Community

Geek Catalog Update 10/26/2014

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And here’s the latest update on the Geek Catalog.  Be sure to check out the ever-growing lists for Geek Focus or Community Focus.

Comics

  • History
    • Wonder Woman Museum – A museum dedicated to Wonder Woman – and sponsors various charities as well.
  • Literacy
    • Comics For Kids – Collects and donates comics to kids, with a focus on literacy and developing creativity.
  • Military Support

Computing

  • Female Geeks
    • Girl Develop IT – A nonprofit that provides accessible programs for women who want to learn coding.
  • General
    • Code For Progress – A community that trains IT professionals, provides residency, and helps people get involved in communities and causes.

Video Games

  • Charity
    • GamesAid – An UK-based “Umbrella Charity” that supports a number of smaller charities that help disadvantages and disabled young people via video-game related events and activities.
    • Indie Games For Good – Indie Games For Goods raises money for Child’s Play by focusing on Indie Game marathons.

Writing

  • Literacy
    • LitWorld – A global nonprofit that does on-the-ground solutions to address literacy.

 

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Geek Catalog Update 10/20/2014

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And here’s the latest update on the Geek Catalog.  Be sure to check out the ever-growing lists for Geek Focus or Community Focus.

Comics

  • Education
    • Reading With Pictures – A nonprofit advocating using comics in the classroom to promote literacy and education. Researches comics and their role, collaborates with artists for content, and partneres with educators.
    • The Comic Book Project – A literacy program that gets young people involved in creating comics to boost skills, awreness, and engagement.

Computing

  • Education
    • Hack The Hood – A nonprofit that helps low-income youth of colors into tech careers by having them build websites for businesses in their communities, teaching them both technology and business skills.
  • Female Geeks

STEM

  • Education
    • Stated Clearly – Stating science simply to make the facts clear – and counter misinformation.

Video Games

  • Charitable Work
    • Gaming For Others – Raises money via grueling gaming marathons. They push themselves for money – for others!

Writing

  • Books
    • Book Harvest – Collects used books and distributes them to children in need.
    • The Book Bus – The Book Bus gets books to people who’d normally not have access to them in various countries around the world. They’re always expanding their focus, and do educational programs

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Make It So: Let’s Be A Bunch Of Dicks

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Book Shelf And More

One of my most recent acquisitions is the fascinating book “Dick’s Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes or How They Did it in the 1870’s.” Its a reprint of a book that was a guide to, well, everything. Making dyes, controlling insects, creating food, various measurements and so on. It’s basically a catalog of practical knowledge from the 19th century that people would need – and in a time where you lacked easy access to specialists and stores we take for granted.

It’s out of print sadly, but you can find used copies around the internet (I got mine at Amazon), or even find it online at Archive.org.

The value isn’t just in historical curiosity, though there’s plenty here. There’s real, practical advice here for all sorts of things that you can use if you’re a DIY type, a Maker, a cook, or a Cosplayer. Admittedly there’s also stuff that can kill you if you’re not careful, but I’m going to assume you’ll be cautious if you decide to start playing with acid or something.

So yeah, go buy this book.  Try and get it reprinted.  I’m already planning to use copies as a gift.

But more than that all this, it got me thinking.  We all know that’s dangerous.

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