What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/30/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Jessica Jones

I finally got the chance to rewatch Age of Ultron the other day, and alongside the recently released trailer for Jessica Jones on Netflix, my enthusiasm for the continued expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jessica Jones continues the awesome work previewed in Daredevil. I hope they connect the Netflix shows more to things like Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter. I'm also really eagerly anticipating Civil War in May 2016, which should connect all of these disparate entities. Hopefully we all get to see a trailer for Civil War here soon (maybe alongside Force Awakens?!).

• HigherEdJobs

As I said last week, I'm currently job searching for a possible mid-year transition, and I just have to give a big shoutout for the resource that's been helping me out big time (and helped me about for my previous search as well). Especially with their recent site refresh, it is the best tool to find jobs in higher education that I've found. I know jobs are posted on other job boards, but I've had great success with HigherEdJobs, so I highly recommend it to anyone else pursuing a job on a college campus.

• The Office (US)

This show is one of my favorite shows of all time. It's one that I have been into since it originally aired and kept up week to week. I've been in a phase recently of preferring to revisit my old favorites versus committing to a whole new series. I've been sharing some choice episodes with my partner since the entire series is available to stream on Netflix. If you've never watched it, definitely put it on your list. It's a modern classic!

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What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/23/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The final trailer and poster both came out this week, and the all the promotion has done well to give a general groundwork for where we're picking up with the saga 30 years later. What is refreshing (and in true JJ Abrams fashion) there is still a veil of secrecy around the main plot points (especially Luke Skywalker's presence). I originally was cautiously optimistic but I am now excited for this movie. It looks like it will be fun at the very least and much like Abram's new Star Trek films, it will revitalize this awesome franchise. I can always go for more Star Wars in my life, so I am eagerly anticipating the release of this film in less than two months!

• School Street Posters

I stumbled across this company on Twitter the other day. I saw something like what they do in a friend's apartment recently and thought it was really cool, so it was quite serendipitous to find this online. They make street maps of a bunch of college towns (both University of Delaware and Rutgers University are on there, which made me happy) and you can ordered framed poster prints or canvas prints from them in some different color variations of the town's institution (blue and yellow for UD for example). Check them out! I'm definitely going to get one for my office (and maybe another as a holiday gift).

• Job Search

I've told my partner, my family, my supervisor, and some friends as well as some colleagues, so I figured I'd just let everyone else know that I am currently job searching for a possible (and preferred) mid-year transition to a new institution. My partner is graduating from her master's program in May 2016, so in anticipation of that, I'm trying to set up a base camp for us so we don't have to do a dual job search. I've appreciated the time I've had here in Maine, but I am ready to move on. I've put in a handful of applications and gotten a few interviews set up already, which makes me feel good that everything might go as I'm hoping it will. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on how things go. I appreciate everyone's support through this process!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/16/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Fear the Walking Dead

Over my long weekend break back in NJ (the reason for no posts on this past Monday or Friday), I sat with my partner and watched the entire first season (only six episodes) of Fear the Walking Dead (FTWD), the new companion series to hit show, The Walking Dead (TWD). My partner and I are big fans of TWD so we wanted to check out FTWD to see how it holds up. The answer is that FTWD is both similar and different to it's counterpart, in good ways and bad (I'm a very relative person). It's slower moving and smaller scale but also leads nicely to a different focus than our badass survivors in TWD. These people are still figuring everything out and aren't as hardened yet but are becoming acquainted with their new normal in terms of what kind of things they'll have to do to get by. I'm intrigued to see where the show goes, and I hope it doesn't just become The Walking Dead: Los Angeles since they have an opportunity here to tell a very different kind of story with FTWD.

• Arrow

After what many deemed (myself included) to be a rocky third season, this new season of Arrow is hopefully going to right the ship a bit. I like the bit of a lighter tone the show has been taking, as well as getting deeper into the relationship Oliver has with his team. I'm still a big fan of this show and have been for a while since I think it has some of the best action sequences on TV and builds up in its own way to the expanded, shared universe with The Flash. I look forward to it helping to expand the universe even further as it works to set up the new mid-season series, Legends of Tomorrow.

• The Flash

The first two episodes of season 2 have aired so far and this show is keeping the positive momentum going from their debut season. They're still going all in on pulling from their awesome comic book lore, introducing the multi-verse, the original Flash Jay Garrick, and continuing to maintain the expanded, shared universe of the show. I can't wait to see threads from season 1 picked back up as well as fun uses of the multiverse such as seeing different versions of our core cast in Earth 2 for example. If you haven't watched this show yet, get on Netflix and watch the whole first season, you'll be glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/02/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Vixen

I just finished watching this whole animated web series this week (the final episode premiered on Tuesday) and I really enjoyed this quick, six episode companion to the highly entertaining DC TV universe of Arrow and The Flash. It introduces a compelling new character (Vixen) who has a mystical amulet that gives her the power to mimic the characteristics of any animal who has ever lived (the strength of an elephant, the speed of a cheetah, etc.). I hope that she can come into the live-action shows at some point, since her introduction brings in an entirely different mystical & magical element to this already expansive and awesome comic book TV universe. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of Arrow and The Flash so that you're in the loop when both of those shows come back soon.

• Heroes Reborn

The complicated history of the television show Heroes is back in the limelight as the "reboot" mini-series Heroes Reborn premiered last week (second episode aired last night). I checked out the premiere online after it aired, and it isn't perfect, but it isn't horrible either. It is definitely very different from the first (and best) season of the original show's run. I am intrigued enough to keep with it for a little bit, but I am worried it is not going to pay off since it has been so uneven out of the gate.

• Agents of SHIELD

The third season of this show premiered this week, with a further re-invigoration as it continues to find its identity. We now have Inhumans front and center for most of the proceedings, and the show is getting more comfortable and confident with accepting it's comic book roots as a result. I am really enjoying Daisy/Skye ("Quake") taking a bigger role in the show, since her character was sort of underdeveloped in the first season. She is a much better character now and the show is setting up some neat threads for Civil War ahead of that film's release in May 2016. SHIELD definitely isn't the best comic book TV show on the air right now, (I put it behind Flash and sort of tied with Arrow), but it is still an entertaining romp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that continues to grow in fun new ways (I can't wait for Jessica Jones on Netflix soon!).

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/25/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• My eBook!

This one is pretty much a give in, since it is a pretty big deal for me. I announced my first eBook (available now on Kindle, NOOK, or iBooks) yesterday and I am really happy with the support it has garnered so far. If you've ever wanted to help support the site keep the lights on (and grow into something more), please either check the book out or help share it out to others who might be interested. There are more cool things to come for the site before the year is done, so stay tuned!

• Common Ground Fair

My partner and I are going to this local event here in Maine after hearing a lot about it from people around here. It's a big annual gathering of folks celebrating the farming culture of the state. We're looking forward to taking in the everything, having some good food, and enjoying a beautiful day together!

• To-Go Ware

I mentioned these cool reusable utensils in my most recent book review, but I just ordered myself a set. I'm excited to have this solid set of tools to help me consume less in my daily life. I feel like I always knew I needed something like this but I never knew what to look for exactly. This is a perfect way to use something sustainably made to achieve a goal for consuming and wasting less plastic. A win all around!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: August 2015

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

Every Friday, I share what's on my mind from the past week. There was so much to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was going on in August (another short month due to being really busy):

• Week of 08/07/15
• Week of 08/14/15
• Week of 08/21/15

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What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/18/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Coursera

I've been diving in with various courses on this online learning platform lately, completing three courses already within about a week's time, and starting work on three more courses. I want to expand my formal knowledge about workplace success, marketing, and social media. Coursera is providing an awesome, cheap, and nimble way to achieve this goal for myself. I wrote up a post on sites like this for the cool cats over at Nerd for a Living, so check that out for some more thoughts.

• iOS 9

What has become a informal holiday for Apple tech geeks like myself, the yearly launch of the newest iteration of the iPhone operating system happened this week, and I updated my devices as soon as possible. iOS 9 is a more subtle improvement, but it is always nice to get a big refresh even if I don't get a new device in a given year. Apple is continuously improving everything they do, and it is a big reason I am an avid fan of their brand.

• Dear Hank & John

I got recommended this new podcast recently which is a Q&A show hosted by the Internet famous Hank and John Green. I'm a fan of much of what these two do (Mental Floss is a big one for me) so I was excited to check out their podcast. It is equal parts funny, poignant, and genuine. It perfectly embodies the brand(s) they have made together and on their own. Any fans of these two, either together or apart, should definitely check this show out.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/11/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• The Newsroom

I began checking out this show on Amazon Prime recently after I got some nods of support from friends and folks on social media. I just finished the first season and I'm definitely enjoying it. The show is mostly carried by Jeff Daniels as the newscaster Will McAvoy but it also has a wonderful ensemble cast to support him. It is essentially West Wing meets cable news. I haven't watched West Wing (I'm getting to it) but I know Sorkin's style and it embodies a lot of his usual tropes. Nevertheless, I find the optimism refreshing when compared to some of the other stuff I've been watching lately. I'm looking forward to continuing on with this series, since I know it is a bit short-lived and is a sort of love it or hate it kind of show.

• Parenthood

My partner finished watching all of the series Friday Night Lights recently (which I came in and out for) so she was looking for a new show to dive into. Parenthood jumped out to her since it comes from the same creator as FNL. We've only watched a few episodes together (it's available on Netflix) but I can already tell it is going to be a great emotional journey with the large ensemble cast. These sort of shows work best when they hook you in to be invested in the characters early (which this one did) so I'm in unless the show somehow drops off. I look forward to sharing the experience of watching Parenthood with my partner as a way to relax whenever we have time to sit down together for it.

• Patience

I'm usually a patient person. I'm content with waiting for stuff (especially since I usually arrive places way too early for my own good) but for some reason, lately I've been getting antsy. I mentioned last week that I've been thinking up some ideas of where to take this site. I'm also thinking of ideas for improving and expanding some of my other ventures as well as possible next steps for my job. When I get all excited for these ideas (I love coming up with stuff), I just want to get going on them immediately. I think I need to take a step back and calm down, since anything good is going to take time, and I also want to do it the best that I can.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/04/15

Greetings!

I haven't written a new post in a little while, but I'm happy to be back to the regular flow now after starting the new academic year!

So with that, here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Bob's Burgers

Almost by accident, I've pretty much caught up on this show through Netflix and Hulu. It's a silly show that is different than a lot of other comedies and is nice to just have on in the background while I do other stuff. I'm sure I won't keep up with the show week to week, but it will definitely be something I check out and watch a bunch of episodes at a time. I recommend checking it out for sure!

• Planning

I had some time over the summer to think about where I might want to take this blog (and honestly my life) in the next several months. I've done a lot for my own life in these past few weeks, through getting involved in some marketing work as well as looking into online courses to continue to grow and learn. I also have some great ideas for Higher Ed Geek and I'll need you to help make it happen. Stay tuned for more details!

• New Jersey & New York!

I've been wanting to get back down to the NJ/NY area again since I left the last time I was there back in May. I'll be spending a few days with my lovely partner in the area next month when we both have fall break. I just booked our flight down there so I look forward to seeing some old friends and checking out the old haunts too! Let me know if you want to connect if you're in the area.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 08/21/15

Greetings!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

• Doctor Who, Season 8

I've been dragging my feet checking out the past season of the much beloved Doctor Who, and recently checked out the first couple episodes of season 8 (now on Netflix), which are the first episodes with the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi. I've already been experiencing Doctor Who fatigue last season. While the special episodes with Matt Smith were enjoyable, the show as a whole had been frustrating for me. I think I've grown tired of Steven Moffat's storytelling and am still preferring the David Tennant era above all else. These new episodes haven't done too much to impress me yet, which is sad since I do love the premise and universe, but it is just getting to be a tad boring and shallow to me now. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for from the show, but what I'm getting now isn't it. Perhaps smaller stories would be better than the bombastic, huge scale plots that seem to be every episode nowadays. I'll keep with it for this season I think but I may put Doctor Who behind me to venture off with some new shows.

• Seinfeld on Hulu, A Retrospective

I recently finished the entire nine seasons (!) of Seinfeld on Hulu, which took me several weeks. Only a few episodes of the series were completely new to me. I had seen many of them in syndication somewhere but it was still cool to watch this classic sitcom from start to finish to further appreciate it and it's impact. If you have never seen an episode, I highly recommend you check some of it out on Hulu. They've curated some of the classic episodes of the series as well so you can view the series strategically.

• Fall Move In

Much of my time currently has been (and will be) consumed with trainings, building prep, and opening at my institution. It's a stressful yet exciting time to welcome new and returning students as well as their families to campus for the start of a new academic year. I may need a break from blogging next week with everything going on, but I hope to meet you back here again once things settle down.

Thanks for stopping by!