Notes From the Nerd's Notebook: Top 10 Phobias

Good morning geeks, nerds and gamers,

Recently I did a little soul searching and found that a few of my fears were somehow manifesting themselves in some manner or another. In order to introduce a new mini series, I'll share my own fear (phobias) and some of my infatuations (philias). However, before we move on to that, what exactly does fear mean? According to Merriam-Webster fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by being aware of danger, or it can also be defined as a feeling of respect and wonder for something very powerful. The full definition is an unpleasant and often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. So with that in mind, I'll name my top ten fears (1 being the thing I avoid the most, and 10 being feared but tolerable) and why I possess that particular fear.

10. Phronemophobia (Fear of Thinking): Now, I'm not afraid of thinking, in fact I quite enjoy it. However, it's what I think about that concerns me. My generally darker thoughts and frightening visions only seen by my inner eyes, from which only a potent source of light can extricate me, sometimes scare me and sometimes inspire me. This is why phronemophobia is number ten.

9. Atychiphobia (Fear of Failure): I seriously doubt that there are many people who aren't afraid of failure. Based on the standards that both school and society have thrust upon us, it's easy to see that many people including myself fear failure because it leads to loss. Loss of social connections and eventually loss of self. Personally, failure doesn't bother me, as we learn from failure, until said failures start costing me dearly.

8. Nyctophobia (Fear of the Dark): You know that old saying goes, "There's nothing to fear except fear itself." but what happens when the very embodiment of fear surrounds us? Hilariously, I'm no longer afraid of the dark itself. In fact, I find solace being cuddled up in the dark. I do, however, fear what may lie in the dark. Endless possibilities of many shadow creatures that lie and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. I fear being alone in the darkness.

7. Automotonophobia (Fear of Ventriloquist's Dummies, Animatronic Creatures and Wax Statues): I found myself questioning why I feared this. I quite enjoy popular stand-up ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, and I am completely obsessed with the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise. So why do I have automotonophobia? Because I watch too much television, I suppose. From the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who, to famed horror film House of Wax and everything in between. But even before I could speculate this, I remember my family frequenting Chuck E. Cheese throughout my childhood, but that dreaded mascot always made me uneasy.

6. Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns): I hate clowns. I want to kill clowns. It doesn't ease my fear that clowns are no longer the embodiment joy that reside underneath the big top of a circus. Psychopaths masquerade as clowns in the dead of night and roam free, stalking the shadows as Killer Clowns. Well, you know what they say...when life gives you lemons, kill a clown.

5. Acrophobia (Fear of Heights): Simply put, I've watched too many movies where a majority of deaths occurred by falling from massive heights. Earthquakes, tornados, being with super powers, and et cetera, or just sheer dumb luck in movies generally just off many people. And you know what? It messes with your head eventually.

4. Atelophobia (Fear of Never Being Enough): This is a relationship based fear. You fall in love with someone, and they with you, everything is perfect. Right? Until all they can see is your flaws. That's where this phobia comes in.

3. Arachnophobia (Fear of Spiders): Now this one makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. I loathe spiders. In fact, the most terrifying creature I have ever seen is the Goliath Bird-Eater Spider. That thing with ruin someone's day...especially if you're a bird...or an arachnophobe like me. What is it about spiders though? I love Spider-Man, so why am I so deathly afraid of spiders? Is it the venom? The way that some spiders are so small they're almost imperceptible with venom that can literally eat away at your skin? You know what... let's not. Moving on!

2. Autophobia (Fear of Being Abandoned): I have no issues with solitude. Its getting attached to someone and having them either drop me, or just fall off the map. Its something I've been dealing with for a while. My cure? Enjoy my antisocial nature. However it's that antisocial nature of mine that kind of fuels my number one phobia.

1. Athazagoraphobia (Fear of Being Forgotten or Ignored): Being ignored is fun as long as you're not attached to the person, in my personal opinion. But being forgotten is something that has been bugging me since childhood. I never want to be forgotten, whether its for being seeming like a detached intellectual, or a kind hearted goofball, or just "that kind I went to high school with that had a bright purple Mohawk." Yes...I had a purple Mohawk, and was damn proud of it. But I have this immortal need to make my mark in almost anyway I can.

Notes From the Nerd's Notebook: Super Power Breakdown: Primordial Fire Manipulation

Good morning nerds, gamers and geeks,

Today's power to be discussed is Primordial Fire Manipulation. Now before we begin, let me just say that there are different branches of fire manipulation. For example, there is dark fire, holy fire, hell fire, esoteric fire, blue fire, white fire, et cetera. Yes, we will be discussing the different kinds of fire manipulation in other posts, but let's go ahead and get started.

Primordial Fire is the fire that was used in from the dawn of creation and is the progenitor of all fire. This means that this fire and can't be extinguished by conventional methods. Hilariously enough, other than the user willing it so, the only other way to extinguish Primordial Fire is by using Primordial Water. One place that is bathed in Primordial Fire is Muspelheim (Norse Mythology) and a few users are Surtr (Norse Mythology), Angi (Hinduism), and the Phoenix Force (Marvel Comics)

Powers that come from possessing Primordial Fire Manipulation are Fire Manipulation, Fire Energy Manipulation, Life Fire Manipulation, and my personal favorite: Ultimate Burning. Of course, this power can be associated with Chaos Manipulation, Primordial Element/ Forces Manipulation, Primordial Entity Physiology, Conceptual Fire Manipulation and Fire Embodiment. Like I said, we'll discuss the different kinds of fire manipulation, and elemental manipulations.

There is only one limitation to this power, and it is one of the deadliest limitations. Because of the fire's ancient and primal nature, possessing true control over it may be incredibly difficult and be an extreme danger to the user.

Notes From the Nerd's Notebook: Top 10 DC Power Couples

As an otaku and an active member in the anime community, I hear a lot about characters being "shipped", which means matching characters based on personalities, powers, and et cetera. So I figured, if people can do it in anime, why can't I do it amongst comic book characters. And so, I created this list... Let us begin.

10. Superman & Wonder Woman: Hilariously, I thought about this after playing Injustice: Gods Among Us. During this story line, Louis Lane is dead, and Wonder Woman is the rebound girl. Funnily enough, this is canon in DC's New 52. I just find this couple interesting because of the fact that they are so powerful, and the fact that they complete each other in a way that Louis Lane never could complete him.

9. Superboy & Power Girl: Both are super powered beings, and while many people would say that he should get with Wonder Girl (just like his "biological father", Superman), but I feel like he wouldn't be a good match with her. Like Superman, the Earth's yellow sun grants her power, leading many to believe that she is a clone of  Kara Zor-El, a.k.a Supergirl.

8. Batman & Talia Al Ghul: In DC's comic continuity, they have already had a child, the newest Robin--Damian Wayne. With Batman's genius level intellect, and martial arts prowess,Talia's charm and deadly skills as an assassin, pulled together my young Damian's combination of his mother's and father's training regiments and fighting styles, you have one force that even Superman and Wonder Woman wouldn't be able to stop.

7. Animal Man & Vixen: Both heroes with animal based super powers, I think that it would personally make, not only an interesting teamwork mechanic, but also an interesting relationship mechanic. Animal Man is connected to the Lifeweb, and Vixen's powers come from an totem. But relationship wise, I wonder how two animal based super heroes would function, since in the Justice League Unlimited television show, it was Green Lantern and Hawkgirl.

6. Shazam & Zatanna: I find that both of their powers are spawned from magic; Zatanna having magic as the Family Heirloom, so to speak, and Shazam being gifted with the powers of the Gods via magic.

5. Aqualad & Supergirl: The pupil of the king of Atlantis and the cousin of the Man of Steel. This seems like a good combination to me, because if they were to have children, they would be half Atlantean and half Kryptonian. In all honestly, they would be as dangerous a couple as Superman and Wonder Woman.

4. Red Robin & Oracle: The third Robin and the original Batgirl. After losing mobility of her legs, Red Robin and Oracle became closer and at one point were engaged. Both are genius detectives, though not as good as the Dark Knight, whom they've trained under.

3. Nightwing & Wonder Girl: A "bat brat" and the demi-God. I would find the team and relationship dynamic the two strange and fascinating. The boy wonder and the daughter of Zeus. Honestly, they need to make this canon.

2. Batwoman & Catwoman: Strangely enough, I just think this would be interesting to see in either the Batwoman or the Catwoman comic continuity, even it were just a one time fling between the two.

1. Batman & Harley Quinn: Hold on...what? Don't you mean The Joker? Nope. I mean Batman. Why? Because she's certifiably insane, and he's a freaking genius. Imagine how badly that would throw off each and every villain. That would be freaking amazing...not to mention...romantically, it would fun, to say the least.

Are there any couples you think should be on this list? Leave a comment below.