Posts tagged DFTBA News

Check out our very first VEDA video

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So, I guess I’m becoming a YouTube reviewer.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a comic book artist. My mom, being an artist herself with a camera, completely rallied behind me in this and supported me as I devoured the medium. I took drawing classes. I studied comics religiously. I would painstakingly look at panel design and composition, and try and recreate it, to gain an understanding of perspective, physics, and anatomy. I drew, constantly, for hours upon hours, and I loved it. I was going to be the next great artist, god dammit, and nothing could stop me.

Except for these words from a relative: “That’s not very good. Why are you wasting your time with that?”

I was crushed - here was this dream I had, this thing I love to do, and I was told by someone I loved and admired that I wasn’t good enough, so why was I bothering? The rug was completely taken out from under me, and for a long time, I didn’t pick up another comic. Why should I, when the only thing I remembered about them was that I was never good enough to take part in creating them?

In short, I was yucked. This thing that I found so delicious - my yum - was spit on and I was told in no uncertain terms that I was completely wrong. That it wasn’t delicious, that it was, instead, disgusting and foolhardy - why would I want to persist with something like that? Something I clearly wasn’t skilled at? So I didn’t continue…I didn’t dare dream an impossible dream about being an artist. I. Wasn’t. Good. Enough.

I wish I knew then what I know now, what with hindsight always being 20/20. I’d have realized that disdain in my relatives eyes were simply due to a previous dream-crush they’d experienced as child or adolescent that sat with them - still sits with them. I don’t know what that dream was, but they’re still overtly negative towards anyone daring to step outside of the normal line and chase a dream, so I know something there hurts them.

Through my life, I’ve been yucked on quite a few things that I loved - Piers Anthony, Star Wars, comics, Disney, to name a few - and I certainly do it as well. I’m flabbergasted at my wife’s enjoyment of country music, of friends enjoyment of puerile comedy, and of the worlds apparent adoration of Lady Gaga. I’m not afraid to tell people how terrible I think something is, and I know that it’s stupid, because what I’m doing is just spitting on something that someone takes great joy in and telling them how wrong they are to enjoy it.

I’m being, for lack of a better term, that guy.

You’d think, as someone who grew up on the periphery of social acceptance, that I’d be more conscious of people’s interests. I remember vividly in high school talking to a friend of mine and vehemently denying an interest in Star Wars, despite having watched the original trilogy the weekend prior, because I found him to be cool, and I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t. There was a girl - the same girl, actually, whom I remembered from my previous article about ‘The Twist’ - who I would never admit to preferring to go out on a Friday night to a friends house to play Dungeons and Dragons or the Star Wars CCG over going to our high schools football, basketball, or soccer games. Because she’d like me less than she already did…which was microscopic, at best.

So let’s stop it. Let’s make this our call to arms, and in some small, yet completely significant way, decrease world suck. The next time someone tells you they like something that you don’t dig or don’t understand, rather than telling someone how terrible it is, tell them how cool it is that they like something. Don’t get down on someone for liking Twilight, tell them it’s awesome that they’re reading, and bring up your favorite author. Rather than pointing out your disdain for the Black Eyed Peas music, instead use that as an opportunity to introduce someone to the amazing music of Eric B. and Rakim, or the Foo Fighters, or Keb’Mo. Don’t tell someone Halo is terrible; offer to hop in 2 player with them, if they’ll play a game of FIFA with you later on. Let’s increase our Yum, and get rid of our Yuck.

Jay Malone

As a collegiate athlete, all I have to say is if they can be competitive on a fair and level playing field, why not? There is actually a division 3 Men’s lacrosse program (keep in mind men and women’s lacrosse are pretty much completely different sports)…

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On Getting Older @meekakitty

So, Tessa (aka MeekaKitty) makes this great video and its gets me thinking.

Much like Tessa when I was a teenager I thought I would do anything to stay a teenager for just a bit longer.  It…

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diaryofananglophiliac:

Falling In Love With The World - Vlogbrothers

Sometimes I feel like I talk about how awesome John and Hank are too much.  Maybe I do and maybe I don’t.  However it is hard to deny them their props.  First please read the article above by Jen Doll over at the Atlantic Wire. 

Now in a way I would like to echo and expand on what Jen says.  The Vlogbrothers have reached across generation gaps and created a real and meaningful dialogue that can only be shared by people.  It doesn’t matter if you are close to the same age as the Vlogbrothers as I am, or younger, or older; the community of Nerdfighteria believe anybody and everybody who say they want to decrease world suck.

And yes, in the Nerd Fighter community, there are people who don’t see eye to eye, people who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, people on opposite ends of the religious spectrum, people who love math but dislike language, people who love language and dislike math, and even people who are not fans of Hank’s music or John’s books (I have yet to find people who are not a fan of at least one of those though).  Yet in spite of all of this the NF community comes together and unites in a common goal to decrease world suck/ increase world awesome.

In many many ways the Vlogbrothers have created a community for something I have said in many posts.  People are special because they are people and there need not be any other reason to treat them as such.

Causing many people from across generations, genders, and walks of life to come together is nothing short of a miracle.

Why do you like the Nerd Fighter Community??

~Peeta

a-mediocre-story-teller:

Emma: He’s not looking… he’s not.
Jess: He is too! Look over there; the pretty one, with the grey shirt.
Emma: No. see if he was looking I’d be worried about the fact I’m wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt that screams ‘NERD’… literally.
Jess: Look I’ve met the guy before, down on the waterfront… skating… but he digs the whole, you know, sentient thing you’ve got going.
Emma:…
Emma: You know you look like a normal person; floral dress, bug eye sunglasses and shoes for every occasion, but actually you’re one of us.
Jess: Us? one of you?… As in I watch Star Trek and dress up and only read actual books? No.
Emma: I do one of those things and that makes me a nerd?
Jess: You watch Doctor Who, sorry for the mix up.
Emma: So do you.
Jess: Yeah, but only when I’m at yours lovey.
Emma: No….. no I remember I missed it once and you still knew everything that had happened.
Jess:……….. no……
Emma: Yup. Sorry love, but deep beneath all that lovely normalness is a total fan-girling nerd.
Jess: Shut up!
Emma: What’s so wrong with being a nerd?
Jess: Nothing nerds are cute, geek chic and all that.
Emma: No, not those nerds, not the fashion articles or poster boys, real nerds the ones who stay up all night to see ‘that’ movie or the ones who read every book in a series in a week for fun and for the millionth time.
Jess: Well it’s just real nerds are just, well, lovey look real nerds don’t get boys.
Emma: Brings us full circle then doesn’t it, he’s not looking at me. No boy would, apparently.
Jess: I didn’t mean you, I just….
Emma: Don’t worry it’s fine.
Jess: He is though.
Emma: You’re paranoid.
Jess: What?
Emma: There’s no way he’s looking at me, if he’s looking this way it’s at you and you think everyone’s looking at you, that’s why you spend more of your time getting ready to do something than you do actually doing it. You’re paranoid that someone’ll notice you when you don’t look perfect.
Jess: I’m not that shallow!!
Emma: But you are that self conscious and that’s fine we are who we are, and you are a little shallow, but theres nothing wrong about trying to look your best.
Jess: you sound like a greeting card.
Emma: Probably.
Jess: He was looking at you though.
Emma: And how do you know that?
Jess: He’s right behind you.
Emma:… Oh really, is he now, so if I just..
Skater boy: AHHH! Shit! what did ya do that for?
Emma: Oh shit sorry, sorry I just.. she messes with me sometimes…
Skater boy: So you just thought you’d elbow the air?… damn that hurt.
Jess: Well done lovey.
Emma: Shut up.

This is fun!  I write a lot between DFTBA News and my Mass Comm major and its always refreshing to see something like this that is just so perfect is scary.  I know people who talk like this and natural dialogue is one of the most difficult things to write.  So for what it is worth GOOD JOB and keep up the good work!!

~Peeta