songs, but this is the first World of Warcraft Machinima that I've seen. I have to hand it to Xander and PaddyDCups for this great interpretation. They take real concerns of WoW players (Read: Raiders) and bring it into musical form. The vocalist's talent really shines through in this parody.

(via GeekGirlDiva and WoWInsider)

Around the Web: OK Go covers the Muppet Theme

Okay, folks, show of hands? Who's excited for the new Muppet movie? I'll admit that I didn't see The Smurfs, but I've been hesitant to see many things that have either rebooted, revived or remade things from my childhood. I still to this day haven't seen Alvin and the Chipmunks. But with Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) at the helm of this film, the first Disney-released Muppet movie since Muppet Treasure Island (1996), I think we'll be okay. Amy Adams also stars and I absolutely love her.

Muppets: The Green Album released today. It's the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational Muppet soundtrack ever and it includes 12 new covers of classic Muppet songs. Of course, the Muppet Theme, Mahna Mahna, and It Ain't Easy Being Green are all on there as well as Rainbow Connection. The album features OK Go, Weezer (with Hayley Williams), Rachael Yamagata, The Fray, Alkaline Trio among others. Clearly, there are a lot of great artists on this record! Here is the newly released video for OK Go's cover of The Muppet Theme.

Documentary Review: The Raid

When I heard that a feature-length documentary on World of Warcraft was being produced. I was very intrigued. Last summer, I watched a documentary called “The Dungeon Masters” which chronicled the lives of several Dungeons and Dragons players in a year following Gen Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the world. In the documentary, we met the players and learned about their lives inside and out including how they started gaming and why, what obstacles they have overcome in their lives related to gaming, and so on. I was very impressed. So, when I set out to watch The Raid, I was expecting something comparable. I feel that while there many positive things about The Raid, there were several points which detracted from the film.

The documentary premiered on Gamebreaker.tv in conjunction with Typefrag and Curse Gaming. Over 19,000 viewers experienced the premiere along with Gary Gannon, Mike B aka Fony and the creator of the film Kevin Michael Johnson. The opening sequence features several people who are leaving their day-to-day lives to come home and get on their computers. From that, the documentary jumps right in to explanation of what World of Warcraft is and why many people participate in it. The viewer is introduced to three figures: Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games, Edward Castronova, Professor of Telecommunications, Indiana University, and Bonnie Nardi, Anthropologist and author of "My Life as a Night Elf Priest". Their comments provide context and enhance the discussion.

John Barrowman makes me happy inside

Okay, I will admit that I'm really behind on Doctor Who watching. That doesn't stop me from absolutely adoring John Barrowman, and becoming a tad obsessed after I saw him in the Cole Porter musical biopic De-Lovely. His charm, his style, his voice... what not to love? In "The Doctor and I" he takes a number from the Broadway musical Wicked and adds his own Jack Harness twist. It's totally swoon-worthy!

Broadway Geek

Most wouldn't necessarily associate Broadway musicals with geekdom. However, a new definition of geek is emerging.

Any person who has a deep, borderline obsessive, passion for something.

One passion, for me, is theater. I've always loved Broadway and have spent many a day listening to my Broadway Pandora station and various cast recordings. I was in choir in high school and college and loved getting to perform my favorite selections. A few years ago, for a Broadway showcase, I performed "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q. 

This year, is the 25th anniversary of the Tony Award winning Les Miserables, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It is the longest running musical in the world and one of my all-time favorites. On the cusp of the French Revolution, the musical follows the stories of Jean Valjean, Fantine and Cosette among others. The story is amazing and all of the songs are so powerful. I've not been able to see a performance of Les Mis yet, but because of the 25th anniversary, there will be a touring production so I'm hoping to catch it soon.

Enjoy, Lego Les Miserables!