This might as well be called my month of nerd. With the continuously releasing news about Star Wars Episode 7, Doctor Who, The Hobbit, and everyone else fantastical, I’m in many ways in nerd heaven. Heck, I even thought the last season of Game of Thrones was the best one so far (which I wrote about here)! And there have even been rumblings about Indiana Jones!

Now, here is the thing that has been obsessing me more than any other (possibly making me a king of the nerds)- I’ve got an idea for a Scooby-Doo movie.

You know how they seem to release one to two direct-to-video Scooby-Doo cartoon each year? Some are great (and I have seen them all, so I can judge), some are okay and some are frankly bad (for example, when Shaggy sings a love song to his alien girlfriend). Well, I have an idea/plot/synopsis for a Scooby-Doo cartoon movie and it is doozy.

I’m not joking! I have an idea for a Scooby-Doo animated movie and it would be freaking great!

The trick (and it is a big trick) is figuring out how (and who) to throw my synopsis at. You see I would love to write this script (and it wouldn’t take me long), I just need to know if it would be read before I go to the trouble of doing it. So here I sit, twiddling my thumbs trying to figure out exactly how someone gets a message into the world of WB Animation. Seriously, I have no clue.

Now before anyone worries, I won’t be changing anything we know about Scooby-Doo if this script is picked up and the beats we all expect in his stories. I don’t want to break the mold; I just want to create a fun adventure in that world. Also, as a parent of two little kids who are obsessed with Scooby-Doo, it would be really great to do something like that for them.

“Hey kids, guess what? Your dad wrote a Scooby-Doo movie. Want to watch it?”

Oh, these are all just dreams, I get that. Without contacts or an agent (who works specifically with writers around this) to go to WB Animation and pitch the idea, it will only be a fun daydream. I just can’t help but dream… dream of Scooby Snacks and pizzas covered in ice cream, anchovies, pickles, hamburgers, and salami, that is.

Now on to my very nerdy list for this month!

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Jack White’s Lazaretto

Okay, this is not quite nerdy, just a really great rock album. Wait! It could be argued Jack White is a king of nerds too. From his eccentric and creative “character” (the whole is-he-related-to-or-married-to-Meg-White-or-not thing) and stylistic covers to his playful lyrics. And remember this is the guy who got in trouble for quoting Citizen Kane too much in a song. (How great is that?) Anyway, his new CD definitely is my music of choice right now for roadtrips. And like any good White Stripes song, I’m not always 100% sure what many of these tracks are about, but they are just so gosh-darn catchy. My favorite songs are “Lazaretto,” “Temporary Ground” and “The Black Bat Licorice” (which almost sounds like a Beastie Boys song). Check it out.

Final Fantasy VIII

Every five or so years I return to Balamb Garden. And when the theme of that world kicks on, I release a deep sigh of video game peace. Yes, this Final Fantasy game is my favorite and in many way lodges in my brain like a great novel I can’t escape. Don’t get me wrong, I like many Final Fantasy games (FFX another favorite), but there is something about this one that hits me right in my gut. And while I would love to see this game brought back—updated with better graphics, maybe even add vocal performance—it is wonderfully perfect in its old school look. I don’t know if it something I would recommend to people easily (since it is so old), but the story and characters are so very, very well done. I could easily teach a class on Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Hero’s Journey with only this game for material. I feel lucky to have discovered this game so long ago (and what was definitely the right time in my life), and I feel lucky I can always find ways to play it again.

J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter

I’ve been thinking a lot about the updates Rowling has given about Mr. Potter on the (usually very boring and definitely made for younger readers than me) Pottermore site. For those that don’t know what I am talking about, Rowling has recently written two short fictional pieces (told in the voice of Rita Skeeter) about Harry and his family visiting the Quidditch World Cup. I think in many ways—more so than the last books and movies—this feels like an end to Harry’s adventures. Or at least another point of emphasis by her that it is done. In her mind, Harry has won the life he has dreamed of, and without conflict there really is no story there. In many ways we all feel like we know Harry after our years following him. While I am happy that officially he is in a very good place (he earned it), a part of me kind of misses him. Yeah, 75 percent or so of his teenage years were hell for Harry, but they were good for us. Do I want Harry to return to such an unhappy life? Honestly, no… Also, isn’t it nice to know that her characters live on so naturally in her mind. She stepped right back into that world with no hiccups! Such a fascinating writer and what a gift she gave us readers.

The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle Earth

Okay, let get this out of the way. This free game app is a ripoff of Civilization. Not a question. You are doing the same thing (building up a city and resources) and relating to the world (battles, claiming, etc.) in the same way. It wasn’t the first to ripoff that game/series, and it won’t be the last. What makes this great though is I can do it on my phone and it is in the world of Middle of Earth. When I send an army out to battle, it is Gandalf leading the charge. Gandalf! The gray wizard takes orders from me! Now, I’ve been playing this game for about a week and I am nervous for the day when people start attacking me, and if there is one great truth in video games, it is that there are always others out there that are better prepared and more obsessed than you. So, someday, I know I am going to log in and my city will be decimated. I expect it. But until that tragic day, it is fun to play away in my little elf village (which I named South Star, because my name is Southard and… oh, nevermind).

Nat King Cole’s Cole Espanol and More

So this is the random addition to this week’s list, but not too surprising if you have read earlier posts by me (I have written about my fondness for Mr. Cole before, like in this post). He is one of my go-to comfort music escapes. Okay, so here is the thing- I never considered checking out his Spanish albums before, but they have become the fun and playful soundtrack for my summer. They can’t help but put a smile on my face, when I am biking or just playing with the kids outside. Granted, I’m sure Nat’s language skills are probably the same as mine (and even I have to question some of his enunciations), but I can’t deny the pure fun factor.

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