Interesting Article about exciting geek activities abroad.
Europe is poised for a tech boom. Lots of yummy geeks working their tight little Euro asses off to bring us new awesomeness. Reading this got me to thinking about what exactly pops into my head when I think Eurogeek.
Mornings are the worst. The mind seems undefended, easy prey for both memories and imagination. What happened. What should've happened. What might happen someday. Your fault, my fault, no one's fault. The only way to relieve the torment is to get up, empty the bladder, drink the coffee, read the paper, run the treadmill, perform the animal sacrifice, paint the chicken blood on the groin and call upon the demonic spirits to bring you back.
Nights are bad too. Once again, exhaustion makes the mind vulnerable to obsessing over woulda, shoulda, coulda. The only thing to do is sit alone and eat the chicken which was senselessly murdered in the morning.
1st Aired: 18 November 2010
When I'm not working on The Big Bang Theory, I work on other TV shows. One of those shows gets a lot of bad press. Sometimes, when I read the very unkind things written about that show, I'll remember the words of a sleazy music manager I was briefly associated with back in my rock 'n' roll days. The guy was right out of central casting. Bald, middle-aged, pot-bellied and sucking on a cheap cigar, he would sit behind his metal desk in his ratty little office and pontificate to dumbass musicians hungry for career guidance. One of his speeches has remained vivid in my memory for thirty-five years. He said, to a soon-to- be-nonexistent, dumbass power trio I was then a part of, "Boyz, if halfs da peoples loves ya, and halfs da peoples hates ya, you're a star!" At the time I had no idea what he was talking about. It wasn't until fifteen years later when I was writing for a TV show called Roseanne that I figured it out. I was once again reminded of all this when the star of the show I was talking about earlier came out for a curtain call in front of a packed studio audience. They went wild with applause. I looked at the man taking the bow and thought, "there is a big star." Then I looked up at the screaming, cheering audience and thought, "there are halfs da peoples.""
1st Aired: 11 November 2010
Following Kaley Cuoco's horseback riding injury, I've instituted new rules governing acceptable leisure activities for the cast of The Big Bang Theory.
1. No friggin' horses. This includes those found on merry-go-rounds and in front of supermarkets.
2. The only motorcycle you can get on is the one you're accidentally crushing in your big-ass, air-bagged SUV.
3. All cast member motor vehicles must adhere to U.S. Army guidelines for attacking Kandahar. (Galecki's Tesla is a terrifically fuel efficient vehicle but is essentially a hundred thousand dollar go-cart. From now on it is only to be used for backing down his driveway and retrieving mail.)
4. The only permissible boating activity at Comic-Con is in your hotel room bathtub.
5. Alcohol should only be ingested at home, and while seated in a big comfy chair. Wild and carefree dancing that celebrates your incredible and well-deserved success is only allowed on New Year's Eve, and only with a sober celebrity parasitic flunky to lean on.
6. And finally, sexual acts must be performed while horizontal. Certain high-risk Kama Sutra positions might be allowed, but only after consultation with Chuck Lorre. Like with dancing, a spotter might be required.
1st Aired: 4 November 2010
climate for a much colder one. Upon entering Hogsmeade, the first thing you’ll notice, aside from the snowy rooftops, is the Hogwarts Express. The first thought that comes to mind is: ‘when do we leave?’ But wait, there’s a lot to see before stepping foot on Hogwarts grounds, so let’s take a second to look around all the places in Hogsmeade that we fell in love with in the books and movies. 
The first shop that you’ll come to is Zonko’s Joke Shop, which brings to mind the loveable Fred and George Weasley. When you enter the shop, true to the books and movies, toys and novelty items are stacked from floor to ceiling. Zonko’s offers everything from Extendable Ears and pygmy puffs to Jacob’s Ladders and novelty hats. And for the more tame person in your life, there are simple, black coffee mugs with ‘Zonko’s’ running down the side of the mug. And the look of the store isn’t the only thing that is brought to life, but looking around, you can’t help but notice all the wizards ready to help you with your shopping needs. The costumes are authentic and really help to bring to life Harry’s world. One very cool thing about Zonko’s is the purchasing of a pygmy puff. How is that cool? Before they will let you leave with your brand new ‘pet,’ you have to give it a name, and then, the wizard ringing up your purchase will announce to both shops that (insert pygmy puff’s name) has found a new home. They really make it a special experience! If you can tear yourself away from Zonko’s long enough, you’ll notice that the joke shop is connected with everyone’s favorite candy store: Honeydukes. In here, you will find anything and everything to satisfy your sweet tooth, and yes, that includes chocolate frogs! Honeydukes also offers up cauldron cakes, chocolate wands, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and Pumpkin Juice. And for the muggles that are unsure of these sweets, there are also treats that you can find in your local candy shop, or grocery store; lollipops, fudge, rock candy, and many other favorites.
Now, it’s on to Hogwarts. And there are no disappointments here! The castle itself is beautiful. Being from Florida, and having driven past it a number of times before actually going, I’ve been able to appreciate the beauty from afar, but to actually step foot on the grounds of a castle that we’ve all at least heard about was seriously an amazing experience. The queue to get there takes you through Herbology, and gives you a chance to see the Mandrake root. Thankfully these weren’t screaming, but it was a really awesome detail they added. And it’s the details that really make the Wizarding World come to life. If the walk through Hogsmeade somehow didn’t manage to impress you (which, might I add, is pretty impossible), then Hogwarts will definitely do it. The counters for each of the houses to determine who wins house cup is really very beautiful. And of course, Gryffindor and Slytherin are the houses in the lead, with Gryffindor having a slight edge. While there’s obviously no way Islands of Adventure has enough room to fully have every detail of the castle in place (ie: the moving staircases, and the separate entrances for each house), it does give you a good taste of what we’ve seen in the castle. They have tons of pictures on the walls; moving and still, and they did add in a small set of stairs that could easily be connected to a moving staircase. There is also a common area for Gryffindor, and again, you almost feel like you’re going to run into the trio, or even the prankster Weasley boys. One really awesome part was being able to go inside Dumbledore’s office. There really is no detail left out here. Well, the only thing that I don’t remember seeing that I thought would be cool to see was Fawkes (though you can buy a stuffed toy version of Fawkes). They even have a video image of Dumbledore set up on a see through screen that greets you. And they have it set up to where, unless you try and take a picture of him, you really feel like Dumbledore is in the office with you. The next room you’ll come to is the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Here, you’ll finally get your chance to see the trio; just the same way you get to see Dumbledore.
As everyone knows, Ollivander’s is where everyone gets their wand; well, where all the wands pick their owners. The line was pretty long, as there are only so many people who can go in at a time, due to the size of the shop, as well as the fact that a show is going on inside. Again, it’s one of those things we passed up, but will catch next time. But, from what we understood, one person is picked out of the crowd to experience what Harry went through when he got his wand. From there, the ‘show’ empties into the Owlery, which you can also go into without having to go through Ollivander’s. The Owlery is connected to Dervish and Banges, both of which offer up quite an assortment of merchandise. The Owlery carries a selection of wands, as well as a variety of stationary and journals. In Dervish and Banges, you can buy a robe for your particular house, the Monster Book of Monsters, a Quibbler, a Triwizard tournament cup, as well as a shirt to represent your house. Oh, and I can’t forget brooms; Dervish and Banges is your shop for your broom needs. In fact, when you look up, you’ll notice three different broom models connected to posts to keep them from flying around the shop.
