Wondering what to get the geek who has everything for Valentine’s Day? Then check out this list of local businesses that have plenty of great gift ideas to ensure that your boo has an unforgettable holiday.

Shanghai Bazaar (1016 Race Street): There’s a variety of great places to get gifts in Chinatown, but none are geekier than the Shanghai Bazaar.

Looking for foreign language versions of the Harry Potter books, Ultraman merchandise, import DVD box sets of your favorite obscure anime shows or terrific (and somewhat copyright-infringing) paper lanterns? The Bazaar has got you covered. One warning though: be prepared to set aside at least an hour and a half to explore the store’s two floors of wonders.

Brave New Worlds (45 N. 2nd Street): Comics. Graphic Novels. Action Figures. Collectibles. You name it, and Brave New Worlds has it. From the friendly and knowledgeable employees to the always great music playing, this is hands down the coolest comic store in Center City.

In terms of specific gift ideas, you can’t really go wrong with the Ugly dolls or local indie comics, like Box Brown’s insightful “Everything Dies” or the Phillies-themed Dugout Phunnies. It’s also the best place to get a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift without having your partner find out you waited until the last minute. That kind of thing usually puts a crimp on the holiday’s nocturnal activities.

Philly AIDS Thrift (710 S. 5th St):  During a recent visit to the Philly AIDS Thrift store I purchased the following items: a Hamlet 2 “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” air freshener, a stack of 1970s comics, a Fantastic Four paperback storybook from 1968 and the DVD Sesame Street’s 25th Anniversary: A Musical Celebration. It should be noted that none of these items were individually priced at more than $1.99 each.

As great as the cool crap I bought is, what’s even better is that the money I spent goes directly to help local organizations involved in fighting HIV/AIDS. There’s plenty of other nerdcentric items available there (vintage Star Wars figures, board games, laserdiscs, records, etc.) as well as the requisite books, clothing and homewares that make thrift stores in general a rewarding shopping experience. Simply put, if you can’t find a cool gift here for the person you are dating, you probably should reconsider your relationship. Tough talk to be sure, but have you seen the neat stuff this place has?

It’s also worth nothing that the Philly AIDS Thrift store will be holding a special sale on Valentine’s Day in which every item that is either red or pink is 50% off for the day. Yet another reason to check the shop out.

The Mütter Museum Gift Shop (19 S. 22nd Street): The retail offshoot of Philly’s favorite freaky museum offers up a variety of offbeat — if not downright macabre — gift ideas that will definitely make an impact on your geeky sweetheart. Where else can you buy your significant other a plush replica of a flesh-eating virus microbe ($8.95) or a miniature doppelganger of the Soap Lady ($7.00) that you can wash your hands with?

There’s even a Mütter Museum-themed perfume available ($25.00) which claims to be “a mélange of balsams, leathers, and raw vanilla designed to evoke images of unearthed secrets and dusty, ancient libraries.” (Funny, I would have guessed that is smells like nausea and existential despair…with just a hint of honey). Those looking for less sensationalistic gifts will be pleased to learn that the shop also peddles DVDs and stunning photography books of the Museum’s curiosities.

Of course, giving your lover a Valentine’s Day gift from the museum equivalent of In Search Of… is a dicey prospect to say the least. But let’s face it, if your boyfriend or girlfriend is into this stuff they’re a keeper for sure.

In Philadelphia, we have the cheesesteak. I have personally seen people argue about where to get the best cheesesteak and how it should be made (wit? onions?) for hours at a time. In Chicago it is deep dish pizza. In the south it’s barbeque. Every area has that one food that is distinctly theirs and theirs alone. And in Sweden it is the semlor.

Originally a pre-Lent dessert, it has since become a treat you can enjoy in Sweden all year long. For those that don’t know, a semlor is a puff pastry filled with almond paste and whipped cream, served alongside strong coffee. Swedes have been know to compete to see who can make the best semlor and take part is surveys to find the best in town.

Now you can find out what all the fuss is about as the American Swedish Historical Museum presents Selmor and a Movie on Saturday, February 18th. For $12 in advance or $15 at the door you can enjoy some fresh made selmor and coffee and watch a movie at the same time. Not a bad deal at all.

The American Swedish Historical Museum is located at 1900 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia and they ask that you RSVP by February 13th. So put down your bagel or cheesesteak and go try something new. You might find that you have a new favorite dessert before the night is over.

The American Swedish Historical Museum
www.americanswedish.org

When doing pre-production on a film, one of the most important things to do before your cameras start to roll is the script read through.  The read through is a great way to not only let the actors practice their parts and get a feel for their characters; but it also gives the director and writer a chance to see if the dialogue works and feels natural.

The Dysfunctional Screenwriters Society, a screenwriting/networking group in Philadelphia is holding an event called “The Big A** Read Through” at The Free Library of Philadelphia on February 22 from 6-9pm. The event will take scripts submitted by local screenwriters and pick 4 to have read aloud by local actors. There will also be a seminar by Adam Lebovitz speaking about the pre-production process and his experience in the film industry.

So check out their official website to submit your 10-30 page script to try and get it read at the event.

Don’t talk about “Puck Man’

Geeks and Valentines Day are two things that have never really gone together in most peoples’ eyes, kind of like geeks and anything that has to do with an athletic activity. But the truth is that a lot of us do date.

But what if you are in the extremely rare situation of dating a non-geek? What if the person you are going to spend Valentines Day with doesn’t know the X-Men from Mad Men? What if they couldn’t tell you the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek, neither of which they have seen because they just don’t “get it”?

This was the very situation I found myself in when I began dating the woman who would eventually become my wife. She is about as much of a non-geek as I am a geek, which if you have read my writing on Geekadelphia should tell you something.

I thought that with Valentines Day upon us I would share a few tips if you happen to find yourself dating a non-geek.

Your personal soundtrack t-shirt is a no go.

Tip 1: No ‘Geek Articles of Clothing

Yes, I know you are very proud of your Think Geek t-shirt collection and your G.I. Joe Destro tie and your Nintendo controller belt buckle. But Valentines Day is not the time for it. Leave that stuff in the closet and dress like you have no idea how many Gears of War games have been released. Continue Reading…

Mercury Radio Theater (Jo chatted with them back in September) has put together an exciting murder mystery themed event entitled The Death of Mercury Radio Theater, taking place this weekend at Johnny Brenda’s.

Mercury’s most recently released album Kilroy was the final in their LP “Monster Series” installments. Now with The Death of Mercury Radio Theater, the band will kill off their longest running characters, with the only hope of finding the murderous culprit will be left in the hands of the audience.

Mercury will have a number of special guest musicians on hand to help properly eulogize the recently deceased as well as music acts Gringo Hotel and Cape Wrath. Clue themed burlesque interludes will be performed by D20 Burlesque troupe.

Be sure to join Mercury Radio Theater for this eclectic event that will sure to be a feast for the ears, mind and eyes. Help solve the mystery Saturday February 11th starting at 8pm. This is a 21+ over event so remember your ID along with your Sherlock Holmes cap!

Check out the Facebook Event Page here.

The Death of Mercury Theater Radio
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
www.facebook.com/events/ 271382389587485

Johnny Brenda’s
1201 Frankford Avenue (19125)
(215) 739-9684
www.johnnybrendas.com

The 16th annual Israeli Film Festival is back, showcasing Israeli life and culture from February 25th through April 1st.

With screenings of 9 films in venues throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, the six-week Festival features prize-winning films exclusively by Israeli filmmakers. The Festival celebrates Israeli cinema with the aim of enriching the American vision of Israeli culture and society through film.

For a list of the films playing and advanced ticket sales check out their website at www.iffphila.com. A limited number of free tickets for high school and college students are available for each screening and can be reserved online as well.

The 16th Annual Israeli Film Festival
February 25th – April 1st, 2012
www.iffphila.com

If you’re a genre fan in Philadelphia, there are two events that have become mandatory throughout the year. The first being Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horror-thon and the second being Exhumed Films eX-Fest; now in its second year.

I attended last year’s eX-Fest, which was 12 hours of some really rare and amazing exploitation from almost every sub-genre you could possible think of… and a few I never even imagined.

Well, tickets just went on sale last week for this year’s iteration of eX-Fest and I can’t wait to see what the guys at Exhumed Films have in store for us. eX-Fest will take place at the iHouse on Sunday, April 29th from 11:00am until 11:00pm and tickets are a mere $25 for 12 hours films all projected in 35mm.

My only suggestion is if you are thinking about going, getting your tickets sooner than later. It seems like as word continues to spread about Exhumed these events they tend to sell out quicker and quicker. Get your tickets here, while they last!

Today we talk to Cory Anotado, a good friend of mine and a graduate of La Salle University’s Digital Art and Multimedia Design program. Sadly, since we did this interview, he’s moved down to Baltimore to be an Interactive Production Developer at GKV Communications. However, we’re being nice and posting it anyway.

Of all the geeks I know, Cory is hands-down the biggest game geek, and I’m not talking video games.

How did you get into loving game shows so much?

I blame my grandmother for keeping the TV on while she watched me when I was a kid. Family Feud was at 10, and then the Price is Right was at 11. Various cable game shows, like Press Your Luck, Debt and some USA originals were in the afternoon. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune came on at 7. I suppose saturation breeds obsession.

Tell me about your favorite game show and why.

Narrowing my favorite game show down to one is an oft-requested, futile task. If it’s based on current consumption, then it would be the British game show QI: Quite Interesting. It’s a panel show flanked at the help by Stephen Fry. They ask seemingly simple questions like, “Who was the first President of the United States? And give the seemingly complex (and quite interesting) answer of “Peyton Randolph.” Other shows I enjoy are Pointless (a British game show best described as ‘Backwards Family Feud’), Jeopardy!, Press Your Luck and Family Feud.

Continue Reading…

Philadelphia’s very own Red Tettemer + Partners, still hot on the heels with being the first Philly ad agency to create a Super Bowl ad, has just cooked up something sweet for The Melting Pot this Valentine’s Day.

They’ve created a simple app for the chain of restaurants called Cupid’s Fondue Forks for a contest running through February 17th. It’s accessible from the Melting Pot’s Facebook page.

Basically, like the Melting Pot on Facebook, enter the app and launch a fork at someone you’ve got your sights set on. Flinging that fork enters you a chance at winning one of 10 $100 gift cards. Ten randomly-selected winners will be announced on February 21st.

Good luck!

The Melting Pot Restaurants on Facebook

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We could spend hours unexpectedly discussing Star Trek; from the good, the bad and to the ugly, error-riddled decision making of Captain Janeway. Why not join a crew of Trekkies at the regular Philadelphia Star Trek meetups?

The next meetup is happening at 2pm on Sunday, February 12th at the hackerspace Hive76. From what we’re told, attendees will be watching back-to-back episodes of The Original Series and The Next Generation. Rounding out the afternoon will be a co-operative starship bridge simulation using Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulation with a Star Trek mod on top.

The folks at Hive76 tell us it’s essentially a live-action roleplaying game aided by computers, and they’re seeking to complete their bridge crew with an engineering and science officers. Do you have what it takes to be Spock of Scotty?

Philadelphia Star Trek February Meetup
2pm @ Hive76
915 Spring Garden St. Suite 519
Philadelphia, PA 19123

If you grew up during the ’80s and early ’90s (you know — before it was cool to be a geek), you probably remember hearing that video games (and rap, and metal, and Dungeons & Dragons) were all tools of the devil. But what if there were some truth to those rumors? What if those old school cartridge games really were, literally, portals to hell, capable of unleashing a zombie apocalypse? Then you might end up with something like Underbelly’s upcoming comic Nerds Girls Guns & Ghouls, described as “Retro gaming meets the grindhouse” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. Evil Dead.”

Underbelly, for readers who don’t know, is a South Jersey-based review and skit comedy crew who draw their inspiration from video games, comic books, the Internet and all aspects of geek culture. Underbelly has enjoyed huge success, garnering over 25,000 YouTube subscribers, a legion of Facebook fans and weekly video posts that have accumulated over 1.3 million total views. Sounds like Underbelly’s onto something here — and what better to celebrate than with a comic book?

Nerds Girls Guns & Ghouls is an homage to the geek culture Underbelly loves: Despite rumors that an old ’80s game, Castle Quest, has the ability to open a portal to hell, the Underbelly team plays the cartridge they mysteriously receive in the mail, unleashing a zombie apocalypse that can be stopped only with guns and scantily-clad women. (Don’t worry, ladies; this is a “wink, wink, nudge, nudge” kind of deal. I think.) With punchy dialogue and gorgeous artwork — a mix of standard comic art, manga and 8 bit graphics — Nerds Girls Guns & Ghouls looks to be a blast. Unholy video games and geeks with shotguns slaying zombies — what more could you want?

To scope out some of the artwork, visit the comic’s official Facebook page. We can’t wait to get our hands on this!

(via someecards)

Not a fan of Valentine’s Day? You aren’t alone. First Person Arts could live without it too, and they want you to share in their collective disapproval at next week’s storyslam.

The Ex-Files, an annual First Person Arts Valentine’s Day tradition, hits World Cafe Live on Tuesday, February 14th. Ten storytellers will take to the World Cafe stage to share their true tales of love lost. Ranging from “the sweet to the sad, the hilarious to the ridiculous, it’s an unconventional night out on the most romantic day of the year.”

This particular Storyslam sold out last year, so you may want to get your tickets ahead of time. They’re only $10 for non-members, $8 for members of First Person Arts.

For more information, visit First Person Arts’ official website.

First Person Arts StorySlam: The Ex-Files
Tuesday, February 14th, 7:30pm, $10

World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
www.worldcafelive.com

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