Lest You Forget, It's Halloween this Weekend!

I wish I was feeling it more for Halloween this year -- seems like it came up just too soon (even though it's October 31st every year). Thankfully, the Innertubes have got me covered for Halloween this year. I can participate like the true voyeur that I am, watching from the sidelines and taking notes.

First up, The Walken Dead (h/t Laughing Squid). As you may, or may not know, the TV series The Walking Dead, based on the amazing Robert Kirman comic book of the same name, starts this weekend on AMC. I'm cursing the TV gods now that my tuner card went out, so I can't get that channel and really hope that AMC will post the episode online.

Anyway, dude created a loving tribute to both The Walking Dead and actor Christopher Walken in a few prints that pay homage to both.

Speaking of zombies, did you see what Sears did to their website this week? WOW! Zombified Sears!! Totally check it out!

One other zombie-related link, just because. Zombieharmony!

...because the apocalypse doesn't have to be lonely

In non-zombie news, while you are treating your Halloween hangover, don't forget that 2011 SD Comic-Con tickets go on sale at 9 AM, November 1st. The 4-day passes sold out incredibly quickly last year, so set a reminder for this one!

And finally, also via Laughing Squid, this awesome movie map of the US, from subtronix. I like that The Goonies represents Oregon! (click to enlarge)

What Kind of Geek are You?

(via Laughing Squid)

I'm not familiar with Flowtown, but I think this flowchart/graphic is pretty cool! (click to embiggen)

I pretty clearly fall under the "Pop Culture Geek" though apparently am a hybridization of several geek forms. I can live with that.

Based out of San Francisco, apparently Flowtown is a

Social media marketing platform that helps businesses transform email contacts into engaged customers

I'm not sure I totally know what that means (it would require more reading, and honestly, it's Thursday and I'm tired and still need to pack for a red-eye flight). Anyway, good luck to them. If they work with infographics and cultural phenomena, I'm sure I'll be seeing them again soon.

Celebrate Geek Pride Day - Part Deux

When asked what is the difference between a geek, dork and nerd, I recalled a great Venn diagram that broke it down pretty well (h/t Rich):


I think I'm right in there between the Geek and the Nerd, as expected.

But in looking around for geek infographics (yes, it's a thing) I found this amazing diagram (click to embiggen):

I love the visual representation of the geek universe -- so many things connected to one another. I wish I could circle some stuff (hmmm, need to work on that) so I could point out where I show up. Turns out, all over the place. Where are you at? And what's missing? I would argue that there should be a branch for music geeks (a very special breed). I'm sure there are quite a few Geek Obsessions, Idols, and Activities still missing from the list. It would be fun to watch this evolve over time.

Yet one more reason, I'm proud to be a geek today.

InfoGraphics are Cool

Maybe it's because in the "real world" (a phrase I'm hearing way too much lately, btw) my work is in research, but I love me some slick infographics. We are constantly looking for new ways to present information in an interesting, simplified, but graphically pleasing manner. It's hard not to take notice, even if you don't necessarily agree with/believe in the study method or data collected. I have a lot of appreciation for the fine people who are trying to improve our graphic representations; I think it's one of those things that looks easier than it actually is.

Via BoingBoing, there were two examples this week that I like. The first is from Informationisbeautiful.net :


This one is interactive and is designed to help understand the data on dietary supplements, including a way to cut it by illness/condition. Go to Information is Beautiful's site for the interactive version.

The second one, also via BoingBoing, comes from Royal Pingdom. They put together an infographic on Google, though it seems to be based on "Google’s SEC filings, news articles and the trusty old Wikipedia" so take it for what it is. Click for larger view.



It includes sections on timeline, search, value/money, people, and other products (YouTube, Blogger). Since I'm using Blogger for this endeavor, I thought it was interesting to see that there are 270,000 words written per minute on this site. Um, wow and/or yikes. They can't all be about cats, celebrities, and awkward photos, can they?