US Beauty and the Geek Season 4

I have now started watching the 4th series of US Beauty and the Geek. However, I have seen most of this series before already. One thing that is different this time is there is a twist - there is one couple made up of a female Geek and a male Beauty. It was very shocking to the contestants and the mixed up couple quickly became a target for elimination.

There has been a lot of comments on bulletin boards for the Australian series of Beauty and the Geek that we should do a completely switched up season. It is an interesting idea. I think that a lot more females will watch the show (for the hot guys) but I don't think there will be as much sympathy for the Geeky girls. I think that a lot of the viewers for the Beauty and the Geek show love to see the male Geeks grow as people and how awkward it is for them in social situations. I don't whether this would translate for female geeks very well or not. However, I still would love to see it happen, even if the rest of Australia may not appreciate it :)

Well, I think that it would be a really interesting concept to try anyway - but maybe after a few seasons of the Aus version of the show if the ratings start to drop.

Michelle on So You Think You Can Dance

Did anybody check out So You Think You Can Dance tonight? Nacho Pop (a choreographer) is doing a tour with all of the eliminated contestants with McDonald sponsoring it. McDonald's set him a challenge each week. This week he had to teach the Gold Coast Meter Maids how to dance. I swear I saw Beauty and the Geek 3rd place winner Michelle on centre screen. Go Michy!! You will have to teach me some moves next time we catch up ;)

When Don and Izzy got eliminated tonight, they thanked the crew for all of their hard work. I would like to thank everyone who worked on Beauty and the Geek from the sound guys ("Can you hear me sound guys - the lighting guys reckon they are better looking than you. Lets take them out." Sorry - in joke), the lighting guys, camera crew, producers, makeup ladies (Go Kristy!) and everyone. Unless you have been on a reality TV show you don't get to see all the behind the scenes stuff. There is a lot more to it than you realize. The Geeks/Beauties are all actually still friends with some of the crew which is great.

ANU Masters Round 5

OK - so tonight I had to play the current (i.e. crowned two days ago) ACT Chess champion in the ANU Masters tournament. His name is Andrey Bliznyuk. I have never beaten him in a rated game (I have beaten him before in a lightning game). The last time we played I turned a clear win into a draw into a loss. So I was hoping to do better tonight.

I was black so I was at a disadvantage from the start. My opening was pretty ordinary, but I sacrificed a pawn for a good attack down the queenside where he had castled. I was winning at one point but after a few inaccurate moves I had the opportunity to swap off into an endgame which may have been slightly better for me. But I thought I was still winning and played what I thought was a good move. However, Andrey played a few really good tactics that I did not even consider and a few moves later my position was lost.

So I did not win, but I actually really enjoyed the game. So far in this tournament I am on a dismall 1.5/5.0 but I have found this tournament really fun. I am hoping to win my next 4 games, which is a good possibility because all of my opponents are rated below me.

Hiking Treadmill

Here is a new gadget for any fitness Geeks out there. Check out this link:
http://www.popsci.com.au/gadgets/article/2010-02/gym-gadgets-make-exercise-fun
Basically what you do is you map out a path in Google maps, upload it to the treadmill and then the treadmill adjusts its incline to match the incline of the map. So if you want to try climbing Mount Everest in the comfort of your own home, this try this out. But maybe Mount Everest is too steep - the treadmill has a maximum of 40 degree incline. Doesn't matter. Its still pretty cool. But honestly, I don't like treadmills. I prefer to get out into the real world and exercise.

ACT Chess Championships

The 2010 ACT Chess Championships concluded today. I would like to congratulate Andrey Bliznyuk for winning the title ahead of Junta Ikeda in second place and a four way tie for third. Junta led going in to the last round by 1/2 a point from Andrey, but Junta suffered his only loss of the tournament and was thus overtaken by Andrey who had a last round win.

The event was held over two weekends, and I decided not to play so that I could spend more time training for my ironman triathlon (more on that later). I am still playing in the ANU Masters tournament every Wednesday night, and it is just my luck that this Wednesday I have to play the newly crowned ACT Champion himself - Andrey.

The IT Crowd

I would like to thank Geek Paul for introducing me to an awesome TV show. It is call THE IT CROWD (and according to the behind the scene footage, 'IT' is pronounced 'it' as in 'today it was raining' and not 'I.T' as in Information Technology.

Anyways...the show is mainly about two IT Geeks and their totally computer illiterate female boss and the stupid situations they find themselves in. A lot of it revolves around their ignorance for the real world. I have not laughed so hard at a TV show in a long time, nor have I ever cringed so much at how all of the characters just don't understand things.

Some people love the guy called Moss. I think that all three of the main characters are totally awesome - I could not choose a favourite. I would highly recommend watching this show. I really makes you wonder what the IT guys are like where you work...

Beauty and the Geek Drinking Game

After being on the first Australian series of Beauty and the Geek, the term 'never judge a book by its cover' got thrown around many a time. So much so, that one of the Geeks decided to invent a drinking game. The rules are simple: Every time someone on the show says 'never judge a book by its cover' you have to drink. Or maybe it should be more of a penalty game - whenever YOU say 'never judge a book by its cover', YOU have to drink. I think that next time me and the others get together for a B&G reunion we will have to watch our series and play the
game. Or maybe when the next AUS series comes back later this year (can't wait!!)

But I have to say, after being with the 8 girls on the show, I completely agree with the saying. You may watch the show and think it is all fake, but honestly, we all became really close friends and the words 'Beauty' and 'Geek' got thrown out completely. To quote Michelle 'yous aren't geeks'. Luv ya Michy :) And to quote someone else 'there are no Beauty's and Geeks - there are just people'

Well anyway...back to the drinking game. So I am 3/4 of the way through watching the 3rd US series of Beauty and the Geek and I have to say, I am already pretty drunk right now! (only kidding) ;)

** Disclaimer: Always drink responsibly and only if you are over the legal age.

Made Up Words

Geeks are usually really passionate/obsessive and in one main area and are usually really good at doing that one particular thing. Me - I was the chess geek and I was always really good at mathematics at school. On the other hand, I am not the most knowledgeable person when it come to words/grammar/spelling. Apart from my problem with the distinction between unco and uncoordinated back in year 7, I think that I have gotten better.

I still do have fun though making up words or saying stupid things just to be funny. We have started a list of fake words that have either been used accidentally, or that we think should be real words. So far in the list we have:

Equivalates
Derivatize
Symbology
Horizontality
Balanceability
Growed
Grammartationally
Technob
Anti-Intelligent

Feel free to add any words you think should be on the list :)

ANU Masters Chess Tournament

I am currently playing in the ANU Masters chess tournament in Canberra which is a 10 player FIDE rated (using international ratings) round robin event. I thought from the start that there were four players which I would have a good chance of beating, one player that I would probably lose to and the remaining four I would probably get a draw with. That was the plan anyway. I also decided that I would also play more aggressive/exciting chess because often my games are quite boring. After the first four games, according to my plan, I should have had one win and three draws. But things don’t always go to plan. I have had one win, one draw and two losses. I think that my style of playing has not been the best, but I have enjoyed every single one of my games. And I know for a fact that some tournaments you go well, and others you don’t. That’s simply chess, and this one isn’t going that well. My younger brother Michael is also playing in the tournament and my number one goal in the tournament was to beat him. Have a guess where my one win in the tournament has come from! 

Bad Blogger

So I have realized that I am a bad blogger. I started off doing one post a day, and now it seems to be about 1 post a week. It is not like I don't have stuff to write about, it is more that I am busy and by the time I remember that I had not blogged for the day, I am tired and its time for bed.

I don't like this, so I am going to make sure I post every day. And if I don't? Well I usually buy Subway (mmm....Subway) once a week at work. So if I fail to post every day for that week - then no Subway.