Elizabeth Cook Soars

A regular guest on David Letterman's late night show, Elizabeth Cook entertains.  She knows there's humor in her honesty and in her background.  But many mistake her lighthearted sense of self and southern accent together as her being an dumb blonde airhead.  And as she wrote in her song, "Dolly, did you go through this?"

Site of the Week 3/11/12-3/17/12: Bear McCreary's Blog

If you're the BEST kind of nerd, you LOVE Battlestar Galactica (BSG).  That's right, I'm going to say it.  And if you're the best kind of nerd, you LOVE the score to BSG from the genius mind of Bear McCreary.

Site of the Week: Mutant Magazine

My friends, I am a contributor to one of the world's greatest magazines: Mutant Magazine (MM).  A shameless plug possibly, but I must inform you of its incredible content.  A lovely ComicBookResources (CBR) poster Valeria Kamentari began making Mutant Magazine covers with current X-Men-related headlines.  They were always a delight to see, and I looked forward to it each time.  But with high demand and respect, a new project was born: Mutant Magazine v2.  Val took it upon herself to act as editor-in-chief for the project, which sought writers and ad makers to create an entirely fan-made magazine, specifically for the X-Men world.

Site of the Week 12/19-25/11: December Well

For those who don't like Christmas songs and want to get into the season in a different manner, there's a remedy!  Listening to winter-themed songs, like I often do, is the best way to get into the holiday and seasonal spirit.  It's the one way I don't absolutely hate winter when I can listen to music with bells, xylophones, and other instruments with eerie, dark, hollow, and mute sounds.  Former Malinky fiddler Mike Vass has been quite busy with solo projects (as well as being up to no good).  His current project: December Well.  Read on for more about the project.

Site of the Week: 11/21-27/11

This week brings us Jon Boden's incredible undertaking of a folk song a day.  Every.  Single.  Day.  Jon Boden posts a song he recorded, either a capella or with bare accompaniment (vocals or instruments) and writes about the song's meaning, origins, and variations.  And, if you ever check out my other blog, you know that I indeed love doing that myself.  I'm sure this not only is fun for Boden, but educational as well.

Site of the Week 10/31/11-11/6/11

I always take an interest in the American Civil War, and there's so much information out there I want my hands on.  The best sources, for me, are letters, providing great insight on every person's way of life during the time period.  You read these, and the war effects every single person so differently, yet all the same.  No one person enjoys it, perhaps at first, but once the reality sets in, it's a terror.

Sister Site: Anything You Can Do

I've developed a new blog for my feminist rants called Anything You Can Do under the address of womenarepersons.blogspot.com, after the lovely Susan B. Anthony's wondrous speech.  You'll still find feminist features here, but as long as they pertain to nerdy pop culture.  I was pushing it with the last few feminist posts.  If anyone wants be a co-blogger, reply to this post.

Site of the Week 8/1/11-8/7/11

Just so you get your fix of Parks and Recreations, especially Ron Swanson, you'll enjoy the tumblr Cats That Look Like Ron Swanson!  Warning: Don't watch at work because you'll look like an idiot laughing really loud at seemingly nothing.  This one's top notch.

Site of the Week 7/25/11-7/31/11

Funny or Die's Drunk History is a highlight of my life.  I highly suggest this wonderful series that takes drunk people telling stories of history.  While they tell us the stories, established actors act out the story with guest stars of Zach Galifin...eh I'm not even gonna try with that name...Zooey Deschanel, Don Cheadle, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Danny McBride, and Jack Black.  Sure, I don't care for half of those actors, but it works for this.  I think that these people are actually drunk.  I don't think it's pretend, especially the guy who pukes his guts out in telling about Ben Franklin.

Watch episode 1, starring Michael Cera as Alexander Hamilton, after the break.

Site of the Week 7/18/11-7/24/11

Not to dwell on the subject, but I found this week's and last week's at the same time...
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media pleases me in so many ways.  It gives well-researched studies on gender, leaned more towards girls, in the media, and the problems that can arise from depicting females in the media as objects of affection, downtrodden damsels in distress, or the bitchy girlfriends or nagging wives.  Davis uses her fame (or what's left of it) to promote the subject, even going as far as presenting bills to Congress.  Davis is working with the First Lady and the FCC to change the film industry as fast as possible.  We need better role models for women on screen.

Site of the Week 7/11-7/17: indiewire's Women and Hollywood

Classify this under Feminist Feature as well.  If you're like me, you follow and analyze women's roles in today's media.  Women are no longer being resorted to objects of men's affections.  Rather they're complex individuals and main characters.  There are even female directors and writers!  Imagine that, 1990s!  Women in Hollywood breaks down critical reception of female-centric TV and film, provides breaking news in female-centric Hollywood, and analyzes female-centric film and television.  They also provide week-by-week data analyses, providing numbers and interpretation on what movies have main female roles, female writers, and female directors each week.  Check it out, feminist folks.

Site of the Week: Sassy Gay Friend

Comedy Troupe Second City Network provides us with a twist on Shakespeare. What if the ladies in distress, about to be killed or commit suicide, have an intervention by a sassy gay friend who wears a sparkly scarf and an undersized shirt to show off his muffin top? Clearly, they would be talked out of being stupid. So far, we have Ophelia from Hamlet, Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, and Desdemona from Othello. The only complaint; they don't come out quickly enough! I want to see Portia from Julius Caesar and Lavinia from Titus Andronicus! And imagine if they expanded to real-life people like Sylvia Plath or other literary characters like Lily Bart in House of Mirth by Edith Wharton or Edna Pontillier in The Awakening by Kate Chopin.

Imagine the Sylvia Plath one..."What, what, what are you doing? Step away from the oven, sister. You've got two kids and a writing career. Do you think just because you die, your writing suddenly becomes famous and likable? Think again. You've already written your last words on a scratch piece of paper on the back of your grocery list. And keep it at that. Nobody wants to read about your dancing with your drunk daddy. Everyone's got daddy problems! What makes yours any different to where you get to off yourself? What are you doing? You don't want kids to bake cookies for their reading club bake sale in the shape of an oven with your head in it! I said turn the damn oven off, you stupid bitch! She's a stupid bitch."

Enjoy and wallow in the pain from not seeing another Sassy Gay Friend yet.

Site of the Week (3/15-3/21): Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles

Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles essentially two characters: Mr. Wiggles, a drunken sex-addicted teddy bear, and the cartoon exaggerated version of the nerdy and slightly insane creator Neil Swaab. Enjoy the extreme dirtiness and nerdiness. A good combination, if you ask me!

Site of the Week 2/8/10-2/14/10: Comics Alliance

Comics Alliance has some of the best writers: clever, witty, and hilarious. They stumble upon great finds, not just in comics, but in all nerdy entertainment. Check it out for some good laughs and informative reads. They highlight some of the most ridiculous moments from comics, like swimsuit issues (you know...the nerd's version of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition) and the worst sex scenes in comics, which is sooooo funny. An article just today was extremely well-written and critical: The Real Protests of Captain America #602. Apparently the Tea Party is getting their anti-Obama panties in a bunch about the most recent issue of Cap. Maybe if they didn't have signs that read "TEA BAG THEM DEMS BEFORE THEY TEA BAG YOU!" they wouldn't appear as a problematic obstacle to Bucky and Steve Rogers.

Site of the Week: 1/11-1/16/2010!

Sorry for the lack of updates!

Atlas Obscura is CRAZY awesome! Thanks to Bridget Regan for giving me this site on twitter. I'm telling you she's full of goodies! Funny thing--when I first looked at the website, I thought, "WOW! Many of these places are in the movie The Fall," which I finally bought. (Now I can watch it every day...if I had time to watch it every day.) You won't be able to stop looking at this site once you start. If you're looking to travel somewhere, you can even search the Atlas Obscura database by state or country! I immediately checked out Ireland's weird wonders.

And speaking of Bridget Regan....for my enjoyment and hopefully some of yours...Kahlan and Cara from the upcoming episode!!!!

Site of the Week 9/21-9/27: Cover Lay Down

You guys! I'm crazy about this blog! Wanna know why? I'LL TELL YOU WHY! It's a blog that provides us mp3s and clips of folk covers of original songs from the pop, rap, blues, classic rock, and other genres. It gives backgrounds to versions of traditional songs, where some versions originated and when a shift changed. Reviews, rationales, and studies are provided. Tunes are often grouped in themes, like Dolly Parton or Sailing. Some of my favorites: First Aid Kit's version of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song;" Brianna Lane's version of the Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly;" Shawn Colvin's cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy;" Jonathan Coulton's countryish-boy-band-sounding cover of "Baby Got Back;" and anything by Richard Shindell.

The best part for you guys....you get to hear a lot of my favorite bands, like The Greencards and The Duhks! Many of my favorite Irish musicians make it on the list too, like Cara Dillon and her version of the Beatles' "Wait!"


Cover Lay Down

Site of the Week 9/7-9/13: Office Tally

The fan site/blog Office Tally is THE Web destination for the Office obsessed.

Dedicated to the NBC comedy series, Office Tally keeps fans up to date on new episodes, Office specific news and more. The site is more than just that though, it acts as a community for all Office fans to visit and experience. In addition to all the updates, the site also holds contests for Office related prizes, chats with the stars of the show and exclusive Q&As with the writer's on certain episodes.

Office Tally is a must see site for any Office fan.

Site of the Week 8/31-9/6: Dinosaur Comics

Dinosaur Comics, if you've never read, feeds the nerdgasms all over the world. Authored by Canadian Ryan North, Dinosaur Comics is comprised of the same panels day after day, which makes it funny in itself. The comic records the insane thoughts of T-Rex, an adorably sexy and sassy green dinosaur that often talks of possible futures and pasts. Appearing in the panels are Dromiceiomimus, T-Rex's female friend and possible ex-lover, and T-Rex's BFF Utahraptor, T-Rex's foil. Often God, Satan, and even Shakespeare (!!!!) appear as guest stars. You guys, read it and pee your underoos!

Dinosaur Comics

Site of the week 8-25 — 8-30

Each week we feature a website that we think is doing good things in the pop culture world.

Today's site: sceneunseenpodcast.com.

The site is home to one of my favorite podcasts: Scene Unseen Movie Reviews. The show has two hosts, Chris and Jimmy. Each week one of them sees a recent film and the other doesn't.

The reviews are relevant and always entertaining. Check out the site for more movie fun and to subscribe to the podcast.