August 2014 – My Geek Wisdom

“Worst. Episode. Ever.”

From: The Simpsons

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Comic Book Guy

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from The Simpsons’ very own Jay Albertson. You may not know him by his birth name but you probably know him better as Comic Book Guy, the overweight proprietor of the Android’s Dungeon comic book store.

The quote originally came from the episode “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show.” As the Itchy & Scratchy showed the episode introducing a new character, Poochie, Comic Book Guy was the first to immediately bash the new character on message boards.

Unfortunately, I can’t find the exact clip on YouTube. However, since the phrase has become Comic Book Guy’s catchphrase, I was able to get this clip…

And, just in case the clip gets yanked off YouTube, here’s a pic of the quote:

Geek wisdom: People have opinions. Some of these opinions will be in direct contrast from your own. You may like a particular television show or episode while the entire world may see things differently and hate it with a passion. These variations can be due to a huge number of reasons.

But it’s not really important to know the reason for these differences. What is important is to know that there are going to be different points of view on the same topic and you’re opinion is as valid as the rest of the world.

“Carpe diem. Sieze the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

From: Dead Poets Society

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: John Keating

The story behind the quote: The world is still reeling from Robin Williams’ passing. So, even though I posted a quote from the man himself, I decided to give another quote from his movies. But, which in itself, I feel has a deeper meaning…

The quote comes from Dead Poets Society. The film is about an unorthodox teacher, John Keating, played by Robin Williams. His teaching style is different from the “standard” way of teaching as, while he was hired to instruct his students about how to read poems and literal works, he tries to teach them how to live life to the fullest.

In a pivotal scene, John Keating holds his class in the halls of the school and has one of the students read the first stanza of “To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick. The then informs the students of the meaning of the poem is “Carpe Diem,” which means “Seize the day.” Keating then elaborates on the deeper meaning of the poem as shown in the clip below.

Geek wisdom: Our time in this world is limited. We all have an expiration date and we will eventually pass from this world. The thing is, we have no idea when our time on this world will end. So, while we’re still alive, we have to live life to the fullest.

“Na-nu, na-nu!”

From: Mork & Mindy

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Mork

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from Mork & Mindy, a sitcom that ran from 1978 to 1982. The show stars the late Robin Williams as Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, sent to Earth to observe human behavior… or so he thought. In fact, Orson, Mork’s superior actually sent him away from Ork as humor is not allowed on the planet. Mork encounters Mindy on the planet and she agrees to shelter the alien during his stay on Earth.

The quote is actually the Orkian way of greeting as well as saying farewell to someone. When it is used to say hello to someone, Orkians will give the quote and extend their hand like an ordinary handshake. But when used to say goodbye to someone, Orkians must twist both earlobes while giving the quote as seen in the intro of the show.

Geek wisdom: No matter the language we use, it’s important to be cordial with each other. A friendly handshake is definitely unmistakable way to extend your intention of friendship with another.

RIP Robin Williams. You will be missed.

“Pop quiz, hot shot…”

From: Speed

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Howard Payne

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from the first Speed film. The film has an interesting premise, to say the least. Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) witnesses a nearby bus explode. He is then contacted by the film’s antagonist, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) who wants revenge on Traven for foiling his last scheme. He informs Traven that he’s equipped a bomb on another bus and that bomb will explode if the vehicle slows down to 50 miles per hour. The race is on for Traven to catch Payne before that could happen.

The quote is actually Payne’s way of taunting Traven. He will deliver the quote and explain the situation afterwards.

Geek wisdom: Life will throw unexpected curve balls at us when we least expect it. Most of the time, we’ll be caught unaware. We have to make incredibly quick choice, even though we have very little data to make an informed decision.

Be ready for the unexpected.

“I Knew I Should’ve Taken That Left Turn At Albuquerque!”

From: Looney Tunes

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Bugs Bunny

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from Bugs Bunny, probably one of the most popular animated characters in the world. His popularity and the longevity of the character has made him the default mascot for Warner Bros animated project.

He may be clever enough to outwit red-haired cowboys, bald hunters with a speech impediment and even alien conquerors from the planet Mars. But Bugs Bunny sure has a bad sense of direction! Whenever he travels to far away locations, he burrows through the earth in a attempt to get to his destination. Unfortunately, he keeps on making the same wrong turn in New Mexico…

Geek wisdom: Have you ever gotten lost or gotten so turned around that you have no idea where you are? Or have you ever gone on a trip and then lost your way? The best thing to do in these situations is to just ask for directions. A lot of times, though, we don’t. We try to figure where we are by backtracking. While this may help out sometimes, we do waste a lot of time doing this.

There’s no shame in asking for help when you get lost. If you’re unsure, stop and ask for directions.