Showing posts with label About the blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About the blog. Show all posts
Monday, May 28, 2012
Godless Geek Blog Year one, A shiny new Domain Name, and things to Come...
Earlier this month, May 9th, to be exact, the Godless Geek blog completed it's second year. Yes, I know the title says year one. But being that I'm all science-y and stuff, I thought it'd be clever to start with year zero...What?... Stop looking at me like that. ANYWAY- Looking back over last year, I'm more than a little disappointed in my overall volume of output, but I'm generally pretty happy with the majority of things I did manage to put out. Plus, depending on your source for the statistics on such things, it's my understanding that the average blog is long dead by now. So if nothing else, at least I'm still here. But my goal, is to do a lot more than just maintain a minimal presence. And now that I've (hopefully) gotten all my brooding over a minor... Okay, major
personal crisis out of the way, I think I can get back to doing that.The whole reason I started this page in the first place, was not to entertain myself or to feed some some narcissistic need for attention. Sure, I'm here in part to talk about my own interests, share my art and other projects, and, on rare occasions, little bits of my life. And yes, I'm obviously promoting a very specific and personal world view; it's called The Godless Geek Blog, for Araya's sake. What did you expect? But I started doing this, primarily, as a way to try and join the cause of promoting a greater interest in, and understanding of, science and critical thinking, while hopefully being entertaining enough in the process to trick some people into sticking around long enough to get to, all that other stuff. Which is why, looking forward, I've decided to concentrate my efforts into growing this site into something, bigger.
To that end, I have finally registered a domain name for the site, which you can now access by going to, www.godlessgeekblog.com or .net.As you may have noticed, I also spent some time this weekend making the blog easier for you to share, if you are so inclined. So you can now share individual posts on Google plus by clicking the G + icon beneath each post -or- you can share the entire page, by clicking the same icon in the sidebar; this same function applies to all the other share buttons on the page as well. If you are on Google plus, you'll also now find a link in the sidebar to add my profile to your circles. And if you STILL like Facebook for some reason (why?), I also decided to resurrect Geekblog's Facebook page; which I would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to like since I hate Facebook, and am just looking for an excuse to kill it again. =)
And finally, there's also a very good chance that I've been toying with producing a podcast to go along with the site. So if you're into that sort of thing, keep an eye out for updates on that as well.
So weather you've been following the site for a while or this is your first visit, thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate even the most minor validation of my efforts. And if you enjoy the site, and would like to see more content from it more often, please- share it with your friends. And be sure to let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see more/less of, in the comments.
Thanks again, more to come shortly...
-CAINE-
Monday, January 2, 2012
Let The Reboot Begin...
So the holidays are finally over, the new year has begun, and a long holiday break has allowed me a chance to reevaluate my goals for the site, as well time to sit down and comb through all of the cool science news I missed while I was away. And while I don't want to inundate you with too much news you've likely already heard, turns out, the past few months have been filled with all kinds of awesome space news- particularly where the search for potential homes for life outside our own world, and even our own solar system is concerned. The Kepler spacecraft in particular has been very busy. And so, I have devised something of a theme for my first week back, in part to organize my thoughts and help get myself back into "the groove" of writing on a regular basis. But mostly because I have an abundance of material to choose from, and much of that material just so happens to fit a particular theme. So if you're not a big fan of themes, don't worry, I don't plan on making a habit of this.
But before we get into the theme for the week. I wanted to take one more moment to discuss the blog itself. While there likely won't be any earth shattering changes to the overall look and theme of the site,I do intend to experiment with the content a bit over the next few weeks and I am considering a variety of options for expanding the site; which I'll get into more when and if I get to them. The ultimate goal of any future changes are: 1) To try and make generating said content a bit easier on myself; and 2) To find a more entertaining, accessible, and hopefully unique, way of delivering information, in an effort to better distinguish this site from all the other science blogs on the net- and I do primarily consider this a science blog- and maybe lure in a larger audience.
But don't worry, that doesn't mean that I'm turning the page into one of those boring, technical, science only sites that many of you likely avoid like the plague; Because, frankly- I'm not smart enough for that. In fact, my goal with this reboot of the blog is to try and find a better way of integrating the strange, geeky and (hopefully) entertaining, with the intellectual and philosophical pursuits, that occupy the majority of the space in my brain. Basically, I'm planning on making this more of a personal page than it has thus far been. Because, despite my inactivity over the last few months, I find writing for this site deeply satisfying. And with a variety changes going on in my personal life -which I may get into more in the future, assuming you actually care to hear about that sort of thing- I have decided, definitively, that I would like to find a way to make promoting science, critical thinking, and a rational world view, what I do with my life; or at the very least, a large part of it. And while I admit that a failed musician and high school drop out who just happens to have a fetish for rationalism and science, is probably not be the best person to promote those ideals, if I can understand them, and be passionate about them, anyone can.
-CAINE-
Up next: Exoplanets Everywhere: Kepler's ongoing search for new worlds
Today's video, "A glorious Dawn", was created by Symphony of science, and is without question, one of my favorite things ever. You can, and should, go check out the rest of their musical offerings, by following the links provided.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
And Then, I started Blogging Again...
As you may have noticed, I haven't had much to say over the past few months. Which is to say, before yesterday, I hadn't posted a thing since October. I'd like to say that's because I've been busy on some big project. But, the truth is, I just decided it wasn't worth the effort anymore, and I stopped. But the other day, I decided to make a trip to my local Barnes and Nobel, and suddenly, I remembered why -other than for my own personal entertainment- I started doing this in the first place.
Upon arrival at the store, I was first annoyed to discover that, once again, the science section had apparently migrated. After making several laps around the floor in search of it's new hiding place; pausing briefly to glare at the MASSIVE religious/spirituality section that had swelled to gargantuan proportions since my last visit, I decided to ask for help in my search.
More than slightly annoyed, and a little bewildered by the idea that the science section might actually be gone altogether, I approached an employee and asked,
" Um, do you not even have a science section anymore?".
"Yes, we still have a science section", the clerk replied, "it's right over here."
He then proceeded to lead me to the back of the store, where, crammed onto a few shelves facing the back wall -safely shielded from view of the casual browser, and centrally located next to the bathroom and encyclopedias- sat the tiny, sad little selection of science books seen above.To put things into perspective; remember the obscenely large religious and spirituality section I mentioned? Well, here's a photo of just the floor space this particular store has dedicated to bibles alone.
Including the section labeled, "Religious Fiction" (Ill spare you the obvious observation here), the books seen in that photo represent about 25% of the total collection of books on religion and spirituality available at this particular store. Now, take a moment to consider the rest of the credulous, pseudo-scientific, nonsensical, and superstition filled publications that we all know dominate the shelves of this, and every other bookstore in the country, and you'll start to see why this trip managed to set off something in my brain. Because, these days more than ever, brick and mortar stores like B&N have to make the most of their inventory in order to compete with online retailers like Amazon -less they suffer the same fate as Borders. Which means, the content of this, and any other store's inventory, is a direct reflection of what people actually have an interest in buying, and clearly -it ain't science.Now, I know that this may not sound like much of a catalyst for an Epiphany. But for me, watching the selection of science books -which actually used to be fairly large at this particular location BTW- slowly shrink, and disappear from view, was a stark, and frankly depressing, reminder of just how unpopular science and critical thinking are -and just how prominent irrational thought, and supernatural belief, continue to be in the mind of the average person. so while I still harbor no delusions of grandeur where my place in the world is concerned, it did manage to remind me of why any effort to promote science and critical thinking, however small, was well worth it.
-CAINE-
Saturday, May 28, 2011
I HAVE RETURNED! (No, despite the facial hair & ponytial, I am not Jesus)
After muddling it all over for a while, I THINK I finally settled on a plan that should allow me not only to maintain a more regular posting schedule around here, without resorting to too much empty link-baiting, but one that will also afford me enough free time to focus on the projects that Ive decided to keep going. So IF this new plan works out, you should expect to see an influx of new posts around here and on tumblr, as well as more new music, an art project or two, and a few other things I've been working on in secrete for some time now. though my weekday posting habits will likely stay pretty much the same, I just work too many hours to make time for blogging during the week.
Of course, I've said things like this before, and I as I pointed out then, things rarely go as planned around here so you probably shouldn't quote me on any of this. But ultimately, I'm really trying to find a way to turn all this time I spend playing on the net, into a more profitable endeavor, so we'll see.
-CAINE-
Image Credit:“The Civil War” by Matthew McKeown
Now please enjoy this video from Thinkgeek for Star Wars Light Saber Popsicles, just becuase it's awesome.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Godless Geek Blog Year Zero, a Makeover, & a New tumblr
Today marks the first complete year of Godless Geek Blog, which isn't a particularly significant event by ANY standard, but it does make ME happy. So I decided to mark the occasion by giving the page a bit of a makeover, as you have likely noticed by now, and I also decided that it was about time I gave you another option for following the blog. So as of today, you can now follow Godless Geek Blog on tumblr at: godlessgeekblog.tumblr.com, where I'll be compiling not only posts from both here and Compendium, but also a variety of additional content straight from tumblr, as well as all of the other places where I can be found lurking on the web.So since it has been a year and all, and I don't often ask you for any special attention, I have a favor to ask. If you enjoy the blog, then please, just for today, share it with your friends. Post a link on your own blog, like it on Facebook, send out a tweet, or you could even just start following me on twitter @Godlessgeek_. Why, there's even a button for most of those things just sitting and waiting patiently for you to press it, right there underneath the "share The Godless Geek Blog" heading to your right. And if you do decide to help promote the blog somehow, let me know, and I'll gladly return the favor.
Lastly, I wanted to say thanks, not just for the sharing, but for your continued interest in the blog. Daily traffic continues to grow slowly but surely, as it has been doing since the day I started, and I genuinely appreciate you all making the effort to follow, and to read what I have to say. So weather you've been following for a while now, or you've just found your way here for the first time, know that your interest is greatly appreciated, and though posts may have gotten a bit sparse around here as of late, I've got a lot more stuff on the way.
Thanks again.
-CAINE-
Sunday, February 27, 2011
This Week's Compendium
Once again I managed to Spend most of my free time busy on music this weekend, Which is a good thing, but, that also means it was a slow week on the blogs. None the less, While I only managed to squeeze in a single post here on Geekblog, I was able to get a hand full of strange and interesting things posted on Compendium this Week, beginning with:
The Czech Ballad of Swamp thing, which also serves as a showcase for a particularly amazing dance routine that I'm certain all the kids will soon be imitating. Next, came the fan-made trailer for E.T. 2, "Extinction", followed with a detailed account of how the male Anglerfish gets screwed, literally AND figuratively, there's Zombie art from Clint Langley, Henry Rollin's writes a Letter to Ann Coulter, and more. Plus there's a full weeks worth of posts from last week which I never got around to sharing here.
So please, if you haven't done so before, go and Check out my tumblr blog, Compendium oF Strange. It's a collection of strange and interesting art, music, and stories from around the web, and it's the blog I post in most often during the week- when I'm generally too busy working to find the time to sit and research science and news stories to write about here on Geekblog.
-CAINE-
If you're already on tumblr you can follow the Compendium directly, if not, then you should use THIS LINK to join so the Compendium gets credit for the referral, or you could just follow me on twitter or like my musician page on Facebook to keep up with all my blogs, bands, etc. Thanks and enjoy!
-CAINE-
Monday, November 15, 2010
But I'm Felling Much Better Now, Mostly..
So as you may have noticed I decided to take a bit of break not only from my blogs but from the Internet as a whole and just in case you were wondering, here's why...
Besides having spread myself a little thin with the addition of drummer for a death metal band -my first ever gig as a live drummer BTW- to my ever expanding list of ongoing personal projects. I also suffered a major software failure with my PC, a hardware failure on my iPhone, at best *intermittent access to the net thanks to the amazing service I receive from Comcast, and last but certainly not least- I managed to get myself extraordinarily sick for the first time in years with what I believe to be a mild to moderate form of Bubonic plague, or perhaps a case of the SARS.
But over the past two weeks I've managed to call in a backup PC, dug up an old mp3 player for my pod casts, and after enduring a week of discomfort and misery my body has finally begun to return to a normal temperature and I can once again swallow liquids without experiencing excruciating pain. As for the internet, even when it works the connection still sucks- but I'm kind of SOL on that one. So baring any further catastrophes, outbreaks, or distractions, following Thanksgiving I will be returning to my regular blogging habits, though to be honest you should probably expect the new drumming gig to eat into at least some of my blogging time for the next month or two as I learn all the new material. But rest assured I have not given up on the blog(s) I'm just a little busy (and phlegmy) at the moment.
More to come very soon!
-CAINE-
*Ironically, the posting of this entry has been delayed several hours by...you guessed it, a loss of internet connection, thanks again Comcast!!
Image Credit: SARS virus: Shutterstock
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