Nerdy Jokes

Thank you Hank, for 31 jokes of awesome.

I have linked the Vlogbrothers a thousand time so I'll spare you :)

Until tomorrow! xxxx

SUPER QUICK POST IS SUPER QUICK!

Ah, time has gotten away from me again today. Blogging every day is hard! I'm not sure I have it in me...

Anyway, fortunately enough, I find new nerdy YouTube videos that I fall in love with everyday so, here is one more!

Another one of my favorite UK YouTubers, Alex Day (or nerimon) did a series where he read Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. I can't watch these videos without laughing out loud.

This one has to be a favorite...

Alex is a musician, vlogger, and just all around maker of awesome so check out his website and YouTube channel!

Until tomorrow! xxx

STARKID AT LEAKYCON

Today, as I walk around in the beautiful (finally) Spring weather, I have just remembered another reason to rejoice.

STARKID POTTER WILL BE PERFORMING AT LEAKYCON THIS SUMMER!

I have never been to a Harry Potter convention before so planning my trip to Universal Studios this summer for Leaky Con is exciting enough, but when I heard that Starkid Potter would be performing "A Very Potter Musical" I was sent over the moon.

For anyone who doesn't know, "A Very Potter Musical" is a musical parody of Harry Potter and it is completely and utterly hilarious and wonderful. I know you'll love it. Anyway, this was just a quick blog and shout out to the Starkid Potter cast because I CANNOT WAIT to see them this summer!

Check out Starkid on YouTube or on their website.

And, if you are in the New York area, ENJOY THE WEATHER!

Until tomorrow! xxx

Nerds have a Strange Charm...

This isn't really an inspirational vlog or anything, but this song gets stuck in my head ALL THE TIME.

Don't get me wrong, I know very little about physics and even less about subatomic particles, but (thank you Hank Green) I now know PLENTY about quarks. I hope this gets as glued into your brain as it has mine (or at least helps you out on an exam!!)

Hank is one of my FAVORITE musicians so you should check him out pretty much everywhere you can!

On YouTube, you can find him HERE with the VlogBrothers or HERE on his personal channel.

You can also check him out at DFTBA Records or in a future post from me (which will surely happen!)

Until tomorrow! xxx

Welcome to New York Harry!

The Harry Potter exhibit is officially open in New York City and I cannot wait to get there.

Unfortunately, this post was not up here earlier today because I spent the better part of this evening filling out a police report because some jerk stole my wallet. *headdesk.*

Anyway, the Harry Potter exhibit showcases a lot of awesome props and costumes from the films and  is making it's last US stop (at least for now) in New York city but this is definitely not the first city it's visited. If you've already seen the exhibit I would love to hear what you think because, as you can imagine, it has been an incredibly craptastic day.

Watch more of Kayley!!! She is awesome!

Also, I gotta have that mug....

Until tomorrow! xxx

Official Nerd-Off

Charlie McDonnell is most definitely one of my favorite people on YouTube.

This little video about how nerdy he is just makes me smile and laugh because I think it is so funny/cool/awesome that so many people spend the majority of their lives trying to prove that they are not "nerdy", yet people like us have contests and proudly compete for the title of most nerdy.

That just makes me happy.

Check out Charlie's website and YouTube page because he is awesome. I'm sure I'll do a more lengthy post on his music and/or videos another time, but for now, enjoy!

I'm Charlie's YouTube Channel, CLICK ME!

No, CLICK ME! I'm Charlie's website!

Until tomorrow! xxx

Because it's adorable...

Stories like these just make me smile...

And NOOO, I will never stop linking :)!

So click here for more Hank and John loving

Until tomorrow! xxx

YouTube has a game show?!

YES in fact it does! Which is such a unique and totally awesome idea that I knew I had to include it in this month for of YouTube loving.

Naturally, I'm going to post the Harry Potter edition of Truth or Fail but there are a ton of other categories you can test out too, all the way from Tolkien to Beiber.

Yes, you read that correctly...there is even a Justin Beiber Truth or Fail game.

So have fun, love it, and enjoy!

If you're hooked (like me) click HERE for more Truth or Fail.

Also, I will link Kristina again since she happens to be the host for the Harry Potter edition. She is just that awesome. Click for some more Kristina.

Until next time! xxx

Nostalgia...

2011, I believe, has been a year of nostalgia.

What with the film series coming to an end, Harry Potter fans can't seem to find enough time to reminisce about all of the good times they've had at premiers, all of the life-long friend's they've made, and the long road that has slowly led us all to where we are today.

Many of us have felt the long-term effects of having Harry in our lives and appreciate the significant influence that the series has had on our lives today and into the future. Personally, I would be a liar if I said that reading Harry Potter didn't change my life at all or that I would be the same person without having ever picked up a book, or popped in a film. The plain truth is, for many of us, Harry Potter has become more than just a book. For me, it was a springboard towards a life-long love of reading; it was a better understanding of myself now, and who I want to grow up to be. For someone else, Harry Potter could have been something entirely different, or nothing at all and I think that is what makes the series special.

In my Young Adult Lit class this semester, we've talked a lot about this idea called "reader response" which basically just means that every good book is able to evoke a powerful meaning, message, or understanding from its readers. The trick is, however, that all of these meanings shouldn't be the same. Reading should be a personal and different experience for this person and the video I've chosen today reminds me of that.

Listening to Jerry talk about how Harry Potter has influenced his life reminded me about how different yet meaningful all of our experiences have been while traveling down this long and windy road.

Hope you enjoy :)

For more of Jerry, you should click this. And you should!

Until next time! xxx

Post-Potter Depression

This video really needs no introduction. This song, by Lauren Fairweather, was the inspiration for this blog and I feel like this month of favorite YouTube videos would be incomplete without it.

If you want to know more about Lauren or listen to more of her music (which you definitely should!) I'll link her YouTube channel here and her personal website here.

Until next time! xxx

Remember that feeling?!

I'm sure you remember that feeling....

Being in a dark theater, going to see some random movie, munching away on popcorn and watching, unsuspectingly, as the next preview begins...

AND THEN...you hear it.

That soft, unforgettable twinkling sound that makes you freeze in your seat and then start jumping up and down like a lunatic because who could have guessed that the next Harry Potter trailer was upon us again; the next day by day countdown until the latest midnight premier that will likely be added to your list of "Most Awesome Nights EVER". Or maybe that's just me...

Anyway, I've been thinking about this feeling a lot because, as we all know, the final Harry Potter film countdown has begun. It makes me sad to think that I'll never be caught off guard by another Potter teaser trailer after this July and, because of that, this video makes me smile.

More about her later, I'm sure, but Tessa (or meekakitty) never fails to make me laugh but this video, made about a month before the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 this past November, makes me feel all nostalgic and giddy inside.

Because I remember that feeling...I think we all do!

Anyway, let me link Tessa HERE for the few of you who aren't already subscribed!

Until next time (or tomorrow)!! xxx

Blog/Vlog Everyday in April

Throughout the month of April, as I am sure all awesome vloggers/bloggers know, it is customary to jump on the bandwagon and post everyday.

I have never done this.

Probably because I am a chicken...

I am always afraid that I will run out of things to say, especially with a blog like this. I always want to talk about some new and awesome book, song, or movie that made me fill up with nerdy pride but I can never get over that fear of falling short.

So this year, I'm going to let everyone else do the talking for me.

As I've said, I am not a vlogger myself but I do sort-of obsessively subscribe to vloggers on YouTube. I love listening to what other people have to say and one of the biggest cures for Post-Potter Depression that I've found is listening to other people talk about how much they love the series (and other nerdy things of course!). It makes me feel like a part of a community that understands and embraces all things dorky and awesome. Therefore, this month, I am going to post a vlog everyday that has, over the years, reminded me just how awesome the Harry Potter community is. If you have favorites too, let me know what they are! I bet we'll have some in common!

So for starters, my all-time favorite Harry Potter vlog. Personally, I don't think this video really needs an introduction because it can stand pretty tall on it's own. Thank you John, for finally defining the word "nerd" as we all know an love it today:

Obviously, if you for some crazy reason have not already subscribed, you need to go and visit John and Hank Green on YouTube. SO CLICK HERE.

Until tomorrow! xxx

Over the river and through the woods....

Or, In the Woods, really but you get the picture....

The one problem I've always had with reading is that I can never just "read" a book....I have to devour it.

I can never just slowly read, digest, and enjoy a book because I'm just always itching to get to that next page and I'll usually finish a book that I had planned to read over the course of several weeks within a couple of days. Obviously, speed reading doesn't sound like a big problem (or a problem at all really) but sometimes, I just wish I had the ability to move slowly through a book and take it in long, deep strides.

That's why, when I read Tana French's In the Woods I was a bit taken a-back by how slowly I was moving through it. The back cover alone had caught my attention and when I started reading, I thought I would blow through it in a day but, somehow, despite how amazing the book was, I took me a few weeks to get through.

The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland where Detective Ryan finds himself working a case involving a young girl found dead in the woods surrounding his childhood home. As a young boy, he had also been lost in the woods with his two best friends, however, out of the three children, Detective Ryan was the only one ever to be found. Now, with the help of his partner, Cassie, Ryan must attempt to solve the mystery of the young girl's death while discretely trying to make sense of his own strange past.

Tana French has a unique style of writing that keeps her readers turning page after page, but still manages to keep a slow and steady pace. Every detail, story line, and description falls perfectly into place and forces you to read carefully, digesting each individual aspect for how amazingly brilliant it really is.

I think In the Woods reminded me of Harry Potter because of this style. There may not have been any elements of fantasy or magic, but when I would read the latest Harry Potter books, I would always get so frustrated with how quickly I would blow through them. Especially with Deathly Hallows, I so desperately wanted to slow myself down and savor every last moment, but somehow, I would still manage to be finished in a time that felt all too short. Whenever I see people, today, reading one of my favorite books for the first time, I find myself feeling so jealous of the awesome experience I know they are having. In this case, however, Tana French's style of writing forced me to slow down in a way that is usually foreign to me and, for that, I feel truly grateful. As a result, I got to prolong the awesome joy of discovering a new favorite book and, hopefully, you all will too!

Of course, In the Woods is not the only book that Tana French has written and if you want to check out her website, you will know that I always recommend doing so :). I have yet to read her other books, The Likeness or The Faithful Place, but I know they have definitely been put on my reading list!



If you've read any of Tana French's books, including In the Woods,  or any books like them, let me know what you think! I'm always open to new suggestions!


Until next time!!! xxx

Oh, heyy Kristina!

I've been obsessed with YouTube this week...

Actually, I've spent the past few years living with this very time-consuming obsession but, this week in particular,  I have been spending an inordinate amount of time reliving some YouTube nostalgia and re-visiting some of the awesome YouTubers who got me hooked in the first place.

So, I thought to myself, what better to post about this week than one of my favorite YouTubers? The truth is though, Kristina Horner is way more than just an avid YouTuber these days, but WAY BACK WHEN I started watching (you know, when school was a fifteen mile, uphill walk in the snow?) she was better known as italktosnakes or Monday on the FiveAwesomeGirls channel. She was one of the first people to introduce me to the concept of vlogging and the idea of a collaboration channel and, even though this was all new to me, I was hooked pretty quickly.

For anyone who doesn't already know, the FiveAwesomeGirls was a collaboration project started in 2008 in which Kristina and four other girls (Lauren, Kayley, Hayley, and Liane) posted a video on their allotted day of the week and, over the course of three years, got to know each other and eventually became very close friends. They talked about their lives, music, and, of course, the love for Harry Potter that brought them together in the first place.

What I didn't know at first, was that Kristina was is also involved in a ton of projects outside of the vlogging world. Her band, The Parselmouths, was my first introduction to Wizard Wrock and still remains one of my favorite Wrock bands to this day, even though they have taken a bit of a hiatus. Every once in a while, I still find "What Kind of Name is Hermione?" stuck in my head...

Most of her musical work, lately, has been with her band ALL CAPS where she and Luke Conrad collaborate and create awesome music. The best part? You can get it all on iTunes or on DFTBA records! Some of my favorite ALL CAPS music includes "Summer of '09" and their parody of "Fireflies" by Owl City, "Lumos Flies". ALL CAPS is definitely my favorite of Kristina's projects because, as you will obviously see when you click all of the links I've supplied :), her and Luke have great musical chemistry and sometimes I am literally unable to get their songs out of my head....like right now...

I've decided that Kristina's work has definitely been one of the greatest cures for Post-Potter Depression not just because she makes awesome music, or because her vlogs are adorable and hilarious, but because she sort of epitomizes how awesome the Harry Potter fandom has become. Joanne Rowling may have thought she was just writing a couple of books but, in reality, she created a world of friendships, music, and all around awesomeness. Millions of people have come together and worked towards making the world a better place and I've always felt that Kristina's music, vlogs, and recent work with Save the Children (explained HERE) is an excellent example of that.

If you don't already know about Kristina, the FiveAwesomeGirls, or ALL CAPS then you should defintely already be clicking on all of the links I've posted above or checking her out on DFTBA records or iTunes. Kristina is also a regular blogger so you can check that out HERE as well.

I've already had several posts on books and television so I thought a post about one of my favorite members of the HP community was definitely long overdue!

Hope I've turned you on to something awesome this week and if you have any favorite vloggers of Wizard Wrockers I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Until next time! xxx

The series that was "on fire"...

One of the biggest problems I had after the Harry Potter series ended was finding something else to read. I had the idea that nothing else in the whole wide world would be as good so firmly resonated in my brain that, every time I picked up another book, I was almost never satisfied.

And even further, I didn't just want a book. I wanted a series. Something else I could look forward to and anticipate in the same way that I did during those early summer months when Deathly Hallows theories were still just that: theories.

Over the past year I had heard a lot about the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and, as usual, I was skeptical. I hadn't fallen in love with a series for a while and didn't want to get sucked into something that I only half enjoyed. (I don't know if you're like me, but once I start a series I almost always HAVE to finish...even if I hate it. It's a weird complex I have) But, after hearing so much about how awesome the books were, both online and from friends, I finally made my way out to Borders and picked up a copy of The Hunger Games. When I placed it on the counter and started digging for my wallet, the cashier picked it up, looked at me and said;

"Oooh! I loved this book! I sat with it one rainy day and, literally, could not put it down!"

It was pretty much like the entire world had some how banded together in order to convince me to read this series...and, without a doubt, the entire world had won.

I loved these books.

For those who haven't heard of Suzanne Collins or The Hunger Games, it is, as I've said, a trilogy. The first book, The Hunger Games, takes place is a sort of post-apocalyptic, dystopian society, Panem, where countries as we know them today, no longer exist. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, knows a world in which twelve remaining "districts" make up human society and, each year, each of those districts is forced to submit two children to an event known as The Hunger Games. During the games, all of the children are placed in a huge arena and forced to battle with one another to the death. The district of the final surviving child recieves immense noteriety, as well as substantial amounts of food and comfort items throughout the rest of the year. Therefore, needless to say, the Hunger Games mean, virtually, everything, to Panem.

The Hunger Games follows Katniss' journey throughout one year of the games and her struggle to maintain her family, friendships and survival in a government and society so corrupt where a tournament such as this would even be allowed to exist.

The following books in the series, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, follow the story of Panem through a revolution that turns society completely upside-down. Suzanne Collins writes in a way that is both incredibly rich and complex, yet easy to read and follow on many levels. Almost anyone, from the the ages of 14 to 90 could fall in love with Katniss, the girl who was on fire.

But this awesome relateability factor that the characters have, combined with all of the aspects of love, friendship, romance, and strength that the series perpetuates is only half of why I love it so much.

The reason I love The Hunger Games so much is because Suzanne Collins has managed to create a world that is entirely new and unique to her readers, yet still captures everything in such detail and style that, while reading, Panem becomes just as real the town you live in, and I think that it's this aspect that many Harry Potter fans crave so badly. When we read Harry Potter, his entire world came to life before our eyes. We wanted to be a part of the Weasley family, felt like we could be friends with Ginny, Hermione, or Neville, and (ADMIT IT) maybe even half-prayed/expected to find an envelope on our doorsteps when we turned eleven...

Like Harry, Katniss lives in a world that is so different, yet so similar to that of our own. We root for her success, get frustrated with her stubborness, and understand how conflicted she always feels. Likewise, when the series ends (no spoilers, I promise!) we are left with such an immense feeling of reality and understanding because, as in real life, not everything turns out perfectly.

Well I think I've excessively raved and rambled enough this week and, I hope (if you haven't already!) that you decide to give The Hunger Games a try! You can find copies of all three books in almost any book store or on Amazon and, if you love what you read, Suzanne Collins has also written a series called, The Underland Chronicles which is definitely worth a read, even though it is for younger audiences. If you want to check out more about Suzanne Collins or The Hunger Games, I'll link her official website here.

Let me know if you've already read The Hunger Games and what you think OR if you are planning on reading it OR if you totally loved it and have some suggestions for future reads because I am always looking for an awesome book :)!

Until next time xx!

Get Ready to Get LOST

Very few things give me the page-turning, brain-busting, stomach all in knots feeling that the Harry Potter series does and, I have to admit, when I heard all of my friends talking about Lost, I couldn't help but be skeptical.

I've never really had an OBSESSION with a television show before; nothing that really kept me clawing at the edge of my seat week after week. So, naturally, it was hard to believe that Lost would be any different.

BUT OH MY GOD WAS I WRONG.

For anyone who doesn't know, Lost, is a series that starts off with a plane crash on an unknown, deserted island (how cliche, I know). The survivors of flight 815 soon learn that they're in for a longer stay than they had imagined and that they may not be the only survivors lurking around...

I think one of the reasons I love Lost so much is because of its evolution. From season one to season six you grow love the characters and become emotionally attached to almost each and every one of their stories and, with so much action going on in the plot itself, I find that pretty darn remarkable. So many shows lose their characters in an attempt to create a thrilling plot and the balance displayed in Lost is one of the many factors that make it, in my opinion, one of the best shows ever to grace a television screen. And also, Sawyer is so hot that he, alone, may even make the show worth watching.

Since the show ended in May, many people have voiced their rage on the internet about how the series finale was a total flop and, of course, every rose has it's thorns. But, in my opinion, the finale remained true to the series and, as a result, Lost became an incredible story about people and the importance of the choices we make and the paths we forge for ourselves throughout life.

After watching only the first four or five episodes, I knew I was hooked. It was one of those things where I'd sit down to watch maybe one or two episodes and, before I knew it, the sky was dark and I had been holed up in my room having an impromptu Lost marathon for the past eight hours. So my disclaimer to you is this: make sure you set aside appropriately sized  chunks of time before turning on your television and NEVER! EVER! start an episode you know you won't be able to finish...you'll just end up skipping whatever doctor's appointment, hot date, or dinner plans you had anyway...it's that kind of good.

Oh! And one more amazing thing about Lost is that you can watch the ENTIRE series on hulu.com which I will link HERE. So now, no one has any excuse NOT to check it out ; )!

I will warn you, I have, in my time since watching Lost made many fanatics out of my friends and families, and that Post-Lost Depression can be just as achy and severe as Post-Potter Depression! If anyone has any suggestions, ideas, OR even a television cure for Post-Lost Depression (for me maybe :) )...I would love to read about it below!

Until next time! xxx

What is Post-Potter Depression?

On July 21, 2007, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was finally released, did you have feelings of excitement, anxiety, and depression?

Was the latter feeling of depression caused by the fact that you could not comprehend the ending of such a huge part of your life?

Do you sometimes feel like you don't know what to read, watch, or do next, now that the Harry Potter series has officially come to a close?

Do you ever worry about where you'll get your next nerdy fix?

WELL SO DO I!

Hi there! My name is Chelsea and basically, I've discovered that while Post-Potter Depression is not curable, there are many suitable treatments. Over the course of the past few years, I have found many books, television shows, movies, etc that have helped me cope with the end of my favorite book series. Throughout this blog series, I will attempt to post an entry at least once a week about something that I've found to give me that "nerdy-fix" we all crave so badly! Hopefully, I'll be able to share some of the things I love with you all, and in return, find a bunch of new things to love from your feedback!

...if anyone reads this. Which I hope you do :)!

Also, I think it is only appropriate that I give credit to one of my favorite Wizard Rockers (more details in an upcoming blog I'm sure!), Lauren Fairweather whose song, "Post-Potter Depression", gave me the idea for the title of this blog. I'll link the song on YouTube here so you can all go check her out; she is one of those people that is truly made out of awesome in my opinion.

Anyway, hopefully introductory blog post has been successfully introductory! This will probably end up being lots of fun, even if I find I'm only talking to myself!

Until next time! xxx