Things You Should Be... Friday!

Things You Should Be Listening to...

The Howard Stern Show- Like a fine wine, The Stern Show just keeps getting better with age. It doesn't even matter whether or not they have a hot celeb interview, they keep it entertaining every day. It's my constant source for news and celeb gossip, and every once in a while Benjy does something very entertaining, like throwing himself down a flight of stairs while dressed as a horse or bringing a little lightheartedness to a press conference (Anthony Wiener anyone?). Stick around after The Stern Show for The Wrap Up Show as well, where you'll get a full recap of everything that happened on The Stern Show that day by the guys who work behind the scenes.

Things You Should Be Watching...

Archer- Now that Summer is here, it's a great time to be watching all of those awesome shows you didn't know about during the regular season. Archer is an animated spy-series TV show that features the voice talents of H. Jon Benjamin, Aiysha Tyler, Chris Parnell and like, half the cast of "Arrested Development". It's hilarious.




Sharktopus- Half shark, half octopus, all blood thirsty. This SyFy original movie will blow you away with its horrendous acting and shitty CG. Watch Eric Roberts shed his last ounce of dignity on this "it's so bad it's good" Summer must watch!




Things You Should Be Reading...

The Magneto Testament- One the most amazing Marvel stories I've ever read. If you enjoy a dramatic story, are a history geek like me, and love the X-Men, this is the story for you. Set in Nazi occupied Germany in WWII, the story tells the amazing origin of one of Marvels most beloved antiheroes. After reading this book I thought that there should be a copy of it in every high school history in the country.

Star Wars Role Playing Game Species and Classes Edition- This one is more for myself than you guys, lol. We're balls deep into the "Star Wars" role playing game right now, and being the bad nerd I am, I've never seen "Star Wars".... Now I have to create a back story for my character, and I'm not sure how well that's going to go... She's a Roodian soldier, if anyone wants to help me out with that one ;-)

She looks like this, only a sexy lady version

Things You Should Be... Friday!

Hey everyone! It's a lovely not-hotter-than-balls day here in Upstate New York! Woo woo! It's been a while since the last "Things You Should Be...", so here are a few of my favorite things you should be taking advantage of this Summer...

Things You Should Be Listening To...

S.I.R. (SModcast Internet Radio)- From the people who brought you "Tell Em' Steve Dave" and "Plus One", there is now a newfangled way to listen! Kevin Smith (and the rest of the SModcast crew) have launched their own radio station! You can listen through your computer, or through the Stitcher App on your phone. Oh, and don't worry if you miss anything, you can still get it through iTunes as well!

Peter Fox- Stadtaffe- Peter Fox is an amazing musician from Berlin. The album has so many awesome songs on it, and they're best listened to during the summertime. The album is in German, but who cares? It's fantastic! Below is the video for "Alles Neu", which is one of mine, and The Editor's favorite Summer songs. Enjoy!






Things You Should Be Watching...

Sports Show With Norm MacDonald- When it comes down to it, who DOESN'T love Norm MacDonald? This show is amazing. It's inappropriate, sexist, and full of some of the most awkward moments on television, but that is why it is SO worth watching! It's like watching a train wreck, but if you are a fan of Norm's humor, you'll get it :-)

Sports Show with Norm Macdonald	Tuesdays, 10:30/9:30c
Michael Jordan's Hitler Mustache
www.comedycentral.com
Sports Show Norm Macdonald #SportsShow

The NHL Hockey Finals- The Boston Bruins vs. The Vancouver Canucks! It's America vs. Canada! I'm completely torn on this one. It would be great to see the Canucks win, since Canada hasn't won Lord Stanley's Cup since 1993, but the Bruins are my second favorite team (after the Red Wings, of course)! The series is now tied 2-2, and the boys are duking it out at 8 PM. Definitely worth the watch.

That's right Canada, Jim, me, and The Editor ALL got to see the cup before you...

Things You Should Be Reading...

Axe Cop- Written by a 5 year old, illustrated by his 29 year old brother. This is a monthly comic put out by Dark Horse, but a lot of the content found in the comic can be found HERE on the Axe Cop website. I dare you NOT to laugh.

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charrlaine Harris- I know I already hit on this a few weeks ago, but the series is sooooo good! It's the book series that "True Blood" was based on, and the best Summer read you'll ever have. I promise!

Carly's Thoughts on "Deadwood"

Good morning everyone! Hope you slept better than I did. It was miserably hot here in Upstate New York last night, and even after my middle-of-the-night escapades in the yard turning on the central air, it was still miserably hot. I don't understand why in NY we go from extreme cold to extreme hot, with no real in between. I would have gladly taken a few days of mid 60's and sunny. But enough about the weather...

The Editor and I began watching "Deadwood" a last week. At first I was somewhat unexcited to watch the show. I mean, I love watching The Editor play "Red Dead Redemption" and I love Westerns for the most part, but I suppose it was my fear of the unknown that kept me away from "Deadwood" for so long.

It's fantastic. It's an awesome story about life in the old west. Deadwood is a lawless territory that is not part of any country, and the citizens want to keep it that way. They make their own law, and see to their own punishments. Mostly all the women are prostitutes, but still try to find a way to make the best out of the lives they're given.

Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane have been featured prominently in season one so far, and that makes the story even more awesome. The character of Calamity Jane *might* be one of my most favorite characters in a television series ever. She's a rough and tumble, no bullshit, foul mouthed woman, who doesn't take crap from anyone. She offers a good heart, and fantastic comic relief.

The show offers a lot of historical relevance, and gives the viewer a glimpse into what it was like to live in the old west. The good (gold prospecting) and the bad (smallpox). Of course, many of the names have been altered, and some historical facts have been as well, but it still makes for some DAMN good TV.

Oh, and you know who is in the show? Um, EVERYONE. Yeah, you'll enjoy picking out all of the actors you know in the show just as much as you'll enjoy the show itself! It truly is s star studded cast. If you've ever watched "True Blood", "Sons of Anarchy", "Dexter" or watched the movie Winters Bone, chances are, you'll know a LOT of the actors.

If you're a fan of westerns, and you don't mind profanity, I put "Deadwood" high on the list for good Summer watching.

Carly's Thoughts on the End of Smallville

 Okay, so I just finished up the "Smallville" finale. I've been reading a ton of reviews of the final episode all over the internet, and for the most part, the finale was seemingly widely regarded as garbage. I disagree by taking the stance of "Well, what were you expecting?".

I've been a "Smallville" watcher for years now. I've seen every episode. The finale wasn't disappointing to me, because thanks to all the previous years of watching, I had set my expectations set pretty low. I'm a comic book nerd, and as a comic book nerd I felt it was my duty to watch "Smallville". I would even go so far as to say that "Smallville" helped shape my nerdiness, as I was all but a sophomore in high school when it premiered. There were a few ups to the show, and definitely some downs as well, but why trash the finale if you've been watching it all along?

Over the years there are a bunch of things I liked. I like the fact that Lynda Carter (the original Wonder Woman) played Chloe's mom. I like the fact that Helen Slater (the original Supergirl) played Laura El (Superman's mom), and the fact that Terry Hatcher, who played Lois Lane in "The New Adventures of Superman", was cast as Lois' mom in "Smallville". There were appearances by Dean Cain and Christopher Reeves, which I though was also an awesome tip of the hat to Superman.  I also like that we got to see a variety of characters from the DC universe. We saw The Flash, Aquaman and Mera, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl, Black Canary, Hawkman (and the other members of the JSA), Darkseid, Zod, and the obvious Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, as well as countles others. The show allowed me to pay attention, but at the same time not. I have enjoyed the show, but I'm not quite sure how much I'll miss it.

The bad things about "Smallville" to me include things like Lana Lang (whom I felt to be the most irritating character of all time), lack of acting ability, the fact that Superman is called "The Blur", and the fact that after 10 years of waiting, we have to wait until the last 5 minutes of the series to watch Superman suit up and actually fly. The CG on that suit was sooooo bad.  I have no idea what they were thinking.

The series finale was like any other episode of "Smallville". It didn't peak nor lose my interest. It was just kind of bland, like most every other episode. I mean, if you put all of the truly awesome episodes of "Smallville" together, you'd barely have a whole season, so there are some huge amounts of filler episodes in there.

I don't want to give anything away in the finale, so I'm leaving this all pretty vague. Basically, if you're like me, the bar is already set pretty low, so chances are, you won't be terribly disappointed, but you won't be elated either. The series had a great run, and a good ending, and I wasn't left wanting more, so all and all it was a pretty good ride.

Wednesday Review: Game of Thrones

Last night I watched the new HBO craze "Game of Thrones" twice, once by myself and once with The Editor. We both agree that it was a good show, but we also both agreed that it wasn't necessarily deserving of a 9.5 rating on IMDB.

The cinematography was absolutely amazing. It was filmed mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and it was completely beautiful to look at. HBO gave a big budget for the show, and it totally paid off. They also have some totally great people in the cast including Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings), Lena Heady (of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame), Peter Dinklage (most well known to me as Miles Finch in Elf) and Mark Addy whom you may recognize from the TV show Still Standing or the movie A Knights Tale.

The show features Sean Bean as Eddard Stark

The story (so far) features three families. The Stark family of the North, The royal family and The Targaryen Family, a once noble family who was dethroned by the now royal family. I had to watch the show twice just to figure out who was related and how. The story starts out with some mythological elements in the beginning featuring a gang of supernaturals who murder people in the woods. Later in the story they discuss dragons eggs, and awakening the dragon, so I'm assuming we'll go back into that stuff later on.

Scary mythical woods!

The show was a little bit "Thor" and a little bit "Rome" to me. The family in the North was seemingly very viking-ish, whereas the family across the Narrow Sea is very Rome-esque. The show features lots of gruesome moments, as well as some suuuuuper uncomfortable incesty moments that will make you cringe. Oh, and there are boobs galore. Of course there is. It wouldn't be on HBO if there wasn't.

Pretty girls and horses!

All and all, I really liked the show. I'm totally into Medieval fantasy type shows. I am, however, very surprised that it got the critical acclaim that it did. I feel like if this show had been on BBC America, and not on HBO, I would be getting made fun of for liking it, but because it's on HBO, it's okay to watch. I don't want to dive too far into the plot because I don't want to ruin things for those of you who haven't seen it.

Peter Dinklage!

At very least, I would give the show a try. I feel like the story is going to get very interesting very quickly, and I can't wait to see where it goes! In the meantime, the show was based on the book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, so if you want major spoilers, go pick up these books.

TV Review: National Geographic Nazi Hunters: Assassin of Rome

You may or may not know this, but I am a huge history geek. I mean HUGE. I pride myself especially in my knowledge of the rise and fall of the Romanov dynasty in Russia, as well as late 19th and early 20th century Russian history. Over the past couple of years however, I have become more and more obsessed with WWII and theories surrounding the disappearances of a number of Nazi soldiers and officers. This documentary is about a 1994 story that ABC broke, where the crew went looking for one person, and ended up finding someone much more heinous.

Since the end of WWII there have been many rumors about what had happened to a number of high ranking Nazi officers. Did they flee? Were they killed? If so, where are they? In 1994, a producer from ABC went looking in a small town in the Andes in Argentina to take a look at some of the rumors that there was at least one former Nazi officer living in the small picturesque town.

The producer hired a translator who also became his eyes and ears of the town when he had to return stateside. As the translator became bored, she began to dig into some of the history of the small town and uncovered a possible link to a man who ordered the assassination of 335 civilians in Rome during Nazi occupation. The person she uncovered was not the original target.

Once the news team had enough evidence that pointed at these two being war criminals, Sam Donaldson flew down to Argentina to confront them . Both men admitted to who they were and what they had done, and thanks to the report, both men were tried as war criminals.

The story is especially amazing and heartbreaking when family members of some of the murdered civilians in Rome come forward to tell the story of what happened that day. Also, when the interpreter discusses how nervous and scared she was for her life while doing her research is completely intriguing.

If you're a history nerd, I highly recommend this documentary. Also, if you decide you really like it, there is an episode of MysteryQuest on The History Channel that discusses similar events, called The Rise of the Fourth Reich. It's pretty amazing.

Things You Should be... Friday!

Things You Should be Listening to...


The Adam Carolla Podcast- Adam Carolla, of "Loveline" and "The Man Show" fame has his own podcast, and it's awesome. It's a daily show and every day he has a different guest. Jerry O'Connell, Dr. Drew and Brett Ratner to name a few. Adam and his staff will keep you laughing every day.

Things You Should be Watching...


Dexter- The Editor and I just finished up the series up to the current season, and it was awesome. He's the most lovable serial-killer ever. Dexter is a forensic scientist for the Miami police department, and because of things that happened to him as a child, he is now on a mission to kill bad guys. The story discusses his struggle to keep a "real life" while hiding who he really is. The show is filled with twists and turns, and guest stars like Jimmy Smits and Julia Stiles.

Things You Should be Reading...


Air- Air is a fantastic limited series comic written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by M.K. Perkins. The story is about an acrophobic flight attendant who is conned into transporting blueprints for a terrorist attack. The story then takes a weird turn as you're trying to figure out who it is that conned her. The story drifts into fantasy and sci-fi elements with the use of teleportation and featuring characters such as Amelia Earhart and Quetzacoatl. It's an amazing, fun to read thriller that won't leave you disappointed. 

Things You Should be... Friday!

Things You Should be Listening to...


Puck Nuts- This is yet another podcast in the SModcast podcast universe. It's Brian John, Brian Quinn (sometimes) and Walt Flannagan from Tell Em' Steve Dave, as well as computer nerd Ming Chen and The Stash's illustrious Sunday Jeff. Originally, the podcast was made so that the boys would have a place to talk all things New Jersey Devils, but the show quickly morphed into a sports-talk show of sorts (thanks to the Devil's having a sub-par season). I'm not even the biggest sports fan there is, but if you ever wanted to become a little bit more knowledgeable about hockey and football, and you want to laugh while doing it, I suggest this podcast. It won't let you down!

Things You Should be Watching...

Top Gear UK- Okay, so I guess that today's post contains a lot of "guy stuff", however, as a girl, I very much enjoy these things too! Top Gear is a fantastic talk-show type car show that airs weekly on the BBC, and BBC America. The shows hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take you a a series of weekly adventures in this one hour show. They travel all around Europe, and hold friendly competitions, whether it be whose car will die first, or which luxury car is the fastest. They also have regular weekly segments like, the news and "Celebrities Driving the Reasonably Priced Car". If you're even a teensy bit of a car enthusiast I suggest you watch. These blokes will keep you rolling with laughter!

Things You Should be Reading...


Fables- I don't have any idea why I've waited this long to post about Fables. It's easily my favorite comic out there. When I explain the premises of the comic, it sounds ridiculous, but it's filled with more heart than any other book I've read. Okay, close your eyes and imagine every character from every fairy tale you can. Now take those characters, move the human ones to NYC, and move the animals to a farm. That's Fables. The Fables are forced from their homelands by a violent adversary, and the story revolves around defeating the adversary. It is a fantastic tale that now has well over 100 issues. The series has even spawned a number of spin-offs such as "Jack of Fables" and "Cinderella: To Fabletown, with Love". The writing, paired with some of the most amazing artwork I've ever seen will leave you wanting more.

What are YOU Doing Tonight?

Hey everyone! Did y'all happen to catch Thursday's episode of "Community"? If you did, pretty awesome, right?! If you did not, you need to watch it and get back with me. The whole episode was centered around a game of D&D, which in itself is awesome. I love that Troy's reaction the first time playing was the same as mine, "Um, shouldn't there be like, a game board, or pieces, or something to Jenga?". Lol. Outstanding.




Anyhoo, I won't keep you, because it's Saturday and all of that, BUT if you are just sitting around this evening thinking "Gee, I live in the Capital District, and there is NOTHING cool to do tonight", THINK AGAIN! The Hellions of Troy are getting it on like Donkey Kong tonight, taking on the Oz Rollergirls. Go there. Cheer on Reading Rambo. Bat your eyes at Ida. Stare at girls in short shorts. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Things You Should be... Friday!

Things You Should be Listening to...

DJ McFly- Okay, so this came to me in a weird way.... DJ McFly and I share a mutual friend, the mutual friend told me about him, I checked out some of his music, and it's AWESOME. All my derby girls are back in full swing work-out mode, so the past few music suggestions have been mash-ups, because it helps get the blood flowing. This week is no different. If you happen to like Girl Talk or DJ Fergie Ferg from last week, you MUST give DJ McFly a listen. His website is http://dublejmedia.com/, and you can find out more about him, as well as download some of his funky-fresh tracks! Sidenote: if you need a kick-ass wedding DJ, who is capable of doing mash-ups, you might want to give him a shout.






Things You Should be Watching...

Catfish- This is a great documentary I just watched. It starts out with a photographer in NYC whose brother is making a documentary about him and his friendship with a 9 year old artist. He gets involved with the whole family, and starts a relationship with the girl's older sister (who is a decade older, so it's not pervy or anything) then there is a a pretty big twist. It's a film shows that no matter how much you think you might know someone, there is a big chance that you may have no clue who that person REALLY is, especially when you've made those connections over the internet. I am a documentary nerd.

Things You Should be Reading...

Y the Last Man- I just got Miss Reading Rambo in this one. It's an amazing story of the last man on earth. Yorick Brown was just another 20 something guy trying to find his way in the world, until he woke up one day and found that he, and his pet monkey, Ampersand, were the last two males on earth. It's a really interesting way of looking at a post-male society. It's not all "peace and love" like us ladies like to preach about "if we were in charge". It shows the dark side of feminism, and the obstacles that have to be overcome to live in a world without men, and how to keep Yoricks identity hidden from anyone who would want to harm him. Originally a 60 issue comic book series, this comic has been collected and consolidated into 10 graphic novels. It's a definite "must" for non-capes loving comic readers.

Evan T. Reviews The Cape

Ok, ok. So if anyone who reads this blog is anything like me, the have seen the commercials for The Cape. You've been hesitant. NBC did so well with Heroes season 1. Then they did us wrong with Heroes: the rest of the seasons. You might still be gun shy about a NBC superhero series. I'm here to tell you that you are only partially right.

Here are the things going right with this show.

First thing: Old school hero storytelling. I know I might be in the minority of comic fans but I really liked the four color style (four color style, for those who don't know, is the storytelling of old, heroes and villains and the like. Before realism and grim and gritty took hold of comics). The first episode is the origin. We have Vince Faraday, a cop in Palm City. The local madman/super villain Chess ends up framing Faraday.The Cape is a hero who is made by the Lillian, like most great heroes were. He trains with a mentor (Keith David...he should be in more stuff) and becomes a force to be reckoned with. I enjoyed the pacing and flow and it really hearkened back to the olden days of comics.


Second thing: Summer Glau. Yeah, from Firefly to The Sarah Conner Chronicles I like Miss Glau. So sue me. She plays (SPOILER ALERT) a oracle-like character named Orwell, one of the few well named characters (see below). She pulls off the super knowledgeable role and her character fills the support role for The Cape. She works well in ensemble casts and definitely works well here.

Third Thing: The Circus of Crime. The group that finds hero Vince Faraday is an evil group who rob banks. The include a hypnotist (Ruvi), the circus ringleader/illusionist (Max Malini), a circus performer of unknown ability, possibly an animal trainer (Raia) and my favorite. A little person strong man (Rollo). The scenes with The Cape learning from everyone in the circus are fun and upbeat. The group work well together and are a light spot in the series

Not so fast! here are the things I didn't like.

First Thing: The names. I know coming up with new and copyrightable names is difficult. You don't want to go to the well one too many times. These names seem like my nephew came up with them. The hero who uses a cape as a weapon? He's The Cape. The gangster arms dealer with the scaly skin disorder? Scales. The main villain who has chess piece contact lenses? Chess. Come on guys, i really feel like you could have done better. Here are some names I just came up with. The Cape? Now The Black Mantle. Scales? Agamid. Chess? Castling. That's two minutes of work NBC.

Second Thing: I'm confused. It seems as if this world has costumed villains but The Cape is the first hero. Why? Scales has a scale disorder? Is he a mutant? Are super hero powers real in this world or is this more of a Watchman style hero and villain situation? It's possible that these questions might be answered but I found myself wondering the whole time about this stuff.

Third Thing: SFX. Quite simply they are of the straight to video circa 1999 quality. Every time The Cape uses his cape (let me tell you, it's a lot) it looks horrible. Just out and out fake. I find it hard to believe that they couldn't use real effects for the cape. It really removes me from the story and that makes it difficult to enjoy the product as a whole.

Overall I liked The Cape. I'm going along for a few more episodes. I would love to get a little input on this from Carlyz or The Editor on this series. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Things You Should be... Friday

Things You Should be Listening to...


Masharoni and Cheese by DJ Fergie Ferg- DJ Fergie Ferg is an up and coming DJ who is just about as much fun as Girl Talk. So if you like music catered for ADD, I highly suggest you download the album. (Psssssst... you can download it for free here.)

Things You Should be Watching...

Planet Earth- Yeah, I know, its been around for a while.... Last night I popped in the Blu Ray of it though, and fell in love with all over again. If you don't know what Planet Earth is, its a documentary that the BBS did a few years ago. Armed with high-def cameras, these film makers went to some of the most amazing places in the world, and got some unbelievable footage. It's completely riveting, especially in HD.

Things You Should be Reading...

Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski- I will be giving you all a full review of this book most likely over the weekend. It's one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time. It's pretty much a retelling of Superman's origin story. Straczynski, along with artist Shane Davis, create a very cool, very grown up version of the early Superman. You'll love the story and the art.

Things You Should Be... Friday

Things You Should Be Listening To...


Wiretap- Wiretap is a great show on the CBC. The host, Jonathan Goldstein is a self-proclaimed "humorist", meaning, if you're looking to be rolling on the floor laughing, you're in the wrong place. However, if you like sarcastic, self-deprecating humor, it's the perfect match for you!




Things You Should Be Watching...

Tosh.0- Tosh.0 is a clip show kind-of like "The Soup". Comedian Daniel Tosh takes the most popular viral videos and basically rips them a new one. This show also offers "web redemptions" to the most embarrassing viral videos out there, giving the people in the video a chance to redeem themselves. Fan-freaking-tastic! Below is my favorite clip from the show

Tosh.0	Tuesdays 10pm / 9c
Web Redemption - Crying Giants Fan
www.comedycentral.com
Tosh.0 Videos Daniel Tosh Web Redemption

FOOTBALL!- Again, I stress, if you are were not, or have not been in a fantasy football league, please be sure to do so at the end of next Summer when leagues are available. ESPECIALLY if you are a girl who HATES football. I only say this, because if football is important to your guy, you should try and embrace it, because lets face it, football is like, five months, and wouldn't you rather NOT be pissed at your guy for half a year? It's the last football weekend before the Super Bowl, so I suggest you pick your pony and put some money on that hoss! I mean, what fun is betting on the game, if you're not putting your money where your mouth is? ;-)


Things You Should Be Reading...


Angry Little Girls- You could get through this book in like, half hour. This book was loaned to me by Miss Reading Rambo, and I LOVED it. Below is the Amazon description:

Lee created Kim, the angry little Asian girl, for a brief cartoon that was a response to insulting Asian characters in other cartoons. In this collection of her weekly strip, she expands the idea to include a bunch of girls of different races. The book aims for wry humor and occasionally achieves it, as when Xyla, the gloomy girl, says, "The thought of suicide is what keeps me alive." But actual laughs are rare. Lee's minimal drawing style recalls Peanuts, Life in Hell and South Park, and she tries to emulate their tone. Like Peanuts, she gives her child characters adult neuroses, cynical worldviews and a touch of sadness. But her plain approach never reaches that strip's subtlety. Nor does her satire come close to Life in Hell, which at its best was relentless about the state of love, work and childhood in the modern world. Instead, we have a trifle that seems too timid to say much about anything, ironically packaged with a hard cover and heavy, full-color glossy pages.

If you enjoy this book, you should check out the sequel "Still Angry Little Girls".

Things You Should Be... Friday

Things You Should Be Listening to...

Antoine Dodson- Bed Intruder Song- Antoine Dodson was a normal guy, until someone tried to start raping everyone up in here! His infamous interview was remixed by Autotune the News, and the song has skyrocketed to the top 100 list on iTunes. Pretty impressive! Below are the links for both the original interview (for those of you like me who are waaaaay behind the times), as well as the song. You will NOT be able to get this out of your head. Just ask The Editor...






SModcast- I've been so busy pimping everything else on the SModcast network that I nearly forgot about the original that started it all! Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier bring you this smart and hilarious podcast on a weekly basis. The two catch you up on all of the ongoings in their lives, as well as create some pretty amazing characters. If you're a fan of Kevin's, I highly suggest this, and even if you're not a fan, you should give it a listen.

Things You Should Be Watching...

Fringe- I'm aware that I have already pimped this show here, maybe more than once, but it's only because it is honestly a GREAT show. I hear stupid things all the time like "But Caaaaarly, isn't it just like, an X-Files rip off? Blah, blah, blah...". Well, I don't know, because I was too young to enjoy "The X-Files" when it was on. However, I can tell you that The Editor is/was a huge X-Files fan, and he LOVES "Fringe". I'm pleading with you to watch it because the Fox network is doing what they are notorious for doing; moving awesome TV to Friday night. This sucks because Friday night is like the "kill spot" for TV. "Smallville" is sitting in a Friday night spot, in it's last season and the amazing "Terminator: The Sara Conner Chronicles" got moved to Friday night right before Fox pulled the plug on it. Let's not forget about "Firefly" either. If we can stay on top of this, and all pull our collective "nerd" together to watch, maybe, just maybe, we can save this show from being axed. Don't let "American Idol" win.

  
Parks and Recreation- Parks and Recreation is an awesome show. People are always saying to me "But Caaaaaaarly, isn't it just like 'The Office'?". I suppose it is in that they are both filmed documentary style, and that you get the same douche chills with Amy Poehler's character that you do with Steve Carrell's character, but that's about it. Remember when "The Office" used to be good? Well, Parks and Rec will make you laugh just as hard as the "good" seasons of The Office did. Amy Poehler is a little annoying, but the supporting cast is absolutely amazing. Just check it out, you'll like it.

Things You Should Be Reading...

"My Boring Ass Life" by Kevin Smith- This amazing collection of Kevin's blog entries will keep you rolling with laughter. This very well written, well thought out book gives you a glimpse inside what it's like to be Kevin Smith. If you have a cross country flight, be sure to bring this with you!

Bow Ties are Cool

So I *finally* sat down and watched the Dr. Who Christmas special for this year, and it was nothing less than awesome. Evan T. and I are constantly having the discussion/argument about which doctor is better; David Tennant or Matt Smith. Evan T. is a Tennant fan through and through, but my love for Matt Smith goes DEEP.

This years Christmas special was very much fantasy. It revolved around "A Christmas Carol" storyline. the plot line was very sweet, and a little steam punk, and I just totally fell for it.



I think the reason I like Matt Smith's "doctor" so much more than David Tennants is because I feel like the Matt Smith doctor is just a generally more laid back dude. I have so many favorite episodes from season 5, whereas, I can hardly recall a single episode from the David Tennant years. The fact that they began filming in HD last season when Matt Smith took over is a big help too. I feel like the previous seasons were filmed in a very "British" way, which makes it harder for me to concentrate.

I just want to say for the record, that I like David Tennant very much, and my love for Dr. Who is all encompassing, so please don't take any of my words as anything malicious against seasons 1-4. Simply put, I enjoy the most current season of Dr. Who because the story telling is amazing, and it's very pretty to look at in HD.

Anyone who has not watched an episode should definitely do it. Later in the week I'll post some of my favorite episodes of the past season, so if you want to do a quick catch up before season 6 starts, it'll be super easy for you.

Hope you all had a safe and happy new year!

Things You Should be Friday...

Things You Should Be Listening to...

Live From SModcastle: Crimson Magical Mages-- This is amazing. Jason Mewes and other people in the Kevin Smith universe play quite a lot of "Dungeons and Dragons". When Kev found out about this, he decided that he, Jason Mewes, producer Scott Mosier and friend/director Malcolm Ingram should create their own game like D&D. So "Crimson Magical Mages" was born. This hilarious podcast follows their game. It's totally raunchy, and amazingly hilarious.

Things You Should be Watching...

If you're a girl...


United States of Tara-- This show is great. It's very heartwarming and funny. The show follows Tara, a woman suffering from multiple personalities, and her family. It follows each family member, and shows how each member is coping with Tara's "problem". The bigger story involves Tara's past, and her trying to figure out what happened to her that triggered her disease. The show is certainly a dramedy and it proves that with a little bit of understanding that love can conquer all.

If you're a boy...


Sons of Anarchy-- Alright, I'll give it to The Editor and Evan on this one. They have been trying for MONTHS to get me to watch this, and now that I have finally had the time to sit down and watch, it's AMAZING. The show follows a biker gang in California. It highlights all their right and wrongdoings, and shows that more than anything, these people are not a gang, but family who would do just about anything to protect one and other. It's a super gritty show, but definitely worth the watch.

Things You Should be Reading...


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-- This is one of the most amazing series I have ever read. They're a little slow in the beginning, but the payoff is awesome. The books follow Lisbeth Salander as she hacks and investigates different crimes. The biggest catch? Lisbeth is not a cop, nor an investigator. She is the most badass chick you will ever read about. And if you're going to cheat and watch the movies, just make sure that you're watching the Swedish subtitled movie, instead of waiting for the American version. I have a sneaking suspicion that the American version is going to cut out some key plot points to make the film a little less disturbing...

FRIDAY VIDEO BONUS!

This video came to me from my wonderful derby team mates, Ms. Ida Feltersnatch. It's a video from last night's Conan O'Brien show. You will LOL.

Robin Hood

 Hello everyone! So, back in 2006 the BBC created a 3 season series of "Robin Hood". I just finished the series and it was AWESOME. I'm a total history/historical fiction nerd, so this was just what I needed. It had everything you would want in a show. Action! Adventure! Romance!

Like every show, there are some throw away episodes, but even the throw away episodes in this show are full of adventure. The overall storyline is fantastic, and full of twists and turns. Not only does the series show Robin Hood and his Merry Men stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, but it also shows day to day life in the 1200's and the history of how Robin Hood became Robin Hood.

Of course the show also features some of everyone's favorite characters; The Sheriff of Nottingham, Little John, Maid Marion, etc. You come to know and love nearly all of the main characters, and there are moments where you'll find yourself completely tensed up during a fight scene, or you'll find yourself crying at some particularly sad stuff (I don't want to give anything away, so I'm keeping it vague).

The story takes place in Nottingham, England in the 1200's. While Kind Richard (the Lionheart) is in the Holy Lands during the crusades, his brother, Prince John, is looking after England. John is basically terrorizing the lands and taking everything the his subjects have. The whole story is about Robin and crew protecting England from the Sheriff and Prince John.

I know I'm totally gaga about the BBC, but this show is only 3 seasons long, so if you're finding that you need something to fill your TV void over the winter while all other shows are on hiatus, I highly recommend this one.


PROGRAMMING NOTE: Between Christmas shopping and attending a Christmas party tomorrow I'm going to be busy all day, so most likely I will not post. I'll miss you all dearly, but I look forward to seeing all your smiling faces on Sunday!

The Walking Dead Season Finale = Failure

 *Sigh* Where do I begin? I had such high hopes for this show. I've been a fan of the comic for years, and when rumors started circulating about a TV adaptation, I was apprehensive about it. However, when I heard that AMC had picked it up, I felt like my fears had left. AMC does such a great job with things that it's very hard to fail over there. After the success of "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad", AMC has carved out a little niche for themselves as the cable channel who can do no wrong.

The first two episodes of the show didn't really "grab" me as much as I would have liked. It wasn't until the third episode that I really started caring about what happened. The show is suspenseful, and in my opinion, over the top gory, but smack dab in the middle of all that, you have an awesome story about humanity, and survival. Some people complain that the show "needs more zombies", and that is part of the problem. This story is NOT a story about zombies. It's a story about survival, human nature, and the depths people will go to when they have nothing.

My problem with the season finale is that I could not have cared less about what was going on. I understand that there were only six episodes allowed this season, however, those six episodes failed to make me care about any of the characters. The entire CDC storyline was a waste of time, and basically created a "reset" button for the last episode. We gained absolutely nothing by going to the CDC. When it got to the point where CDC guy was talking to the computer, and the computer was talking back, and the computer locked them into the building, things got a little too "Umbrella Corporation" for my taste. I mean, how convenient was it that when they show up to the CDC, it happens to be the SAME TIME the gigantic doomsday clock is running out? *YAWN*  The one thing we did learn though, is that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, booze is NEVER a good idea.

 Then there was the medical explanation.I don't care about what it does to the brain, and I don't care how it works, I just care about how to kill it. Yes, it's super sad that CDC guy had to experiment on his wife, however, I knew so little about CDC guy, that I failed to care that he had to shoot his wife in the head. Dire times call for desperate measures.

At the end, there is this big "you're leaving, I'm staying" thing with Jacqui and Andrea. Let's start with Jacqui. Jacqui was such a minimal character this season, did anyone really CARE if she stayed? Honestly? Then there is Andrea. If the show follows the books at all, Andrea will becoming a key character in what happens. We're only six episodes in, and they have made Andrea out to be one of the least likable characters on the show. I was WAY more upset at the fact that she almost took Dale down with her, than I was that she wanted to kill herself.

I said it with "True Blood" and I'll say it again now. I understand that the producers and creators want the source material and the TV show to be different, so that fans of the source material don't get bored, and don't spoil things for people who haven't read it. That being said I have absolutely NO problem watching a television show that comes DIRECTLY from the source material. With "The Walking Dead" and "True Blood" the source material is SO good that there is really not a whole lot of reason why they SHOULD be changed. Sure, the occasional add-in of a character, or a slight story change here or there can be a good thing, but when you veer so far off the original story, it just makes me sad.

I'm the kind of gal who believes in second chances, so obviously I'll give season two a go. I'm not saying by any means that the show is terrible, I'm simply saying that it has failed to impress me so far. There are 6 million people who think otherwise, but I'm sticking to my guns. I think with the talent they have at their disposal, it's not too much to ask for a little more.

The Most Amazing Thing I've Seen In YEARS.

So I was looking for some funny spoof videos of Harry Potter for tonight's "Wizarding Wednesday", when I stumbled across the most amazing mash-up ever made. Being a HUGE fan of the Canadian television show "Trailer Park Boys" and a fan of "The Wire", this video is unreal. If you've never watched these shows, you absolutely should. All the good shows are going on winter hiatus soon, so it's the perfect opportunity to watch both shows in their entirety. For those of you who have seen the shows, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

MashUpPiece Theater: The Wire / Trailer Park Boys - watch more funny videos

And for those of you dying to see a Harry Potter spoof, I give you a great SNL classic featuring the trainwreck known as Ms. Lindsay Lohan as Hermoine.

Harry Potter 5 parody (Lindsay Lohan as Hermione)

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