Category: geek life

A nature reserve near Birmingham, which was one of JRR Tolkien’s favourite childhood haunts, will be renamed “The Shire Country Park” in honour of the author.

According to the local authority’s cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture:

“The Shire Country Park will help raise the awareness of Tolkien’s close ties with the city and attract visitors from far and wide, keen to discover the places that were such an important influence on the writer.”

What kind of dork would travel there for something like that? Certainly not me. ;)

Orlando Bloom is the male whose name was most frequently searched for on Google in 2004. And it wasn’t all my doing. I swear!

The Times (UK) also reports:

Bloom’s rise to global stardom is revealed in a study that claims to capture the spirit of the age. However, the Google Zeitgeist report also reveals that despite efforts to promote a more wholesome web, less noble instincts continue to dominate cyberspace.

Must be all that Hobbit slash. ;)

Here are some random URLs for fun. Mostly offensive fun.

This piece from cnn.com answers the musical question and answer, “Bad sex? You’re soaking in it!”

Here, you can experience the classic movie It’s A Wonderful Life being reenacted in thirty seconds by cartoon bunnies. No, really.

And here, Foamy, the extremely foul-mouthed squirrel from the online cartoon series Neurotically Yours, goes off on an extremly foul-mouthed squirrel diatribe about the true meaning of Christmas.

Boromir collecting for Salvation Army. The message on the One Ring reading “Remember to drink your Ovaltine.” Gollum receiving the gift of Hanson. Aragorn asking Santa for Legolas for Christmas. And so many more.

The folks at Something Awful have out done themselves this time.

Jessa suggests they’d make outstanding gift tags. Brilliant!

Thanks to Pablo and Bonnie for the head’s up.

THQ Wireless is teaming up with Lucasfilm to bring Star Wars to cell phones:

Fans worldwide can interact with and personalize their mobile phones with Star Wars-themed mobile games and ringtones such as the Imperial March, one of the most recognizable themes in movie history. In addition, THQ Wireless is expected to offer video clips, screensavers and wallpapers featuring famous characters and images from the Star Wars saga. Now the Force can be with you — literally everywhere.

Do you fancy cross-stitching R2 D2 throw pillows? Ever contemplated knitting Han Solo socks? Or found yourself trying to dry a papier mache Jar Jar Binks pinata in your driveway?

Then SW.com’s new bulletin board is the place for you.

Not sure you’ll be able to get up in time to hit the stores the day after Thanksgiving to buy all the action figures you’ll need for the holidays? Darth Vader can help. (Thanks, Target!)

In a move that is drawing national attention for Target as its gears up for its two-day after-Thanksgiving sale, the Minneapolis-based discounter is offering customers pre-recorded telephone wake-up calls.

Shoppers who want to hit the sale early can register at target.com/wakeup to receive a wake-up call on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. Options include hearing a crowing rooster, crying baby, male heartbreaker, and several celebrities including Ice-T, Cheech Marin, supermodel Heidi Klum and Star Wars bad guy Darth Vader.

I have no intention of getting out of bed before noon that day, but I may have to sign up just to hear what he says…

The Crap Page has a stunningly brilliant use for all those old SW Pez dispensers cluttering up your junk drawer.

Behold the Darth Pez memory stick!