More Nerd News in Brief

For some reason, the onset of springtime always gets me down.

Is it that I abhor the dawning of new life as the world around me opens up and is reborn? Nah.

Some kind of weird, off-brand equivalent of seasonal affective disorder? Nope.

It's the yard work. I seem to have an adversarial relationship with my lawn. We just don't jive. I'm not the outdoorsy type, even when it comes to planting/watering/weeding/spraying/mowing. It's just not my kind of thing.

I'd much rather be indoors, pouring up a hot cup of Nerd News in Brief.

• Welcome to the House of Nerd: Got a Flickr account? Looking to show off some pix you took at that Frontalot show you attended? Well, my pal Denika's got your hookup. She's recently started a Flickr group called The House of Nerd, a quiet, friendly little place to go and get your photog on with other likeminded individuals.
• Back to the front: MC and Northwest Nerdcore cofounder TG 2005 recently told the community that he may soon be re-enlisting in the Army. TG, whose previous tour of duty was cut short, simply explained that he felt he had an obligation to fulfill, and he saw this as a chance to finish what he started. Politics aside (and I imagine that most of you are full aware of my political slant), I wish TG the best, and I hope that you'll all keep him in your thoughts. He's a bro.
• Hope Rides East: Mega Man-centric game rockers The Protomen are once again taking the fight to Dr. Wily. Hope Rides East tour dates include: March 30 Nashville, TN @The Basement; March 31 Columbus, OH @Columbus Airport Marriott; April 5 Knoxville, TN @The Pilot Light; April 6 VA @TBA ; April 7 Baltimore, MD @Lo-Fi Social Club; April 8 Washington, DC @Red and Black Bar; April 9 NYC @Knitting Factory; April 10 Boston, MA @P.A.'s Lounge; April 11 Philadelphia, PA @The Khyber; and April 13 Franklin, TN @Cool Springs Conference Center. If you can help out with the April 6 date in VA, please hit up the fellows at their site.
• One hand washes the other: As my pal Glenn has already astutely pointed out, we currently appear no closer to securing a nerdcore MySpace music genre than we did when the campaign kicked off in January. With this in mind, ChurchHatesTucker has concocted a scheme that may help out. Currently, the Wizard Rock community is having an equally difficult time securing recognition for their own genre. Church has suggested that if, in addition to campaigning for our own recognition, the nerdcore community also aids in the effort to promote a Wizard Rock genre and vice versa, both groups could effectively double their effort. What say you all?
• Death and mild irritation: Church also hipped me to this Denver Westword article about Ben Schulz, the man behind Internet celebrity and WoW screw-up Leeroy Jenkins. It's an interesting read.
• SWAG: Lastly, I just received a nice little parcel from girly-punkers/Wizard Rockers Switchblade Kittens. Said package contained a copy of their most recent release The Weird Sisters, a copy of their press kit bio, and a tiny stuffed bear wearing a snuggly sweater. The CD itself is actually quite good – you can be damned sure you’ll be hearing some tracks from it on forthcoming podcasts – but I have yet to figure out the bear. I mean, it’s not a kitten, and it doesn’t appear to contain any switchblades. Still, it was awful nice of the gals (and guy) to hook me up, and I genuinely appreciate it.