Ahhh, now that’s what I want in a season-ender. The right blend of suspense, catharsis, and satisfaction. Below this photo, there be spoilers… As always, I hardly know where to begin. Let’s start with who was missing: Sybil and Branson. Sounds like things are going well for them in Ireland, and I’m glad Lady Cora […]
Continue ReadingWhere to begin? I’m not going to write a full recap this time–if I try, it’ll take me all week because HOKEY SMOKES that was a lot of action packed into one night. Can we dish? Hold on, here’s the obligatory spoiler buffer. WELL. Spanish flu. Stolen kisses. Broken hearts. And poor Mr. Bates, accused […]
Continue ReadingSunday night feels too far away. I need a Downton Abbey fix NOW. What did you think of last week’s episode? Here’s a recap–after a spoiler buffer. There, are we sufficiently buffered? Let’s dive in. This week’s episode was called “The Canadian Patient,” and it was full of looks. Smoldering gazes, suspicious stares, averted glances, […]
Continue ReadingI’ll never forget where I first met Meg Murry: Mrs. Beville’s 5th-grade language arts class, Aurora, Colorado, 1978. Mrs. B. always picked the best books for her classroom read-alouds: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The Cricket in Times Square. How to Eat Fried Worms. And Madeleine L’Engle’s A […]
Continue ReadingMy husband sent me this Foo Fighters documentary clip because he knows I have a soft spot for Dave Grohl–not to mention a soft spot for work-at-home daddies. The moment that melted me (as my hubby knew it would) comes just after the five-minute mark: a sweet exchange between father and daughter. The whole clip […]
Continue ReadingMany of us here at GeekMom have been champing at the bit for the American premiere of Downton Abbey Season 2, and now at last it’s here–two whole hours of Edward intrigue and house-politics. I’m all a-flutter. To help us endure the long hours until showtime, here’s a clip featuring ten of the Dame Maggie […]
Continue ReadingAh, gummy bears. I won’t go so far as to say I have a gummy bear addiction, but, well, let’s just say I order them by the case. They’re my work food: I eat them while I write. With the possible exception of those little hamburger-shaped cookies Kristen Rutherford brings me back from her trips […]
Continue ReadingBeloved science-fiction author Anne McCaffrey has passed away at the age of 85. This news just hit me in the gut. Thanks to my sci-fi-loving father, I grew up on the Pern books: read them to tatters, still have my old copies, named my World of Warcraft hunter after one of the characters. My sixteen-year-old […]
Continue ReadingThe first time I played with an iPad, all I could think of was Neal Stephenson’s post-cyberpunk masterpiece, The Diamond Age. Subtitled “A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer,” the novel tells the story of a girl more or less raised by an intricately engineered interactive computer in the guise of a book. The Primer, a nanotech […]
Continue ReadingWhat do you think? Our first extended look inside the movie…seeing Katniss salute the TV viewers gave me goosebumps. But Woody Harrelson’s floppy hair made me yell at my screen. That’s not my Haymitch. He needs to be straggly and grizzled, absolutely, but that hair is just silly. Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket: spot on. […]
Continue ReadingAt long last, Google+ has rolled out pages for businesses, organizations, and websites. We’re delighted to announce the brand-spankin’-new GeekMom page on G+–let the circling begin! If you’re new to G+ and still finding your way around, here’s our four-part series of Google+ tips: • Part 1: Don’t let circles make your head spin • […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Reader unveiled big changes this week, and the internet recoiled. Some folks (I’m one of them) loathe the new design: the excessive use of white space at the top of the screen, the heavy black-and-gray palette, the black-underlined links that have replaced the stand-out blue. But far more irritating to many users is the […]
Continue ReadingThis is the time of year when I paw through my bookshelves looking for creepy stories to curl up with. It’s like trick-or-treating, only with books. Here are a few of our family favorites, perfect for creating a Halloween mood. The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Three little […]
Continue ReadingYesterday eleven (if I’m counting right) GeekMom writers gathered in a room for the first time–sort of. We met face to face in a Google+ Hangout. Of course, you can only have ten people at a time in a Hangout, so GeekMoms Amy and Andrea graciously ducked out to leave room for our guest of […]
Continue ReadingIf you play Glitch, head over to Lowland Slough in Shimla Mirch to see the beautiful spontaneous tribute to Steve Jobs. People are leaving notes (“When I opened my own business, it was on a Mac”) and apples–dozens upon dozens of apples–in the street. The paper tree there has been rechristened “Steve.” Fireflies swirl in […]
Continue ReadingNot only is Jennifer Holm a three-time Newbery Honor winner and the author of the perfectly fabulous Babymouse books, she’s also a serious geekmom–and a champion of free speech. Today, Jenni and her brother, Babymouse illustrator Matthew Holm, have joined the ranks of the talented artists and writers who are donating time and art to […]
Continue ReadingIt’s an exciting week for gaming fans: Glitch has opened to the public! After months of beta-testing, the whimsical, browser-based MMO has thrown open its doors, welcoming new Glitches–er, users–to join the fun. Several of us GeekMoms and our kids were among the enthusiastic gamers who took part in the beta, exploring the Harvest Moon-meets-Dr. […]
Continue ReadingAs you’ve no doubt heard, Facebook rolled out some major changes this week–and even bigger changes will be hitting your Wall in the weeks to come. (More on those in a minute.) Many Facebook users were caught off guard by the new “ticker” that now appears in the upper right corner of the News Feed […]
Continue ReadingLast summer I wrestled mightily with the biggest question of the year: Kindle or Nook? Ultimately, I went with a Kindle because I do a lot of book reviewing, and I knew I’d be able to read review copies of new books on Kindle via Netgalley. This was a tremendous relief to my children, who […]
Continue ReadingSeptember 14 was a momentous day for homeschoolers–and anyone interested in education. On the anniversary of the death of education pioneer John Holt, Holt Associates has made freely available all the back issues of Growing Without Schooling magazine for anyone, anywhere, to read. In 1995, Growing Without Schooling changed my life and dramatically shaped the […]
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