Welcome to the internet, is this your first time?

I’m sure that most of you out there and our avid readers are aware of the interworkings of the interweb but there are those whose ‘working knowledge’ doesn’t necessarily provide them with the details.

Privacy is a big deal today. Consumers refuse to provide even basic information due to cyber criminals and even Facebook has been criticized for their practices regarding user data. Of course, not everyone understands what the threat is. Yes, the public at large is aware of identity theft. They know that junk mail is decreasing and spam email is increasing but what few realize and most fail to notice is where it all comes from – Data mining.

The realm of people that I come into contact with each day, have dealings on the internet. They have a Facebook or Twitter account. They use email and instant messenger. They have a blog and, in a lot of cases, their own website- sometimes both. None of these things are bad, even letting the world know that you have them isn’t bad.  The bad part comes in when you fail to do the simplest of tasks to protect yourself.

Facebook users- don’t let your profile be public or viewable through search engines. You can still show up on your high school alumni page without enabling every single detail you’ve posted show up for all to see. Tweeters- if you are going to ‘tweet’ anything that could be traced back to you, personal; lock that account up and don’t approve strangers (ie: people you don’t know) to “follow” you.

All you IM’ers- stop adding “friends” automatically! And if you are going to send one- for goodness sake, take the time to write three little words: “hey, it’s ___” because not everyone knows you via your ‘nickname’. As for email, it is time to set up more than one account. One- use for IM, friends, and family but the other- use for everything else. Signing up for a store account? Email #2. Correspondence with your European cousin? Email #1.

As for the bloggers out there, you need to realize that your blog is actually a website. So joe.blog.com is an actual domain name <joe being the subdomain, blog being the main or root domain, and .com being the top level domain= your own URL>. And unless you signed up with privacy options, this blog is treated just like every other website out there.

Websites are actually just another word for the name of a domain. The URL and IP address may be the full enchilada but the domain name is the key ingredient.

All domains are registered through ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). This organization runs the international database (aka registry) for every domain on the internet. At the beginning of the internet, when computers were merely accessible within a particular network, users had to use a command to look up other users. That command was ‘WHOIS’ and with the birth of the ‘www’, the government (known for holding on to antiquated rituals) continued using the term for the actual database of what was on the internet. When the oversight ceased being run by Uncle Sam and started being not-for-profit, WHOIS became the official name for the registry databases.

So when the company that you bought your website through gets your contact information, unless you say otherwise- it is about to become available on the worldwide web. Why? Because it has to be. That’s right, if you don’t deem it otherwise- ICANN and InterNIC (Internet Network Information Center) govern the internet by requiring that every presence on it ‘register’. By signing up, you have become a ‘registrant’ and the company that you went through is either a ‘registrar’ (responsible organization that lists domains in the registry) or a ‘reseller’ (company that sells domains but goes through a registrar for the actual registry submissions).

Because the registry is public, anything you provide is too. There are people and organizations that “mine” the WHOIS for their nefarious purposes. Don’t believe me? Go check for yourself!

Go to who.is or whois.net and type in your domain name. Suddenly, a plethora of information will pop up before your eyes and this is where you will find your name, address, email, phone number, and any other information that you provided when you signed up for your website.

Hate the idea of being www viewable? Then do the same thing that you did for your Facebook page, make the site private. Your registrar or reseller likely offers a “proxy” service. You’re going to have to pony up the fees (because, hey, service isn’t free) but a buck a month seems like a fair trade to keep John in Nigeria from using the WHOIS information in any search engine to steal your security.

As we cultivated our friendship, I talked to the both of them. She and I had a common interest in comics (though mine is amateurish in comparison) and were able to get along in person without a single awkward silence. I made overtures to create a friendship and she reciprocated. I found out that she’d pretty much always been poly and had been the one to introduce the concept to him. At first, he’d rejected the idea but the longer they were together, the more he saw that his worries were unfounded. I found out that he’d had flirtations but I was the first official relationship outside of his primary partner.

The more time that I spent with him, the more effort I made with her. No one wants to be the person on the outside looking in and that is especially true when you are poly. So while he and I were building a relationship, she and I were building a friendship; all the time, she was his primary partner and I had one of my own. We were trying to find a way to fit everyone together.

I wish that I could say that all this simultaneous construction was productive and positive but I can’t. The conversations that I had with my new boyfriend never centered on his other relationship; I didn’t want to pry. It was obvious that they operated differently than I did with my partner but making comparisons didn’t seem right. One day though, my curiosity got the better of me.

It is hard to see someone that you care about suffer. I found that once I opened the door, it couldn’t be shut again. Unfortunately, I had a front row seat to the unraveling and painful part of my boyfriend’s other relationship. It wasn’t a problem with me; it was a problem with his primary partner.

There were incidents of miscommunication or the complete lack thereof. Confusion ensued and the expectations of what I was to do or say to make things better were unclear.  He often had to choose between his partner that he lived with and the time that was scheduled to be spent with me; he had to choose between her and me.

Finally, it dawned on me that my new boyfriend had probably had complaints and issues with his partner before I came into the picture. My presence wasn’t the cause but it was the microscope. The threat of losing him constantly hung over my head. It took that for me to see that I didn’t want anyone to lose. I tried to be supportive and positive. I encouraged first her and then him to be understanding and patient. Then suddenly, it didn’t matter.

They were over. The Tug-Of-War was over. I’d won.

Photo Source

Last week, I had the privilege of getting to see the Dark Horse tour in Omaha. The headlining band was Nickelback but they weren’t the only group making an appearance. Alongside them were Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, and Sick Puppies.

Sick Puppies kicked off the night and, from the first note, they kicked ass. Their teenage dressy-emo-goth-trendy look fit right into their sound as the emerging face of new-age alternative rock. I know that rock traditionalists are going to argue that this band really doesn’t qualify to be in the category but I’ve got to insist. This Australian trio has been touring over the last few years constantly to sold-out rock shows. They’ve accompanied some of the biggest names in the music business on tour. In addition, their sound literally rocks the house. I found myself listening to the melodic voice of Shimon Moore and mesmorized by the tiny (yet talented) bassist, Emma Anzai. Combined with the amazing drumming of Mark Goodwin and you have a band worth hearing (and seeing).

Shinedown’s portion of the concert was disappointing; I found myself realizing that they are a radio band. During the entire performance, there was no balance. It was just loud. The singer and front man, Brent Smith, doesn’t have a stage presence. Towards the end of the set, they did pay homage to Slipknot’s loss of Paul Gray. But I was appalled when Smith announced to the audience that the death had “speculations” and those aside, the widow is pregnant. To me, those statements should have gone unsaid and been left private. They then launched into a rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”, which seems an odd choice, but the audience joined in. It truly saved Shinedown’s show and the vibe was much more energized after that.

When Breaking Benjamin took the stage, I was expecting some big production. Sick Puppies and Shinedown both had graphics in the background for their performances. However, Breaking Benjamin took a different tone. With each song, the accompanying video played on the screen behind them. There weren’t any fancy lights or effects, just the spots on each member. It was simply four guys in jeans and t-shirts pouring their souls into the music. For the first minute or so, I could hear the adjustments being made to lower the volume and increase the quality of the sound. It made all the difference for those listening. Breaking Benjamin put on a bare bones concert but there was an intensity that those preceding them had lacked. Admittedly, I was the only person who screamed when they announced “Polyamorous” as the next song (it echoed, so I know). It was truly an amazing but simple performance. Ben Burnley showed that they haven’t lost their appreciation for the fans by repeatedly thanking the audience and the other bands. Talented and humble, what a combination in a rock band!

As it came time for Nickelback to take the stage, the crowd was buzzing in anticipation. The lights went out and the arena got quiet; which made the opening that much more of a shock- simulated gunfire. There wasn’t time to recover before blasts of pyrotechnics shot fire from the base of the stage to the ceiling. Even in the very back row of the balcony, I was able to feel the immense heat. The lights that followed constantly changed color and the graphics were moving all over the screen. It made it hard to focus. When the band took the stage, none of it stopped either. I got another shock when they began to play. The volume was so loud that I couldn’t understand anything. Let me be clear, I was sitting in the nose bleed section and it hurt my ears. I was unable to discern any of the melodies or harmonies. I couldn’t differentiate between the guitar and the bass. I’m sure there was a drum but I honestly can’t recall a beat. It was about three or four songs in (I’m not sure because they didn’t stop playing in between and it all bled together) when Nickelback took a break. Chad Kroeger announced they were “taking it back to high school” and started “Photograph”. I could hear a bit of his voice but still wasn’t able to understand the words. At this point, my ears were killing me and ringing. I left. The show just wasn’t worth permanently damaging my hearing and I could already tell they weren’t going to live up to the hype.

I wish that bands would employ sound technicians that understand; volume does not cover a lack of quality. You can’t fake talent when the show is live. Now, I know that Shinedown and Nickelback are both successful. Their radio hits are heard all the time. But what is created and modified in a studio is not the same as what is heard when in concert. Fans expect to be entertained and the caliber of the artist to be what they are used to hearing. It isn’t impossible either! (As evidenced by Sick Puppies and Breaking Benjamin.) Rock music was once on the fringe but it has become mainstream and big business. However, it should still make you want to sing the lyrics, still make you bob your head, still make you feel moved by the music.

Though, I didn’t enjoy the entire night; I still had a great time. I got to hear two of my favorite bands showcase just how good they really are and left the venue wanting to see both, Sick Puppies and Breaking Benjamin, again.

Picture Sources: Dark Horse, Sick Puppies, Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, and Nickelback.

Kinda makes you feel like you’re there, huh?

Oh, and there was a little Beard Spotting going on!

RED CARPET

Bill Paxton

"Friday Night Lights'" Drew Waters

(L-R) EARTHLING'S Matt Socia, Michelle Renee Dulin, Ryan Harper Gray

EARTHLING director Clay Liford

CARRIED AWAY's Juli Erickson and Gabriel Horn

(L-R) CARRIED AWAY's Bryan Massey, Adam Deitrich, Tom Huckabee (Dir)

WE ARE THE SEA's Neil Truglio (dir) and Chantelle Frazier

(L-R) SKATELAND's Shiloh Fernandez and Heath Freeman and Kelly Monaco

MULTIPLE SARCASMS director Brooks Branch

HOLD's Frank Mosley (dir) and Robey Storey

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Gwen Reyes, director Daniel Laabs, Victoria Hines

FOLLICLE FROLIC's Brand Rackey and Mark Potts

P.S. BEARDS!!!!! (I promised)

Producer, director, and Beard James M. Johnston

I’ll be updating throughout the festival—or at least in my head. Tonight is our first red carpet for the opening night films, including SKATELAND, WE THE POOR, A TOWN CALLED PANIC, MULTIPLE SARCASMS, and a block of short films. I’m really looking forward to SKATELAND, and I’ve heard great things about A TOWN CALLED PANIC. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see that one too this week.

Wish us luck! Pictures and stories from attendees are coming your way!

Buy DALLAS International Film Festival Tickets

Follow Gwen’s Twitter adventures

Follow NerdyPerv while you’re at it!

Recently, Gwen reached out to our followers, readers, and avid

And since Gwen is the founder and I’m the content manager, we realized that it would only be fair (to you) to offer ourselves as guinea pigs. First up, Gwen.

Christin (C): First is what made you want to create NerdyPerv?

Gwen (G): What made me want to create NerdyPerv? Oh god!  Um, I feel like I should have prepared for these questions (laughs) A boy. A boy made me want to create NerdyPerv. That’s the honest to God truth and I don’t care how dorky that sounds.

(G. Cont.) A boy made me want to create it, but a boy did not make keep it. I fell in love with giving people information and sharing stories about my life and sharing my friends’ stories. I didn’t think there was really anything like NerdyPerv out there. And it’s probably been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s been nice having my own project to work on.

C: Do you consider yourself more of a nerd or more of a perv?

G: I probably consider myself to be both. Which is kind of the point of NerdyPerv, because I get told all the time, “Gwen, the way you act and what you write are so completely different.”  And so, I guess outwardly I’m nerdy because I get obsessed with things but I still have my disgusting, pervy, gross side that I feel needs to be exposed. I believe everybody should feel positive about their sexuality. And so I figure that if there are people out there like me, then they need a place like NerdyPerv.

C: Do you find it hard to reveal the more personal aspects of your life on the website?

G: Absolutely, for the last year I have dealt with balancing the line between wanting to be personal and also being respectful of the people in my life, be it past or present. I had to learn to create my own “Gwen” personality. And a lot of my stuff is more my dating and silly things that I think boys do. The majority of stories I wrote when I started NerdyPerv were about dealing with a really bad breakup. I felt like I needed to write about it because there is so much [bad] in our world that people just kind of think it is okay to treat people certain ways and I felt like it needed to be exposed that you can have a respectful breakup and still move on with it. But if you are not respectful that is what really hurts people more.

(G. Cont.) Recently I was dating a guy and I felt really uncomfortable writing about it, even though he was fine with it. I didn’t think that I would want someone [new] writing about my sex life. But after the fact I just have to sit back and think about it. But it is very difficult to write about my own personal life. And those are some of the hardest articles that I’ve had to write, the ones that are really personal.

C: You talk about your beard fetish or I guess that isn’t really a fetish but it’s something that you are more…..minor-ly into.

G: (Laughs) Minorly? It’s okay, it’s major. I realized yesterday that every guy I’ve had sex with has had a beard.

C: (Laughs) Nice!

G: And I never really realized that until earlier this week and I was like, “Wow that is really, kind of crazy.” I didn’t think about it. I really am obsessed! I really do have a beard fetish!

If you have a nerd in your life who you think would make a perfect Nerd to Do, please email us! We’d love to pick their brains…or eat them…whichever comes first.

I began to see, through the conversation, how each show had helped to shape each of us. Every cartoon that we became addicted to as a kid added to our character, our personality. In honor of these wonderful additions to my generation’s upbringing, I would like to feature clips of some of the favorites. This isn’t really an article so much as an homage to the days of yester-year. Ah, to be young again!

Amongst the guys, the favorites were:

He-Man seemed the most popular. I found their YouTube page, which features a few full episodes.

He-Man

G.I. Joe

Transformers

Thundercats

Chip’N'Dale Rescue Rangers

A few of the odd ones from the boys were my friend, Matt, (who requested JabberJaw, “I mean come on, who can’t love a talking shark that quotes Rodney Dangerfield…lol”)

Jabberjaw

and my own brother (that I can blame for this one).

Captain Planet

Though, I had forgotten this one existed, my partner brought it up and numerous others concurred.

Heathcliff

From the ladies, we liked….

The Smurfs

She-Ra

Rainbow Brite

Strawberry Shortcake

Guys and Girls seemed to agree on a few cartoons.

DuckTales

X- Men

Spiderman

Ghostbusters

Schoolhouse Rock

Gwen had her favorites too…

Care Bears

Voltron

My Little Pony

Then there is me and the cartoons that I love(d).

Beatlejuice

Gummie Bears

David the Gnome

Batman

A few people suggested shows that weren’t necessarily cartoons but remain beloved favorites of kid-dom.

Alf was both animated and live action.

Alf

And finally, the creme-de-la-creme for us all…..

Fragglerock

Maybe watching these videos will make you, like me, feel old. However, sometimes, we just need to relive the good “old” days!

Starting this Friday, March 12th, members of the NP team will descend on the Austin City Limits for the annual film, music, and interactive orgy festival South By Southwest. This is our first year to go as press, and we cannot wait to share all the geeky goodness, debauchery, and stories with you during our stay. Come back throughout the week for updates and exclusive interviews and reviews! Oh, and maybe I’ll tell you how I crashed a few parties along the way!

BUT, before we go, we have to ensure that some of our buddies make it there too–wouldn’t want it to be a lonely trip. Our good friend and FANTASTIC cartoonist Jen from Mermaid Hostel is doing a fundraiser from now until the 26th to help pay for her trip to SXSW for the Interactive portion. She’s dedicated to sharing the information she recieves at SXSW and anyone who donates in $5 increments will have a chance to pick her brain and share in her experiences. Oh, you’ll also get a stunning hand-drawn zine and the warm, mushy feelings that come from supporting a poor college student–she needs all the help she can get.

So, read below for more information about her project. And don’t forget to stop by Mermaid Hostel to check out her work.

Cartoonist Jen Vaughn is thrilled to announce her first SXSW InteractiviZINE! From March 12th to March 16th, she will attend the SXSW (South by Southwest) Interactive Festival in Austin, TX and will “cover” the event multimedia-style in her Interactivitizine! SXSW is chock full of panels, events, and of course parties, related to social media, convergence, video games, start-ups and anything Internet. Upon the conclusion of her visit, Jen will post her drawings, notes, photos and other ephemera from the festival on her website for everyone to share the wealth of information gleaned.

Jen is accepting donations of $5 and up towards her SXSW InteractiviZINE experience via her website (http://www.mermaidhostel.com/sxsw-interactivizine-fundraiser/). Anyone who donates will receive a LIMITED EDITION (PRINT) SXSW InteractiviZINE full of panel notes, comics and other special goodies made especially by Jen Vaughn.

Jen creates a weekly webcomic called Mermaid Hostelweekly webcomic called Mermaid Hostel and her previous works include Menstruation Station: Menarche Aboard!, and Don’t Hate, Menstruate. She is also an enthusiastic member of the Rare Bits Comic Collectables.

Hope to see some of you nerds at SXSW! I’ll be tweeting (NerdyPerv and Gwen) and updating throughout the week!

Next week the NerdyPerv team is making the trek from our cushy Dallas headquarters to the raucousness of Austin for South By Southwest (SXSW). SXSW is the one festival and conference I look forward to the most. I’m ready, credit card in hand, to purchase my badge for the annual film, music, and interactive festival in August and I spend the remaining months planning my assault on the city of Austin. 2010 will be my sixth year in attendance, and I have never looked forward to a SXSW as much as I do this year’s.

The activities are amazing; SXSW will have over a thousand panels for the Interactive portion alone, and dozens of world, national, and regional film premieres. It’s also one of the major stops for up and coming musicians before they head out for their summer concert tours. I have met so many talented and inspiring designers and filmmakers attending SXSW over the years, and it is one event NerdyPerv jumps through hoops to attend. All around, SXSW is a little paradise for geeks of all types and means, and it’s a prolific organization that aims to boost the exposure of arts and creativity in the Southwest region. What’s presented here is trending six to eight months later!

SXSW is always a lot of work, but it’s fun and so worth it. The designers and filmmakers we meet, both fresh and established, inspire us to return to HQ with plans to continue NerdyPerv’s evolution for years to come. It’s a great feeling when you know that what you are doing is special and other people are willing to share their own stories and information to help you out. That’s the camaraderie you feel throughout the festival.

Oh, and I’m going to party for six nights straight, because these people know how to bring it—thank God there is a free coffee bar two blocks from our hotel!

My best friend and I drove the three hours to attend the convention with perhaps the most dedicated Toho (fan of a particular genre of Manga, see previous article: Intro to Anime), a sixteen year old girl. The latter spent most of the car ride attempting to educate me. By the time we got to Kansas City, I was exhausted and my brain was on overload. The next morning, I watched the girl don her cosplay as Marisa Kirisame while my friend and I sported the NerdyPerv gear. She rattled on about the differences between Anime and Manga, Otaku and Toho. My ears kind of tuned out after a while because I figured that the convention would be informative.

(Marisa Kirisame)

I walked into the hotel and was greeted by the most famous of comic super villains (and non-Anime I might add, the Joker and Harley Quinn). It was a sea of teenagers, all with some form of Anime costumes on. [Note: there are no pictures of these attendees as I was informed by Naka Kon staff that I was not allowed to talk to or photograph anyone underage due to the “nature of the site” and no amount of explanation on my part was able to combat this preconceived notion.] Almost instantly, I had a “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment.

After registering as NerdyPerv,I was given a badge and began wandering around to try and get my bearings.

There were characters of every variety. Some people were dressed in odd clothes, that I learned were Otaku (the most minor of cosplay and Manga fans), but didn’t have on a costume exactly. Some of the costumes were elaborate but not Anime related. It seems that anyone within driving distance and who is a fan of anything nerdy likes to attend Naka Kon.

(The character Renamon from Digimon.)

There were characters from comic books, video games, and movies. I saw furries who were Anime and some who were not. There were even a few Lady Gaga’s walking around (two male, one female).

In the Vendor Panel, there were booths as far as the eye could see filled with Japanese merchandise. Almost none of it was in English and most had been imported especially for Naka Kon. There was American Anime and Japanese Manga everywhere. One entire corner of the room was blocked off and dedicated to Hentai, with staff checking the badges to verify ages of the Otaku present. A lot of what was being sold was Japanese food and drinks that are extremely, if not impossible, to find in the states. One particular vendor, Wizzywig Inc, came all the way from Michigan to sell collectibles. It was a plethora of t-shirts, toys, action figures, movies, books, and posters. You could have an artist make an Anime representation of you if you were willing to pay enough for it. There was even a booth for the Steam Punk subset that has become common at cons because of its inclusion in comics, cartoons, and movies, regardless of the genre. Brett, a fan dressed in Steam Punk, that I met was incredibly friendly. I was stunned to find out that he was a tattoo artist in the area and had to laugh when he showed me his nerdy body ink that displayed to all that he is a true Anime fan.

A lot of the panels were informative for the Naka Kon attendees. They has voice actors and animators who took the time to explain to the fans how Anime is created and how they hone their craft. It was very obvious to me that Anime is considered a type of art. Otaku could learn about the music and animation. They could take a workshop showing how to draw Anime characters.  They could take part in discussions or debates over the types of Anime. My favorite of these was the Pirates Vs. Ninjas panel. There were panels instructing fans how to create their cosplay costumes. You could learn about Mecha (the robots) or Lolitas (female characters that are childlike) and how to imitate them. The cosplay combat and samurai panels were extremely interesting. A lot of the panels took things in pop culture now, like vampires, and showed how they are represented in the Anime world.

(Two fans of the Toho, not Otaku, variety.)

Naka Kon showed fans how technological advancements have changed the way Anime is made. There were tributes to the specific areas of Anime and how it is represented in media. Like the Toho, whose characters are from the Toho Company Ltd production company’s art, books, and movies only.

The afterhours and over eighteen crowds were not to be left out of the antics either. There was a body painting panel (clothing option, of course). The staff put on an Otaku Dating seminar, teach Naka Kon attendees how to hook up with each other and then followed that with their own version of Singled Out. Hentai was not to be left out either. There were parties with private viewings of the more pornographic Hentai movies and then panels where fans could dub their own voice track to their favorite films. One panel was nothing but horror stories from Otaku who had attended Naka Kon in the past or their experiences from other conventions.

(Northpaw, an original character at Naka Kon.)

The event that garnered the most whispers was probably the Rave on Saturday night. The room was packed with Otaku and cosplay fans. It was hours of techno music and dancing, like any other rave, except most of the people were in full Anime regalia.

I got to see a whole new world at Naka Kon. There were the men in crossplay. One, an original by the name of Sonya, let me take his picture and his card explained Kigurumi, the art of bringing a 2D character to life by wearing a body suit and mask in their likeness.

There were some hiccups along the way. The hotel was unprepared to deal with the sheer volume of fans and both Naka Kon and hotel staff were unfriendly due to frayed nerves and stress. There was a lot of disorganization regarding cancelled, reschedules, or moved panels as well. I found myself getting bumped and shoved a lot due to overcrowded elevators, hallways, stairwells, escalators, and rooms. With the majority of people being children, the vibe was excited, hyperactive, and a tad unruly.

(This kid was in a contest to see who could get the most hugs at the convention. I traded him one for a NerdyPerv business card!)

For the most part, Naka Kon was an Anime fan’s dream come true. The teenager that was my guide for the weekend acted like she had found the mother ship because she was able to showcase her love of all things Japanese and Anime along with thousands of other con attendees. I learned an entire new language and found a new hobby along the way. Though I was overwhelmed a lot of the time, I was able to appreciate the effort that the fans put into their interests.

Anime is no longer a subculture; it has gone mainstream with shows like Pokémon. After Naka Kon, I feel like I’ve been indoctrinated into their society. I’m not sure I could ever be Otaku but I am definitely, now, a fan.