About the Blurgh

Reading is a right important skill to have when you're traversing the 'verse.

These days there are fewer and fewer geeklings able to fall in love with reading due to a distinct lack of books. With this sad state of things in mind, we've decided that our $1,000 charity for May will be Kids Need To Read, a charity backed by (Cap'n) Nathan Fillion and the Browncoats.

Specifically, we're donating $1,000 worth of shiny things for the Geek Prom which is hosted at Phoenix Comicon at the end of May. The proceeds from this geeky get together will all go to Kids Need To Read. So not only will geeks be able to get all fancied up in their foofaraw and kick up their heels, their contributions will be putting books into the hands of the next generation.

That's our kind of party.

It's safe to say that we're honored to be able to contribute to such an event, even if we can't be there due to the whole distance thing.

If you too can't make it to the shindig, but you still feel the spirit move you, feel free to get dressed up in your foofaraw anyway and donate directly to Kids Need To Read. Every little bit helps, after all!

Stay savvy everyone, and have fun at Geek Prom for us!

Looks like this geekling is being raised right!

It's time to announce the winner of our GeekMom $1,000 Shopping Spree!

This Mother's Day, we partnered with GeekMom to put together a $1,000 ThinkGeek Shopping spree and prize pack for the most deserving mother we could find.

We've found her.

It wasn't an easy decision to make. We received over 500 entries, each of them a heartwarming homage to an amazing geeky mother, and every single one deserved to win. In the end, we picked a random Mom from the top pool of essays.

Our Grand Prize Winner: Deborah H. and her sons Colin and Casey.

Here's an excerpt of Colin's essay:

My name is Colin, and my mother, Deborah H., is my biggest inspiration in life. She is a huge geek, just like me. We have always been a tight family--just me, mom and dad, and my brother, Casey. Casey has autism.

When I learned that Casey had autism (I was around 4 or 5), I thought that there was something "wrong" with him. Casey doesn't always do too well in social situations, and his brain works differently than that of a normal person (a concept that has always fascinated me). Little did I know, he would make me become a better person. Casey has taught me to appreciate people for their differences, to triumph in the face of adversity, to pursue the impossible, all with an unrelenting passion. I would not be the person I am now if it were not for Casey. Furthermore, through all the struggles of raising an autistic child, my mom maintained her compassion and vigor for life. She has always been understanding of his needs, while making sure I understood exactly why my brother was who he was.

--Colin H., on his GeekMom

Read the whole essay along with the essays for our five honorable mention winners on our GeekMom Contest Page.

We can't let the story sharing end with our winners, however. There were too many great entries.

Here are some of our favorites from the top pool of essays that didn't make it to the winner's circle:

Joi's GeekMom - Science!:

I was homeschooled since the schools in our town weren't academically rigorous. My mom didn't want me to miss out on science lab opportunities, so she found a supply company and bought a wide range of animals for me to dissect. We dissected earthworms, starfish, fish, clams, frogs, and fetal pigs. She even let me order a sheep's brain as a special treat!

And really, what better measure is there of a geek mom than one who will give you real brains to play with?

Brady's GeekMom - Compassionate, yet battle-ready:

Mom.

To me my mom is the one that nudges me in the direction that will help me most in my future. The one that shows me all the corny YouTube videos and explains all the jokes that I don't understand. In Olympus she would be the Hera the god of family. Every day the first thing she does when she gets home is dishes or dinner. She is the greatest writer in the galaxy and when I show her this on mothers day she will probably find a grammar error or fragment sentence.

She is the one that helps me when I'm in a rut. Introduced me to loving such a website like ThinkGeek and the April Fools jokes you play on my family every year. She also introduced me to her dangerous friends that taught me how to throw knifes, tomahawks and punch. She is the extension of my life and has introduced me to my future. She loves everyone with all her heart and can make friends with anyone. She deserves this prize and likely deserves every other prize that would include a mom-like figure she is ...

My mom.

Anonymous GeekMom's wife - All out of bubblegum:

Our gadget loving, high heeled mother of invention leaves her BFF's slack jawed, twitchy-eyed and reaching for the bottle with her details of the latest app or Sci-fi movie.

While she's no domestic goddess with a needle and thread, she creates highly detailed Halloween masterpieces like giant microbes, robots or mini-figures with re-purposed Styrofoam, Gorilla Tape and a staple gun.

A 3 time Lego League coach, she proudly led our son's team to the title of 'Most Explosive" two years in a row.

A Graphic Design Web Queen For Hire, she spends her days lording over websites and social realms and her evenings as homework director and culinary scientist.

Did I mention this GeekMom also loves fast cars, power tools, District 12, caffeine, and of course...bacon?

So many awesome GeekMom essays, so little time. If you'd like to hear more stories, or better yet, contribute one of your own, leave us a comment!

Also, if you've been a bit of a slacker and still need to find a little extra something for your GeekMom, we'd like to point you here. It may be too late to ship Mother's Day gifts, but a gift certificate is the next best thing!

Happy Mother's Day, Geeks! Thanks for making us smile, nod, and shed a tear or two.

Have you had a hard work week? Been so busy that you've not been able to keep up with your social networks? Are you bemoaning missing all of the witty and amusing links that we share? Well have no fear! This blog post is here!

This weeks links from the Twitter, Google+, and Facebook 'verse:

This lion is really, really ready for lunch. Too bad the buffet is behind glass. (YouTube)

LEGO wigs don't need hairspray. BONUS: You can wear minifigs as hats. (Twitpic)

So busted! What was making that noise outside. (Warning: PG-13 but mostly SFW.) (YouTube)

Doctor Who theme played on 8 floppy drives. (Floppies are cool.) (YouTube)

Hulk doesn't disappoint. RT @SteveNiles: What If The Male Avengers Posed Like The Female One? (TwitPic)

And now, Yoda yodeling. Broke our brains you did, @pibennett. (YouTube)

Robert Downey Jr is an excellent math teacher. (TwitPic)

Here's hoping your commute was as lovely as this symphonic Copenhagen flashmob. (YouTube)

Here's an amazing image: Earth's water visualized in volume compared to rest of the planet. (TwitPic)

Dalek impersonator on Britain's Got Talent did NOT exterminate the competition. Sorry, @DalekThay. (YouTube)

Got a tiled drop ceiling? You need a Periodic Ceiling of Elements. Creative teachers ftw. (TwitPic)

What to do when you encounter a T-rex, as demonstrated by little Zack. <3 (YouTube)

And now, Daleks getting on a bus. (My Vintage London Tumblr)

For your recommended daily allowance of cute, introduce Dickens the dog to a tiny fawn. (YouTube)

After the delivery of a certain Handheld Portal Device, productivity at TG HQ has, um, declined. (TwitPic)

Fractals. It's what's for breakfast. (TwitPic)

The threat of zombies is real! Here's one now, adorably trying to eat an ice cream cone. (YouTube)

The best acoustic trio playing the Super Mario 3 medley while wearing paper masks you'll see all day. (YouTube)

We need some slightly mysterious help. Anyone out there have a contact at Segway or have a Segway on hand they'd be willing to contribute to a larger purpose? Any recommendations or sources would be appreciated. (YouTube)

The Birth of the Black Widow as if by Botticelli (Totino Tedesco Blogspot)

Good news, everyone! I'm about to break your brain. (Know Your Meme)

Just a little reminder that you are made of star-stuff. (Buzzfeed)

Friends at last. (Imgur)

Signal boost! Here are some links from our Twitter, Google+, and Facebook friends that might be interesting to look at:

mrsgneissgirl: @thinkgeek Im helping a STEM org. that wants to hold Aviation classes 4 kids. Donations help. Pls Rt? (Learn To Discover)

Join us again next week for another edition of "What ThinkGeek Shared!", same geek time, same geek channel!

Timmy has taken to making pin-angels in his spare time.

You've been getting something extra in your ThinkGeek orders since Monday May 7th.

No, it's not poo.

Geek Pride Day (and Towel day) will happen on May 25th. In anticipation of these holidays, we decided to have some Geek Pride pins made with very familiar fonts, so that our Smart Masses can let their geek flags fly and proudly support their inner nerd. The only problem? We ordered too many. So to keep Timmy from hoarding them all, we're going to be including a pin in each and every ThinkGeek order until there are no more pins left to give.

But wait! There's more!

You must wear this pin.

We're plotting a Geek Pride Day contest that may involve pictures of geeks with their pins and/or towels. So pull that thing out of the box and pin it somewhere creative. The more interesting your picture is, the more likely we'll remember you. (Even though the winner will totally be chosen completely at random.)

You've got your mission, Smart Masses. We'll see you on May 25th.

It's time for some new chest armor.

With the warm months coming and the sun shining down on us all, we've begun to realize that our comfy t-shirts are looking faded and worn. Yours probably are too, after the long and balmy winter.

For a limited time, we're offering a deal; Buy one t-shirt, and get the second one 50% off. Just in time for the summer armor upgrade.

The details:This offer applies to t-shirts and t-shirts only. Non-t-shirt stuff like hoodies, work shirts, polos, interactive shirts, chain mail and satellites are excluded. This t-shirt deal may not be combined with other offers and may disappear when the overlords see fit.

So get that shirt you've been staring at, and grab one for your Mother-unit while you're at it! Mother's Day is on the horizon, after all.

We are so glad this picture exists.

The usual channels of "interesting" on the internet were kind of quiet this week, but we made up for it by going on outings ourselves and finding awesome cosplay photos. Like we do. Enjoy!

Links from the Twitter, Google+, and Facebook 'verse:

Step 1: Google "zerg rush" Step 2: Enjoy. (Google)

I am... BAT-STACHE!!! (Imgur)

Rock out to the metal Doctor Who theme while we wait for Twitter to uncache our 499,916 follower count. \m/ (YouTube)

Timey-wimey: Amazing Clockwork Droid cosplay (Clara Kim's SmugMug)

Doctor Whoof (Fashinably Geek)

Dalek vs MIT (Hacks.MIT)

ThinkGeek Behind the Scenes fact #501: That's no 'shopped Death Star basketball! It's for realsies! (TwitPic)

Insert police Force joke here: "Obiwan Kenobi arrested in connection to Roseville hit, run" (News10)

This is just awesome. DuckTales, the rock version, ooo-oooo. Thx, @thehumantim! (YouTube)

Snacktime!! Adorable bento featuring Eeyore, TMNT, Hello Kitty, Harry Potter & more, by @TorreyBell (LunchboxAwesome Tumblr)

Don't text & drive. It's dangerous... & funny if you *make* people text during a driving test. (YouTube)

We saw a TARDIS bot, threw diarrhea & food poisoning, & got mauled at the freebie table. Ah, high school. <3 (YouTube)

This isn't going to make sense--just let Balki take you on a journey. #nothingsgonnastopmenow. (nothingsgonnastopmenow)

Still Alive played by a reprogrammed gym computer because of reasons. GLaDOS would approve. (YouTube)

Click here to make everything okay. Remember to check system requirements. (make-everything-ok)

Great photo of Enterprise flying over NYC today! (Sorry, couldn't resist. Here are 25 actual photographs of the shuttle Enterprise's trip: Enterprise over NYC! Breathtaking.) (Google+/Buzzfeed)

In case you've been living under a rock or a facehugger the last few weeks, Ridley Scott's Alien prequel, Prometheus, hits theaters June 1. This new trailer is just a little intense. (YouTube)

On draught from George R.R. Martin Brewery (The Drunken Moogle)

Sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin' heads: CHECK. (Wired

Best door sign ever? (Imgur)

Signal boost! Here are some links from our Twitter, Google+, and Facebook friends that might be interesting to look at:

Surviving the fire: Help a family recover from a devastating housefire. (Jamie Chambers)

Geek a Week Video Game edition! OoOooo! (Kickstarter)

Geek Facts and Knowledge Nuggets! How fascinating. (Facebook)

National Wear Your Apron as a Cape day 2012 is Nigh! (Facebook)

Now. Back to the three-dimensional world. Brace yourselves though, the transition can cause dizziness.

Evil Mastermind.

It's time for another episode of ThinkGeek Lairs!

We've already walked you through Carrie's office and Christian's office. This time, we're taking you into the office of our GeekLabs mastermind, Ty. He's the voice of My First Bacon, the bringer of gadgets and gizmos, the ambassador of all things geeky...and the collector of tons of neat stuff that he leaves just laying around his office for anyone to take photographs of.

Please. Follow us. We promise that no harm will come to your psyche.

As is only appropriate for a mastermind's lair, there is a guardian by the door to protect the top-secret contents within. With a lightsaber. (He's also about two feet tall. Your knees will feel his wrath.)

The fact that the Millenium Falcon is chasing a Tie Fighter just below the ceiling should surprise no one.

Giant Sackboy. Leather couch. A great place to kick back and ponder world domination.

He even has Mazinger Z to do his bidding!

He assures us that this airsoft weapon will only be aimed at paper targets. We are still wary.

After all, look what has become of his target! Please be aware that this target is taped to a cardboard box and that the airsoft pellets have exited the back side of the box and tend to fall behind the book case.

A closer look at his books, because books are important. Ooh, Battle Angel Alita!

Further down on the bookshelf, we spotted this little gem. Urge to press buttons...rising.

Mario is armed. So is Mickey (check out the lightsaber hilt in his hand!). We suspect that Ty may be attempting to create a tiny, vinyl army.

In the corner, Ty has a curio case full of wonders. The top shelf is home to Kaneda and Tetsuo.

On the bottom shelf of the curio cabinet, a glimpse of the soft side of Ty. Adorably chibi Indiana Jones figures. Awww!

Those are all of the pictures that we could snap while Ty was away from his lair. There are more things that we could not capture on film. Half constructed robotic arms. Abandoned droids leaning against walls. Piles of helicopters and mecha. Perhaps next time we will manage to snap photos of these and escape with our lives. However for now, this will have to do.

P.S. Let us know if there are any other bits of ThinkGeek HQ that you'd like to see photographed! We've got more offices lined up, but if you REALLY want to see the interior of our fridges, we can accommodate you. Just don't ask to see the bathrooms. Seriously. They're just bathrooms.

Star Wars Day is on Friday.

It's time to start preparing.

Traditionally Star Wars day is celebrated by wearing Star Wars gear and making force-related puns. However people have begun branching out into Star Wars craftiness as a way to celebrate their favorite galaxy far, far away. This is a practice that we support wholeheartedly. Especially since Star Wars fans are some of the most creative people we've met (that's saying something). In our recent strolls through the internet, we've seen Star Wars high heels, cupcakes, amigurumi, Storm Trooper cosplay, and R2D2 hats. All of these may have inspired us to dig out our glue guns and crochet hooks, because really, who can resist tiny, crocheted wookies? Not us.

Most importantly, though, Star Wars Day is a day for us all to be proud of our fandom, and a reminder that it is okay to be who we really are.

Two years ago a little girl named Katie became internet famous for standing up for her love of Star Wars, and getting a massive show of support from the online Star Wars community when the bullies were getting her down. Now she helps other young geeks feel okay about being nerdy. That right there? That's pretty awesome, and it's the very spirit of Star Wars Day.

So throw your Boba Fett shirt in the wash, put fresh batteries in your lightsaber, and get ready to get your 4th on. It's almost time.

P.S. Given the spirit of the season, we would like to inform you that we're gearing up to attend Star Wars Celebration this August. So if you're going, look for us! We'll have a booth and everything!

This would not be awkward at ALL.

Another week, another fresh crop of interesting links from the internet, harvested just for you!

Links from the Twitter, Google+, and Facebook 'verse:

Good morning! Fancy a 1,050-strip bacon burger for breakfast? (Rocket News 24)

OMG! RT @simonpegg: For spoiler hungry types, here's an EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES photo from set of STAR TREK 2!!!! (TwitPic)

Here's that life-size 6'10" papercraft Samus you wanted. (Flickr)

When a GLaDOS & a Dalek love each other very much, they make little Aperture Daleks! Awww. (DalekFactor.Tumbr)

Reminder: If you take a Portal turret skydiving, put some anti-gravity boots on it. Oops indeed. (YouTube)

Afternoon Sweded theater: Marvel's The Avengers on a budget. (Mostly SFW; some bleeping.) (YouTube)

Hire us, Valve? Can't help but <3 their official new employee handbook [PDF] (Valve PDF)

And for my next ridiculous yo-yo trick... (YouTube)

Surprise! "Male poses do not generally require a visit to the chiropractor." @jimchines' fantasy book covers, pt II. (Jim C Hines)

In a world... where classic children's games are made into movies with special effects... (TwitPic)

Amazing AT-AT cat house & scratching post. But does it fall over easily? #starwars #catcat (Imgur)

Warning! Your internet membership has expired. Reconfirm your subscription for only $119.99. (ebay)

Children's Party Pro-Tip: If you hire a Batman entertainer, don't choose the Nolan Dark Knight version. (YouTube)

Space. The final frontier. These are the mesmerizing photographs of space probes Cassini & Voyager. (Vimeo)

Robot roll call! This is not at all awkward to have in the bedroom. (Twitpic)

You're going to look just like this Forever Alone statue when you realize it's already sold out. Aw. (ForeverAloneStatue.com)

Massage Cat reminds you it's Friday, so just relax. =^. .^= (YouTube)

Experiment You Should Not Try at Home, #642: Launching 55-gal drums into the air (& then dodging them) (YouTube)

Avengers, assemble (by IKEA) (The Curious Brain)

Wow, Emotionz Pro sounds like a really powerful video effects suite! Or was that the sarcasm filter speaking? (YouTube)

Your moment of mechanical zen, brought to you by Ralph Steiner circa 1930. (YouTube)

And now, 56 episodes of Star Trek TOS playing at the same time! (And yes, that includes audio.) (YouTube)

In case you were wondering, you *probably* don't need to check your email. (Forbes)

And now, Bill Nye the Science Guy dancing to his own theme song. <3 (YouTube)

Mmmm, this Minecraft cake tastes like grass. (Between the Pages)

It's a water bubble in an air bubble wrapped in a water bubble! Astronaut Don Pettit, we want your job. (YouTube)

Signal boost! Here are some links from our Twitter, Google+, and Facebook friends that might be interesting to look at:

FlummoxFriends: @thinkgeek Product suggestion!! (sort of) Wanna help us make/sponsor our cool TV show for geek kids? (Flummox and Friends)

GeekFight: @thinkgeek could you help spread the word about an indie geek based card game? We have a #kickstarter project going. (Kickstarter)

Zombie squirrels = Zsquirrelz. (Kickstarter)

Until next week, Chiiiiildren! /Three Dog

The Mutant Jello meets its creator after a year apart. Hans is wise and takes precautions.

It's been a year.

On April 26, 2011, Hans, our resident mad scientist, came by the social media and t-shirt monkey's office with a bowl of extra strength jello leftover from mocking up the Edible Gummi iPhone Case. As a joke, he plopped this 3x strength Jello out of the bowl and slapped it onto the glass door.

It stayed up there for 112 days.

We watched in horror as the Mutant Jello sagged, grew crusty, then craggy. A semblance of a mouth appeared on its surface. It curled up around the edges and became more loathsome as time went on, but it did not budge. We documented its ominous progress via Twitter to keep a record of its changes. Just in case it succeeded in dominating the world.

It escaped in August. Four months later.

We proceeded to catch the Jello in a net and hang it from the ceiling for observation. In the year since, we have not seen any further evidence of sentience, though the foreboding we feel as it looms above leads us to believe that it is not dormant, but waiting.

As a birthday present to our benevolent overlord, we decided that it was time to free it from its confines, if only for the day. This is what happened.

This has been the Mutant Jello's home since its escape. The lights would make it a cheery little nest, if the Jello didn't loom so menacingly.

It is down! Please note the gloves worn in careful precaution.

We carefully remove its restraints. Yes, we were afraid for our lives.

No Timmy! Don't touch it, you don't know what will happen!

A close up of the eldritch horror.

Its formerly squishy back has become a calcified and pockmarked landscape.

Yes! We remembered!

After its outing and several escape attempts, Timmy finally returns the Mutant Jello to its home. We rest safe in the knowledge that it is again restrained.

For more pictures, check out The Mutant Jello birthday flickr set. There are close-ups of its mysterious crags and pockmarks if you feel brave enough to embiggen them. We cannot take any responsibility for madness caused by gazing into the abyss, however. So proceed with caution.

Happy birthday, you loathsome thing! You make our lives...interesting. To say the least.