NERDSBURGH

The Survivor Survivor Pool: Rules and Regulations

2012-01-30T17:40:00.001-05:00

Starting Wednesday, February 15th Survivor returns with an all new cast and a whole slew of fresh challenges in Survivor: One World, a men vs. women version of the beachy reality game, and Nerdsburgh has made its predictions in the biggest, coolest Survivor Survivor Pool ever invented.

One of the greatest parts about being a nerd is an uncanny ability to take something very simple, like say a popular reality television show, and turn it into something completely and obsessively nerdy. It all started when Nerdsburgh began tracking the trials and tribulations of super-nerd John Cochran on last season's Survivor: South Pacific saga. By rattling the cage of geeky Survivor enthusiasts across the Internet, I found that I wasn't the only one looking forward to the start of this season with eager anticipation.

In true nerd fashion, I wrangled together a couple of local Survivor fans and somehow talked them into participating in a Survivor Survivor Pool with me. For the sake of fun and full disclosure, and to all of you over at Survivor Sucks, I have decided to let all of Nerdsburgh in on this little friendly battle royale/fantasy football-esque experiment in a segment that will track each player's progress from week to week.

As the self-appointed commissioner in this arena, I would like to be referred to here on out as Jeffina Probst-nerd. Feel free to picture me in a blue shirt with some sort of tribal choker necklace wistfully dangling in my feathery chest hair as you read the rules and regulations posted below:

SURVIVOR SURVIVOR POOL
RULES AND REGULATIONS

There are 4 participants in the Survivor Survivor Pool and 18 Survivor: One World cast members. Each Survivor Pool Participant will have one team comprised of 4 Survivor cast members. Since there are 18 total cast members, 2 will be kept as alternates to be put into play at a later time (see alternates below).

At the start of the draft, the names of the Survivor Pool Participants will be drawn out of a hat to determine the order and will continue in a "snake draft" pattern.

Each Survivor Pool Participant will choose 3 names during the draft. After each person has chosen 3 Survivor cast members, the remaining names are thrown into a hat for a "random pick" for each player's fourth selection.

At the end of the draft process, there will be two names not chosen and these cast members are to be considered alternates.

Alternates will enter the game at two critical points in the season: 1) Whomever has the Survivor cast member that gets voted off the island on Week 1 will be allowed to recruit one alternate. 2) The second alternate will be added to the "tribe" of the Survivor Pool Participant who has lost the most Survivor cast members at the time of the merge.

There can be only one Survivor.

Top L-R:
Kat Edorsson, Alicia Rose, Jonus Otsuji, Michael Jefferson, Kourtney Moon, Sabrina Thompson, Troy Robertson, Kimberly Spradlin, Greg Smith, Nina Acosta, Matt Quinlan, Christina Cha
Bottom L-R:
Jay Byars, Chelsea Meissner, Colton Cumbie, Monica Culpepper, Leif Manson, Bill Posley

SURVIVOR SURVIVOR POOL
THE FOUR TRIBES

"Savai-vi"

1. Troy Robertson

2. Colton Cumbie

3. Chelsea Meissner

4. Kat Edorsson

"Drop yr Buffs"

1. Kourtney Moon

2. Jonus Otsuji

3. Bill Posley

4. Alicia Rose

"Josh's Tribe"

1. Matt Quinlan

2. Jay Byars

3. Nina Acosta

4. Christina Cha

"The Others (Nerdsburgh's picks)"

1. Michael Jefferson

2. Kimberly Spradlin

3. Leif Manson

4. Sabrina Thompson

Alternates:

1. Monica Culpepper

2. Greg Smith

Survivor Survivor Pool draft in progress

Good luck teams and may the best man (or woman) win!

The History Channel to air latest reality competition - Full Metal Jousting

2012-01-27T12:42:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you all have been to a Renaissance Faire or two and perhaps somewhere in between sipping homemade mead and gnawing on a giant turkey leg, had the occasion to stroll over to center court and watch a Joust. Ya know, the big show at the Faire when a knight in black goes toe to toe on horseback with the knight in white, they poke each other a little with long spears and shout "thee" and "thou" a lot and the crowd cheers "Hazaah!" because it's fun and the kids seem to get a kick out of the good vs. evil drama of it all.

Well, throw out the scripts and forget those leisurely strolls through the Faire, Jousting is no longer an actor's playtime. Thanks to The History Channel's latest reality show Full Metal Jousting, this lance and pony show has just become a full fledged sweaty, bloody sport. And while I don't think anyone is dying for the queen's honor anytime soon, there are some pretty tough dudes who are prepared to duke it out for all the world to see every Sunday night at 10/9c.

16 men will compete for the title of "Full Metal Jousting" champion and a hefty chunk of change. The competitors, pictured on The History Channel's main page, look like a motley crew of cowboys, ex-convicts, hockey players, rodeo clowns and Fabio impersonators...but I assure you that no matter what they look like, they are all tough as hell.

Jousting is no doubt a difficult and dangerous sport, hence calling it an "extreme sport," and I imagine that the bone-crush factor and number of injuries alone will make this an instant hit for The History Channel. I just hope all the history buffs expecting a two hour special on The Origins of Calvinism won't be too disappointed with the drastic shift in programming.

Full Metal Jousting premieres on The History Channel Sunday, 2/12 at 10/9c

Believe it or Not...Ripley's to host Star Wars Slumber Party

2012-01-23T11:33:00.000-05:00

In a theater not so far, far away on February 10th, is the theatrical re-release of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3D.

In honor of 3D Phantom Menace's debut on the big screen, Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Times Square is throwing one of their critically acclaimed "Slumber Fests" and, to the tune of a unanimous nerd squee across the entire east coast, they're doing it Star Wars style!

The Star Wars Sleepover will take place on February 10th, 2012 (the same day as the re-release of the movie, pretty cool huh!) and will begin at 7pm and end at 8am the next morning. The event is suitable for children ages 6 and up, but I would imagine the guest list will probably include a lot less kids and a whole slew of "adult children." One adult (over age 21) is required for every four children attending.

So, bust out those ratty Chewbacca slippers Star Wars fans and get ready for an exciting evening of Princess Leia bun braiding, bad Yoda impressions and lots of Darth Maul double-bladed light saber sparring.

Okay, so I don't know if any inter-galactic braiding or Jedi pillow fights will actually take place at the event, I'm just assuming they will. Along with the obligatory slumber party activities such as slathering sleeping friends in shaving cream, hiding wet bras in the freezer and playing Girl Talk until 3:00 in the morning.

Official Slumber Fest activities include Yoda Mask Making, Wookie Cookie Decorating, Puppet Making, Games and Prizes. Participants will also get to meet the Star Wars Characters themselves from 7pm-9pm. All guests need to bring is a sleeping bag, pillow, pajamas, flashlight, and their curiosity.

Admission to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Star Wars Sleep Over is $145 per person which also includes admission to Ripley’s Odditoriom; access to Ripley’s Impossible LaseRace™; dinner, breakfast and snacks...AND movie tickets to Star Wars: Episode I in 3D.

Despite the humdrum performance of mini Anakin Skywalker Jake Lloyd and the recurring annoyance of Jar Jar, watching Star Wars on the big screen is an opportunity not to be missed by die hard fans and neither is a giant slumber party in Times Square. My only hope is that Ripley's throws a party for the re-release of episodes 2-6 as well.

For more information about the Star Wars Sleepover or to book, call 212.398.3133.

Sh*t Comic Book Nerds Say has arrived on YouTube

2012-01-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

It was inevitable that the "Sh*t people Say" trend was going to take a turn for the nerd. Despite the fact that the concept is a little played out, the video for "Sh*t Comic Book Nerds Say" is pretty funny. Jam-packed with a bevy of chuckle-worthy inside jokes for comic book fans, I like to think of this video as more of a tribute than a jab.

Nerds we are officially part of the zeitgeist in American pop culture!

Who is gonna win a Golden Globe tonight?! A Kim Rogers Award Exclusive

2012-01-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

This article was written for Nerdsburgh.com

by pop culture expert

KIM ROGERS

While Awards Season technically kicked off with Thursday night’s Critics Choice Awards, most movie junkies consider The Golden Globes to be the official start of Oscar Season.

I definitely think the Globes tend to be the most fun of all the shows, thanks to the sheer number of celebrities in the room and the free flowing champagne at all the tables. After all, this is the awards show where Christine Lahti infamously missed her category because she was in the bathroom and Jim Carrey accepted his award by literally talking out of his butt. How can we forget the year a loopy Elizabeth Taylor started to open the envelope for Best Picture Drama before even reading the nominees, prompting Dick Clark to run out and stop her (Her triumphant announcement of “Glaaaaaaaaaaaadiator!!” is forever seared into my memory). Yes, the Golden Globes are always a good time.

This year, Ricky Gervais returns for a third time as host. He took a lot of flack last year for some of his jokes being overly nasty, but as a viewer (and fan of his stand-up) I found him hilarious. And come on…nominating Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp for their work in the abomination that was The Tourist? That was just asking to be made fun of. So I very much look forward to what Gervais will bring to the show this year.

In regards to pools and predictions, The Golden Globes has a history of going a little wacky with their winner selections (um…Robert Downey Jr. as Best Actor in a Comedy for Sherlock Holmes?), so predicting them can be a little dangerous. But I’m going to give it my best shot…and yes, in some categories, I’m unwilling to commit.

Best Motion Picture (Drama):
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse
With likely Best Picture winner The Artist in the Comedy/Musical category, the Drama category is a bit of a toss up to me. Hugo has a lot of buzz, which, while it is a lovely little movie, I don’t really understand. War Horse is the most “traditional” baity awards epic, but it has gotten very little attention in precursor awards. I’m going to go with Alexander Payne’s The Descendants. The HFPA loved Payne’s last effort, Sideways.

Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical):
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Carnage
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn
Like I said above, I am pretty certain The Artist has this in the bag. The only spoiler could be Bridesmaids. After all, this is the same organization that gave this award to The Hangover a few years ago.

Best Actor (Drama):
George Clooney in The Descendants
Brad Pitt in Moneyball
Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender in Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar
This comes down to the battle of the beautiful movie stars…Brad Pitt (Moneyball) and George Clooney (The Descendants). Both performances are great, and personally, I think Brad Pitt is terribly underrated as an actor. But I am going with George on this one.

Best Actress (Drama):
Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis in The Help
Rooney Mara in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin
This will be a battle between former Doubt costars Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Viola Davis (The Help). Davis triumphed at the Critics Choice awards (please look up her speech on YouTube. It was amazing.), but given that it is the Hollywood FOREIGN Press Association, I’m predicting Meryl will win here for her portrayal of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Best Actor (Musical/Comedy):
Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Brendan Gleeson in The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50
Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love
Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris
As the Globes notoriously love their movie stars, it is not unthinkable to predict that they will reward the ubiquitous (and double nominated) Ryan Gosling for his charming performance in Crazy, Stupid, Love. However, I am putting my money on French actor Jean Dujardin for his work in The Artist.

Best Actress (Musical/Comedy):
Jodie Foster in Carnage
Charlize Theron in Young Adult
Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet in Carnage
I expect Michelle Williams to pick up her first Golden Globe for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. You’ve come a long way from Dawson’s Creek, Jen Lindley.

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh in My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks in Drive
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Christopher Plummer (sublime as a man who comes out of the closet late in life in Beginners) will pick up another trophy as he marches towards that Oscar in February.

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo in The Artist
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer in The Help
Shailene Woodley in The Descendants
First of all, I was shocked that Melissa McCarthy was not nominated here for her work in Bridesmaids, especially given the obvious love for the film elsewhere in the nominations, not to mention the numerous critical awards she has already picked up. I expect this will go to The Help’s Octavia Spencer for her feisty performance as Minny.

Best Director:
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
George Clooney for The Ides of March
Michael Hazavicius for The Artist
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Michel Hazanavicus, The Artist. Another completely charming Critics Choice acceptance speech you should look up on YouTube.

Best Screenplay:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
Unlike the Oscars, where screenplays are divided into Adapted and Original works, there is only one screenplay category at the Globes…and this is a tough category to call. I think it is between The Descendants and Moneyball.

Best TV Series (Drama):
AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
BOSS (STARZ)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
HOMELAND (SHOWTIME)
Last year Boardwalk Empire upset 3 time champ Mad Men…with Mad Men not even being eligible this year, can it repeat? Flashy newbies like American Horror Story and Game of Thrones will make it tough. The HPFA has a long love affair with anything Ryan Murphy does, so I can definitely see AHS winning. The real crime of this category is that the phenomenal fourth season of Breaking Bad wasn’t even nominated. Ridiculous, I say!

Best TV Series (Comedy):

ENLIGHTENED (HBO)
EPISODES (SHOWTIME)
GLEE (FOX)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
NEW GIRL (FOX)
I have a LOT of rage when it comes to this category. Has the HFPA even WATCHED this season of Glee? If they had, it most certainly would not be nominated here. The fact that far superior shows like Community (SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE!!) and Parks and Recreation aren’t nominated makes it hard for me to take this category seriously. That being said, I would love to see New Girl win here. But I have a sinking feeling Glee will win for the third year in a row. Prove me wrong, HFPA!

Best Actor (Drama):
Steve Buscemi for BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Bryan Cranston for BREAKING BAD
Kelsey Grammer for BOSS
Jeremy Irons for THE BORGIAS
Damian Lewis for HOMELAND
Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, hands down. Anyone else would just be ridiculous, in my opinion.

Best Actress (Drama):
Claire Danes for HOMELAND
Mireille Enos for THE KILLING
Julianna Margulies for THE GOOD WIFE
Madeleine Stowe for REVENGE
Callie Thorne for NECESSARY ROUGHNESS
It’s a fight to the death between past winners Claire Danes (Homeland) and Juliana Margulies (The Good Wife). I am picking Danes.

Best Actor (Comedy):
Alec Baldwin for 30 ROCK
David Duchovny for CALIFORNICATION
Johnny Galecki for THE BIG BANG THEORY
Thomas Jane for HUNG
Matt Leblanc for EPISODES
Another category that fills me with rage. The nominees just feel lazy and random. Johnny Galecki over Big Bang costar (and two time Emmy winner) Jim Parsons? No love at all for the wonderful work Joel McHale is doing on Community? Who actually WATCHES Hung? I’m guessing 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin wins by default.

Best Actress (Comedy):
Laura Dern for ENLIGHTENED
Zooey Deschanel for NEW GIRL
Tina Fey for 30 ROCK
Laura Linney for THE BIG C
Amy Poehler for PARKS AND RECREATION
In a perfect world, Amy Poehler would win for her delightful work on Parks and Recreation. However, the Globes famously love to reward Actresses from a Freshman Series, so I am betting Zooey Deschanel wins for New Girl. And I’m okay with that. The role DOES kind of scream “Golden Globe!!” to me.

Supporting Actor/Actress (Television):

Peter Dinklage for GAME OF THRONES
Paul Giamatti for TOO BIG TO FAIL
Guy Pearce for MILDRED PIERCE
Tim Robbins for CINEMA VERITE
Eric Stonestreet for MODERN FAMILY

Jessica Lange for AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Kelly Macdonald for BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Maggie Smith for DOWNTOWN ABBEY
Sofia Vergara for MODERN FAMILY
Evan Rachel Wood for MILDRED PEARCE

The Globes put ALL supporting television work (series, mini-series and motion picture made for television) in one category, which, quite frankly, is a ridiculous thing to do and an insult to supporting actors everywhere. As a coworker said to me, “It’s like comparing Apples to Hula Hoops…you can’t do it”. And it’s true. The combining of all the supporting work shuts out people who deserve recognition. Current Emmy Winners Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen (both of Modern Family) didn’t even get NOMINATED, that’s how competitive the supporting field is. I do think Jessica Lange will win for her deliciously Gothic work on American Horror Story, and I would love to see Emmy Winner Peter Dinklage pick up another trophy for Game of Thrones.

The only prediction I can make when it comes to TV Movie/Miniseries is that Mildred Pierce’s Kate Winslet will pick up her third Golden Globe award on Sunday Night. And Mildred Pierce may win the whole thing, but I’d watch out for Downton Abbey...my friends won’t shut up about how awesome it is, and I feel very left out not having seen it yet.

A friend and I plan on live tweeting the Red Carpet (starting a 6/5C on E! then at 7/6C on NBC) and show (8/7C on NBC). Follow us at @dramakim and @abrighteryellow for all the fashion, outrage and hilarity that an awards show can bring. We’ll be drinking red wine, so much like the celebrities; we’ll be more fun the longer the evening goes on.

Winter is Coming...I think.

2012-01-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

The official Game of Thrones Facebook account just posted that Season 2 will begin on April 1, 2012.

I was very excited but then I began to second guess the April 1st start date...is this an early April Fool's joke? I hope not because I cannot wait any longer for Game of Thrones to return.

At the risk of embarrassing myself with questionable information, I'm gonna run with it. Whether the announcement is real or not, winter IS coming eventually...just not soon enough for my taste.

Wil Wheaton explains it all

2012-01-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

I often think to myself about how hard it was to grow up a nerd. But, I never considered how hard it must have been to grow up as a famous nerd.

Enter Wil Wheaton.

Stand By Me

Wil broke into show business at an early age starring in Stand By Me alongside fellow child actors like Jerry O'Connell, River Phoenix and Corey Feldman before going on to play Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's easy to assume that all kid movie-stars like Wil, once they come into a little bit of money, go crazy like Tom Hanks in Big or that kid with the backwards hat in Blank Check.

The track record for Wheaton's contemporaries was less about excessive spending, however, and more about partying as most pre-pubescent starlets from the '80s were infamous booze hounds and pill heads. Lest we be too quick to judge Lindsay Lohan when Robert Downey, Jr and Drew Barrymore were doing the same things if not worse at her age, maybe even younger.

Wil Wheaton, however, was not a strung out, coked up party animal of Generation Me. He was just a nerdy kid feeling awkward in his own skin along with rest of us dorks, only he had a cooler day job. Now a card-carrying member of adulthood, Wil has moved on from childhood in both his personal life and career as do most normal people when they pass the age of puberty. Things change and life goes on, even for famous people.

However, the thing you may not know about Wil Wheaton is that he is an excellent (and accomplished) writer and has from time to time taken his thoughts about life, fame and nerdery over to his website WWdN: In Exile. It is here that I found a reminiscent Wheaton waxing poetic about the hardships of being a nerdy kid. And it was then, that I connected with Wil on a personal level and as he scoffed at his big feet in a childhood photo from some teeny bopper magazine, I found myself lamenting the size of my giant schnoz in high-school and summarily blaming it as the cause of several dateless weekend nights until college. High-school was ten plus years ago and yet some awkwardness still lingers in the crevices of insecurity where it threatens to come whizzing back at any moment like a bad acid trip that flares when you crack your back.

Wil Wheaton - Chillaxin'

I feel you Wil Wheaton. It was tough being a nerd kid but I freaking love being a nerd adult. Although, I did almost fail out of high-school because I used to stay up until 3 o'clock in the morning watching reruns of TNG on TBS but that's neither here nor there. It's refreshing to find a little honesty on the Internet these days and from a celebrity no less. Thanks for your candor and I think I speak for all your fans when I say that I am truly happy that you didn't "crawl into a hole and die" in the throws of your teenage angst.

See kids, we're all a little geeky...even famous people. So, if you ever feel down about the way you look or because you think nobody likes you, start a blog and you'll feel right as rain in about 500 words. I know I did.

Read Wil Wheaton's blog "I'll be the one with my heart in my lap" at WWdN: In Exile

There's no place like home - 'Face Off' Season 2 premieres tonight with a Return to Oz

2012-01-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

Season 2 cast of Syfy's Face Off

SyFy's hit reality make-up competition Face Off returns tonight 1/11 at 10/9c for its Sophomore season.

After almost a year since its debut in 2011, Face Off is back and 14 new contestants are once again putting their brushes on the line to snag the $100,000 prize, a year's supply of makeup and a shot to become Hollywood's next special effects superstar.

As you all may be aware Nerdsburgh has been known to throw our support from time to time towards a reality show contestant, *cough* John Cochran from Survivor: South Pacific, that we think has a shot of winning. Our pick for season two of Face Off is Greg Lightner.

Greg Lightner on Season 2 of Face Off

Greg Lightner currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA where he received a degree in marketing and advertising from Point Park University. Since Point Park is also the Alma mater of Nerdsburgh's creator Erin Wolf, yes that's me, we here at the subterranean society for nerds will be rooting for Lightner to show America what PPU grads have got to offer. If I had a pair of pom poms, I would totally be waving them right now in an embarrassing display of school spirit. But, since I don't have any pom poms and I usually like to talk about myself...I will instead include a picture of what I learned in make-up class from my days at Point Park:

Okay, so it's not great and yes, that is my real hair. I think I was going for some sort of nymph from Midsummer Night's Dream? Oh well, all I know is I think I'll stick to writing about make-up artists instead of attempting to be one of them.

Good luck tonight Greg, we'll be watching!

To learn more about Greg Lightner check out Pittsburgh Post Gazette's article Reality Check: Local man relishes the 'Face Off' on Syfy reality competition

My goldfish's name is Eduardo

2012-01-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

My favorite thing about social media sites used to be public declarations of the entirely mundane and borderline boring details of people's ordinary lives. Now, Facebook status updates are less about what cuss word little Suzy said to Santa at the mall and more about what new business venture little Suzy's mom is into between a load of whites and towels. Not that I mind supporting the career paths of friends, it's just that, well...I really want to know..."what's on your mind?"

I miss being amused by anecdotes from the lives of my friends and in a way, it was these little snapshots of their lives that helped me keep in touch. In a philosophical sense, I would often read my friend's scattered thoughts on weather and dogs and think "oh, that's so my friends." Then I would often shrug, turn off the computer and have an overwhelming feeling that all was right with the world.

Now-a-days, our freedom of expression on social media sites is limited only to professional courtesies and the very vanilla ramblings of a group of people so diverse that it now includes Facebook Friends such as church pastors, nosy bosses, and "hip" moms and grandmas. The technological learning curve for the rest of the population has finally caught up to those of us who thought we could frolic in an uncensored digital utopia until the end of time. But, alas, our once happy field of flowers and updates with cuss words has been invaded and the playground of limitless expression is more like a casino where the eye in the sky is monitored by grandparents, CEOs and social marketing strategists.

So, in an effort to bring back the wonderful simplicity of an online world that no longer exists...here are some thoughts about my goldfish Eduardo:

I have a goldfish, or rather my son has a goldfish that I take care of. His name is Eduardo. Eduardo is three years old, which is only the length of time he has lived with us since we brought him home from the pet store, so he could be older. Most people assume that the Eduardo that exists today is not the original, since three years is quite a long life- span for a fish, but I assure you that he is the one and only.

Having a goldfish reminds me of my grandfather who passed away several years ago. Not that my grandfather has any resemblance to a fish, that would be weird, but I think of him often when taking care of Eduardo because he used to keep goldfish in a large tank underneath his greenhouse. As a child, I can remember every Sunday my dad and I would go over to my grandparent's house for a big dinner with my aunts and uncles and cousins, which turned out to be a lot of people because my dad was one of five kids.

My favorite part about visiting my grandparent's house, besides hanging out with my many cousins who were the same age as me, was feeding the fish in the greenhouse.

My cousins and I would scramble over each other down the stairs to the basement of their 100 year old house in Nashville. We would tip-toe through the dark cellar with paint peeling off the ancient stone walls until we reached the door that lead to the greenhouse. Once through the door, I always had the sensation of entering into a strange new world. The greenhouse was...well, green but that was mostly because of the green paneling on the roof and the walls. Inside Grandaddy's greenhouse were hundreds of blooming Orchids. So, when you stepped through the doors of his flower haven the air smelled sweet and it was always warm and humid in there like a jungle in South America.

Our Nikes with the pumps and Keds covered in splatter paint from Girl Scout Camp, would skid through the pebbles that lined the walkways until we reached the grates in the center of the rows and rows of flowers that filled the room like a floral labyrinth. If you looked down between the bars on the grates, you could see a pool of water about five feet below the ground. And, if you waited long enough, orange fish the size of a boombox would surface at the vibration of excited kid feet. My grandfather would then pass around an old plastic cup, no doubt an acquisition from a Sounds game which was Nashville's minor league baseball team. My Grandaddy had season tickets and one of us was always bringing back cups and tiny baseball bats as souvenirs from the games.

We would take handfuls of the fish food, which seems a lot like dry dog food pellets now that I think about it, and sprinkle them into the water below. I would imagine that if I commanded the fish to do tricks that one day I might train them like circus dogs but I never could hold on to the food long enough. Those fish always seemed so hungry, I would often dump my whole hand in one spot just to see them jump for the food.

As I look at my fish in my own little one and half gallon tank, it makes me sad that I don't have an underground well for him to swim around in like my Grandfather did for his fish. It's true what they say, ya know, about goldfish growing as big as the tank will allow them to grow. My Grandaddy's fish were bigger than my feet and sometimes I even thought there might be a bigger mama fish that only circled the very bottom of the tank because she was too giant to surface.

So, now I have a goldfish of my own. He's not as big or nearly as old as my grandfather's brood but he's a fine fish and every time I take a pinch of food and sprinkle it on the water he shakes his fins like the other fish used to do. I watch as my fish rushes to the surface of his tank and nibbles at the red flakes and I think of my Grandfather and his house of orchids with the fish underneath. And for those few minutes in the morning and at night when I'm feeding my fish, I feel happy.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Let's fall in love and kill some bad guys!

2012-01-05T14:38:00.000-05:00

It's the first week of January and I can say with some confidence that no one has heard from me for about five days. It's not that I didn't have a great holiday, I did, or that I'm depressed, I'm not, it's just that...well, I've been busy...

Unlike the rest of you, my fellow Nerdsburghians, when I received the latest Legend of Zelda installment Skyward Sword in a little brown box two weeks before Christmas, I didn't open it. Nope. I may have gazed longingly at the cover art through the shiny shrink wrap, I may have even cuddled it a little, but I did not open it. Instead, I dutifully wrapped the game tightly in Santa paper and shoved it under the tree to be opened, as presents should be, on Christmas morning. I have to admit, for one who is not historically a patient person, this was a particularly agonizing wait. Day after day I had to endure constant Twitter gushings of how Skyward Sword was the greatest of all Zeldas. But, despite constantly bypassing glowing online reviews, sidestepping spoilers like land mines and avoiding persistent pressure by my eager peers to give in, my copy remained encased under a thin layer of smiling Santas, mocking me with its awesomeness, until the sun rose on the morning of December 25th.

Read more about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword after the jump:

So, Christmas came and went and I did finally open my precious Zelda. However, the glory was short lived for I was then delayed further by the obvious physical distance to my home console (yeah right like I was gonna start the greatest Legend of Zelda game ever made on my Brother in Law's system). Gah.

And then finally, on January 1st, 2012 I pulled my new desk chair into the living room, popped some long lasting Lithium batteries into my Wii remote and began to play. And that's what I've been doing ever since, only taking breaks to eat (Frosted Flakes cereal and M&Ms mostly), change diapers (not mine, my two year old's) and go to work (cuz I hafta).

Now, before I give my two cents, I must disclose that I am by no means a professional gamer nor do I pretend to be any sort of Zelda expert.  I am just a nerd who really likes this super great game I got for Christmas and I just thought since I like it so much, I'm gonna put forth my thoughts about it.

Let me start off by saying, having a Wii in an Xbox/Playstation world is not easy. It seems that while I'm still driving MarioKart around and hoping for new Resident Evil editions to be released, other systems have moved on to bigger and better things like Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim and the remoteless Kinect for Xbox 360. So for the first time, after adoring Nintendo gaming systems since the days of Paperboy and Castlevania, I began to harbor feelings of regret for choosing the Nintendo Wii above all the others.

That is...until now.

Enter The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and the reason why my entire family probably thinks I'm dead because I haven't answered my phone in a little over a week.

Skyward Sword opens with an elaborate series of cut scenes that set up the back story to this particular installment of Zelda. The scenes are longer and more cinematic than any opening to a video game of recent memory. With cinematic flair, Skyward spends a lot of time before game play even begins telling the story of Link and Zelda. In the past, Zelda stories have always focused on the adventure Link takes to save the Princess while omitting more of the mushy gushy love parts. In Skyward Sword, however, we see Link and Zelda as childhood friends living on Skyloft and growing up together. The moments between the young lovers are, dare I say, sweet and tender. For the first time in the entire series of Legend of Zelda, I actually feel a hero's pressure to beat the bad guys and save the day. The added story elements, while sometimes lengthy, truly do enhance play when the gamer truly cares about the characters and feels as if there is purpose to reaching the end game.

Logistically, playing Skyward Sword is an absolute joy. Unlike other Wii games where the player is called upon to hold up the remote uncomfortably and continuously point at the screen for hours on end, Skyward employs the toggle on the nunchuk to move the little guy in green around saving arm muscle strength for more important boss battles.

Swordplay throughout the game is better than it has ever been. Enemies have moves designed specifically for each character and part of beating them is knowing their pattern of movement and how they fight, certain bad guys even anticipate Link's swordsmanship!

Notorious for pressing buttons wildly and swinging my remote around the room with reckless abandon, I often feel that while playing Skyward Sword, my slices and jabs are less random and lucky and more calculated and purposeful. Although, I do have to say that, while satisfying, the "final blow" feature may be a little too violent for young players.

Regarding general gameplay, I think the fact that I haven't stopped thinking about and playing the game for five days speaks volumes about its level of enjoyment. I have always loved particular aspects unique to playing a Legend of Zelda game such as usable methods of travel to other worlds (like the sailboat in Wind Waker and the horse in Twilight Princess) and the silly characters (Beetle with his airship and the desperate coat check girl) and of course the whimsical side-quests (where's Kukiel and don't forget my hot pumpkin soup!). Skyward Sword has everything I have ever loved about Zelda and yet, has somehow managed to retain all of this and make it better.

I believe at this point, my recommendation is an obvious one. If you didn't get The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Christmas, scold your family for not knowing you at all and then go buy it yourself. I got the one with the CD attached so I can listen to the score of the game anytime I want. You don't have to be THAT hardcore but I just wanted you to know that it was out there in case you looking for some new music to work out to.

So, whether you are a novice or experienced gamer living in a lonely world of Wii games...this is a must buy! Follow along as young Link and Zelda fall in muted love while they fly on Loftwings and travel down light tunnels alongside a water skiing purple guide named Fi. It's a love story for the ages and an adventure for all time, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the best video game I've ever played. Now if that's not commitment, then I don't know what is.

A Tolkien fan's reaction to THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY trailer

2011-12-31T10:34:00.002-05:00

This article was written exclusively for Nerdsburgh by resident Tolkien enthusiast:

JOSH WOLF

The green screen declared that the following preview had been approved for all audiences and I was already excited. By the time Gollum hissed, “What is a Bagginses, precious?” I was downright giddy. When the trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ended I thought, “Wow, Peter Jackson did it again!” Then I realized with some anxiousness, “Peter Jackson did it again.” Let me explain.

I lived my teenage years in standard nerd fashion – Boy Scouts, marching band, drama club, Civil War reenacting, and Dungeons and Dragons. Like most nerds I was (and am) an avid reader and since the age of thirteen, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been my favorite books. My last reading brought my count to fifteen and I have read The Hobbit almost as many times.

I loved Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring – in so many ways, he created on film the Middle Earth I had pictured so often in my mind. I could quibble about the absence of Tom Bombadil or the mediocre acting of Liv Tyler, but all in all the movie was a masterpiece. The Two Towers was great, as well. It was not the masterpiece that Fellowship was, but it set the stage wonderfully for The Return of the King, which has always been the best of Tolkien’s work in my opinion. Unfortunately, when Return was released I found myself sorely disappointed. From the Army of the Damned to the warrior acrobatics of Legolas, I felt like Jackson emphasized CGI over story. The omission of the scourging of the Shire was a terrible decision. The re-imagining of Faramir into a more Boromir-like character made no sense. I do not hate The Return of the King, but I do not love it either. I liked the movie, but to see the strongest book turned into the weakest movie was, in my opinion, truly heart-breaking.

Will Peter Jackson once again shatter my fragile nerd psyche with The Hobbit movies? My gut reaction based off the trailer is a hopeful no.

The first of the two Hobbit movies, entitled An Unexpected Journey, looks awesome...and I mean that in the most literal way possible. Like the trilogy, The Hobbit was also filmed in the picturesque landscape of New Zealand. Ian Mckellan will once again portray the mighty Gandalf while the role of Bilbo Baggins will be played by Martin Freeman, who is an ideal cross between Elijah Wood’s Frodo and Ian Holm’s elderly Bilbo from the movie trilogy. The dwarves as a whole are great at a glance and their song gave me goose bumps however, if there is anything that gives me pause, it is Bombur who looks a bit cartoonish in his obesity.

If the goal of a successful movie trailer is to make a movie look so appealing consumers are willing to spend their hard earned money on $10-15 bucks a ticket, then The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey trailer succeeds on all counts. If this movie came out next week instead of next year, I might be writing this from a tent pitched next to my local AMC instead of from the comfort of my living room.

In conclusion, it is with nervous anticipation and hopeful excitement that I anxiously await the first of the two Hobbit films. In the meantime, however, I will reread The Hobbit and maybe the trilogy and ponder how Smaug will look when the second Hobbit movie is released in the all too distant future, December 2013.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14, 2012

The Hobbit: There and Back Again - December 13, 2013

Penny Arcade publishes revealing email exchanges from rude PR Firm, Ocean Marketing

2011-12-27T22:29:00.006-05:00

It's understandable to get a little stressed out around the holidays. But, unfortunately, if you work in customer service you will always be at the losing end of a who-was-right-and-who-was-wrong argument...especially if said customer has a copied thread of an entire month's worth of email exchanges including insanely unprofessional, condescending and grammatically incorrect rants all saved in one publishable, compact document.

Early this morning, such an email exchange documenting a discrepancy over the shipping dates of a gaming controller between Ocean Marketing PR representative Paul Christoforo and a disgruntled customer named Dave was published on the Internet for all the world to see. The email captures a belligerent Christoforo bullying the concerned customer who apparently just wanted an update on the estimated arrival date of his already paid for purchase.

The emails started a few months ago when Dave ordered a new gaming controller in the hopes of giving it as a gift for Christmas. As the case with online purchases, Dave was given an estimated shipping date at the time of the initial transaction. However, when the product failed to arrive on the promised day, Dave then began what would become a series of emails with the Ocean Marketing representative politely inquiring after his order.

After several weeks, several emails and no results, Mike brought his plight to the attention of Mike Krahulik, one of the founders of a popular gaming website called Penny Arcade. Krahulik not only stood up for the frustrated consumer, but took Dave's cause to a public forum and posted the whole body of the explicit email thread on his website http://penny-arcade.com/resources/just-wow1.html.

Mike Krahulik

Once Mike shared the emails on Penny Arcade, the ignorant sad sack at Ocean Marketing became instant fodder for Internet pundits, defensive nerds and well...just about anyone who has ever felt jilted by a customer service representative.

With the full weight of nerd nation behind him, will Mike's "email expose" be enough to put a careless company like Ocean Marketing in jeopardy? I mean the rep. did claim to be "moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month," and from what I've read the product in question, the PS3 Avenger, is a highly desired item as a modified controller for disabled gamers.

Dave himself even continues in the email chain to defend the quality and necessity of the product to Krahulik even after Ocean Marketing's horrible treatment, "I’m really gonna feel bad if I think that sick children may somewhere down the line have fewer avenger controllers because I got into a pissing match with a sad old man. Please don’t cancel their booth on my account. As much as I hate this asshole, I still WANT his product and think it should be out there. GAH, I wish I was in a position to make a competing product to really stick it to guy."

So, will all this hubub actually make a difference?

Technically the Avenger Controller is made by N-Control which is good news for gamers who really want to buy this product and might, in light of the controversy, have a hard time putting any money into the pockets of a group of people who clearly don't have the consumer's best interest as a top priority. It also makes it harder to boycott or penalize Ocean Marketing from a consumer standpoint. Also, despite its missteps and apparent inability to spell (and even though every computer I've ever worked with has some sort of spellcheck feature) Ocean Marketing claims to work, know and/or distribute to several other large gaming corporations such as "all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way." So, beyond public outrage I don't know if there is much we can do as consumers to bring about true justice for those wronged.

But, hopefully, thanks to the immediacy of the Internet and the power of an angry digital (and nerdy) mob, maybe this time the customer will actually get to be right and Mike and Dave's little slingshot will topple the meany, illiterate giant. Maybe. Til then, keep fighting the good fight holiday consumers and always remember to stand up for your right to information and keep all receipts.

P.S.
Even though I encourage you to read the entire email on Penny Arcade's website, here are some highlights from the infamous email exchange:

The professional public relations expert at Ocean Marketing, Paul Christoforo when speaking with "valued customer" Dave:

"Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up."

After Paul from Ocean Marketing figures out who Mike Krahulik is, he shamefully inquires if Mike is going to CES and Mike responds:

"Please remove me from this mailing list."

After Penny Arcade posted Paul Christoforo's Twitter name at the end of the article, Paul changed it from the misspelled @oceanmarketting to the just as embarrassing name @oceanstratagy.

Brew Day!

2011-12-26T08:54:00.027-05:00

All riiiiight. Happy day-after-Christmas, everyone. I assume everyone asked for, and received, all the items I described in my rundowns of the ingredients and equipment needed to brew beer at home. So let's get started! Today we'll be making a Bavarian Hefeweizen. This is a surprisingly simple beer to make, for how delicious the finished product tends to be.

The recipe:
1 pkg Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat yeast
5 lb Briess Bavarian Wheat dry alt extract (DME)
2 oz Hallertau (3.3% AA) hop pellets
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Anyway, first things first. I'm using liquid yeast, which needs to be refrigerated before use, but brought to room temperature at the time of its use. This means about an hour or two before I start brewing, the yeast needs to come out of the fridge to start warming up, and the "smack pack" inside needs to be broken to begin the yeast's feeding/reproduction. Do this and set it aside.

Now, what makes this beer so easy to make is that you skip one of the usual first steps, the grain steep. For this beer, start with 2 1/2 gallons of hot water, and mix in your malt extract. Give it a good stir and then start the heat, being careful that no clumps of extract have settled and stuck to the bottom of the brewpot. This mixture of water and malt extract is now referred to as wort.

Once you've reached a rolling boil, add your hops and note the time. This recipe requires no further hop additions beyond this one; many other styles of beer, especially hoppy beers like IPAs, will have the brewer adding hope at numerous later points in the brew. Alas, not today.
Be careful when you do this, however; it's around this time in the process that the wort has a tendency to boil over and cause a huge mess all over the stovetop. Have your hand on the dial to kill the heat for a moment in case this reaction makes an appearance.

Stir, stir, stir. You want to boil the hops for a full hour, taking care not to let anything settle and scorch at the bottom of the pot. As occasional stir every five or ten minutes is usually ample.

After about 45 minutes, I like to add a half teaspoon of yeast nutrient, which helps the yeast to reproduce and eat more sugar, thereby providing me with a stronger beer. Ahh, science.

Right around here is when I want to make my ice bath. Y'see, the beer is boiling hot, and we have to cool it down before we can add the yeast to it. You want to make this happen as quickly as possible, and the best way is to fill your sink with ice and water, and dunk your pot in to cool.

...Like so. The pot absolutely has to have a lid on during this stage, because the beer is especially vulnerable to atmospheric influences while it's cooling, which then cause off-flavors in the finished product.

While the beer is cooling, I'm over here working hard, mixing my sanitizer solution with warm water. I'm using this solution to thoroughly clean out and disinfect any and all items which the beer will be touching after it has cooled down, most notably my fermenter and its lid.

Once it's cool, around 65° F, you're gonna pull it out of the bath. Nearby, you've got your fermenter, to which you've added two gallons or so of water. Tap water is fine, if you don't mind the taste of your tap water (duh). You're gonna pour the wort through your sanitized strainer (did I not mention that you want to use a strainer? It's not 100% necessary but I'd recommend it) and into the fermenter. Check the liquid volume of the beer, adding extra water if necessaryto bring the mix to five gallons.

The leftover sludge in the strainer is composed mostly of hop material, but don't toss it until you've muddled it around, pressed it down with your (now sanitized) stirring spoon and squeezed all the liquid out of it and into the beer. Lots of good hop flavor comes from this stage and that's not usually something I care to miss out on.

Right now, just before you add the yeast, you want the beer to encounter lots and lots of oxygen - a reversal from the desired situation after you've added the yeast. I like to pour the beer back and forth between my fermenter and my brewpot a few times, making lots of bubbles and being careful not to spill all over the kitchen floor.

While you're doing this, catch a sample of your beer in the long plastic tube that came with your hydrometer. Bring this to 60° F (a minute in the freezer will do it) and drop in the hydrometer. Note the scale on the side that reads "specific gravity" - log this reading. It's your "original gravity" reading, and we'll use it to find out how strong our beer is later. This time, mine came in at 1.048.

As you can see, by now your yeast has had three to five hours to begin "waking up". The package should hopefully be considerably fatter than it was when you took it out of the fridge. It might get so big you think it's going to pop - it's never happened to me, so don't open your yeast package until you're ready to use it. The beer should be around 65° or so, but a few degrees off in one direction or the other doesn't seem to make a huge difference.

Sanitize the exterior of the yeast package before you open it. If you use a knife to cut it open, sanitize the knife. It's just better to spend a few extra seconds to avoid harming the beer down the road. I like to pour half the beer into my brewpot first; then, I add the liquid yeast to the remaining beer in the fermenter, being sure not to let the nutrient package (smack pack) inside fall into the beer; and finally, I gently pour the remaining half of the beer back into the fermenter, allowing the yeast to mix thoroughly with the beer.

Pop the sanitized lid on the fermenter, and affix your airlock (not pictured) in the hole in the lid. Then lug this tub of goodness to a dark area where the temperature is stable, somewhere between 65° and 75° F. For hefeweizens, you'll actually want it to be on the higher end of the two; at higher temperatures, yeast tends to produce esters, which give beer a fruity flavor that tastes great in hefeweizens but not so great in other beers.

And you're done! You were scared, I know. You probably expect your beer to taste like garbage. Well, it won't. Check in on it in a few hours, and then a few hours more... soon you'll be seeing living proof that your efforts paid off. Otherwise, relax and let the yeast do the worrying.

The Resurgence of the Ugly Christmas Sweater

2011-12-23T02:28:00.003-05:00

What was uncool is now cool again.

Tis the season to pack up the swimsuits and tank tops and bust out the cool weather clothes and most importantly...the sweaters. Only this year, along with the Cashmere Cardigans and bulky cable knits feel confidant that you can finally release the snowflake reindeer sweater that has been locked away in shame at the bottom of the "winter clothes" storage bin for the last five years.

What constitutes as an Ugly Christmas Sweater, you ask? Well, aside from the obvious, it's a sweater that is both ugly and Christmas themed, the U.C.S. can be easily identified by its garishly bright colors, the appearance of overabundant decoration such as fringe and/or sequins and is often home-made by a lonely spinster aunt or doting hobbyist grandmother (I personally like my sweaters with snowflakes and reindeer because they remind me of winter and cozy cabins).

But, Ugly Christmas Sweaters are so much more than laughable novelty items such as headbands with antlers attached or a flashing Christmas light necklace. They represent family and not just because the only place you would normally wear this hideous garment is around...well...your family.

When I think of these gaudy sweaters, I imagine everyone's favorite TV dad Tim Allen slicing into a steaming turkey at the head of a fully trimmed and crowded table at Christmas Eve dinner. Yet, somehow this previously hokey tradition, previously exclusive holiday fare for corny dads and jokey uncles only, has become a mainstream fashion trend and it seems that all the kids are doing it (even Amazon sells Ugly Christmas Sweaters).

Despite the recent popularity of jumping on the its offbeat and hip to "dress like a dork" bandwagon, I believe that the spirit of the U.C.S. cannot be purchased, and certainly not ordered over the Internet with free shipping. In my opinion, the only authentic and acceptable Ugly Christmas Sweaters are home-made with the loving capable hands of a family member, or a "close enough to call family" member.

In the Harry Potter series, Mrs. Weasley makes each of her kids sweaters every Christmas with their initials sewn onto the front. Then, when poor Harry has no one to give him a present during the holidays, Mrs. Weasley goes and makes a sweater for him too. You see, it's not the ugliness of the sweater that is meaningful but the fact that someone took the time and energy to make something extra-special for another person in the spirit of the holidays.

Like costumes at Halloween or champagne at New Year's, the Ugly Christmas Sweater is also an excellent way to show Holiday spirit.

More whimsical companies have even begun to host "Ugly Sweater" office parties in an effort to encourage employees to get into the holiday mood. And why not? Football fans wear their favorite jerseys to sporting events, the Irish don green clothing on Saint Patrick's Day and even overzealous college kids sport togas to show their Greek pride. Why shouldn't Christmas have a new uniform aside from the magic-destroying Santa Suits and lingerie-esque sexy Mrs. Clause outfits?

So, I say we heat up some Hot Chocolate and slip into something a little more comfortable this Christmas Eve.  Free the ugly sweater and make Aunt Belinda proud that you're actually wearing her gift. You can always pack it away again along with the Christmas lights after New Year.

Some fun websites and photos of Ugly Christmas Sweaters across the Internet:

http://www.uglychristmassweaterparty.com/
Tis the Season for Ugly Christmas Sweaters!
10 Hilariously Ugly Christmas Sweaters
13 Painfully Ugly Christmas Sweaters

NBC hires Howard Stern as newest judge on "America's Got Talent"

2011-12-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

The last time I watched America's Got Talent was in the summer of 2006 during a not so lovely stay in the hospital after the birth of my first child.

Bed-ridden and sequestered to a small room in the maternity ward, basic cable was all that I had to keep me company. So, out of all the notoriously bad television that aired during those summer months I settled on watching episodes of the first season of America's Got Talent (also known as AGT). Suffice it to say, I was none too impressed with the beauty pageant-esque child talent hamming it up on stage nor was I charmed at all by the first season's panel of judges David Hasselhoff, Brandy and Piers Morgan (It wasn't until subsequent seasons of the show that Brandy was canned, Piers became more out-spoken and "The Hoff" started taping himself eating burgers while under the influence). So, after spending regrettable hours viewing episodes from AGT's Freshman Season, I eventually just turned off the television and wished I had spent that time watching Shark Week reruns on the Discovery Channel instead.

But all that changed on December 15th when Howard Stern announced on his SiriusXM radio show that he will be replacing Piers Morgan as the newest judge on season seven of the popular NBC reality series America's Got Talent.

It's been almost five years since that first viewing and, thanks to Howard Stern, I now have cause to re-tune in to what looks to be the most extensive and all-inclusive talent search program since Ed McMahon hosted Star Search in the early nineties.

Stern's decision to join AGT comes as no surprise to avid fans of The Howard Stern Show where he has openly admitted an affinity for the televised national talent hunt and has been known to subject staff and listeners to critiques on weekly results over the past few seasons.

But of course, where there is a Howard Stern there is controversy. Critics of the shock jock have wasted no time in voicing their disapproval of NBC's decision to hire the popular radio personality to appear in a "family oriented" program such as America's Got Talent.

In response to the negative backlash amongst worrisome viewers, Howard called into Piers' CNN talk show Piers Morgan Tonight last week where he defended his abilities to be a competent judge and reassured dissenters that he will take the position quite seriously:

“They start to complain that I’m some sort of weird pervert who’s going to convert Americans into zombie sex fiends but I can assure you and the rest of America what I’m looking at here is to be a very good judge”

Often misunderstood by "outsiders" or non-listeners of his show, Howard Stern will most likely display a side his personality that I predict will be more Simon Cowell than Larry Flynt. He will bring to the infamous AGT judge's table a crippling honesty and refreshingly sharp wit not seen since the early seasons of American Idol.

If there is any talent left in America that Disney hasn't already herded into a theme park or cast in a television show, rest assured middle America that Howard Stern will be the one to find it.

COMMUNITY outreach - Kim Rogers speaks out against possible cancellation of the NBC comedy Community

2011-12-15T13:40:00.002-05:00

A NERDSBURGH EXCLUSIVE WRITTEN BY POP CULTURE EXPERT:

KIM ROGERS

Follow Kim on Twitter @dramakim

I’m a certifiable Pop Culture Junkie. And I watch a LOT of TV. I have loved and lost many shows (I still miss you, Pushing Daisies), but I have never done anything about it. I would say “Oh, that sucks,” and then move on and find a new show to love. This all changed the night I came home from a work event and found out that NBC had put Community on “hiatus” beginning in January.

In case you were wondering about that “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” you might have heard around 10 PM on November 14th? That was me.

Community

So, I did what any concerned citizen would do, I took my outrage to Twitter and Facebook. But it wasn't enough, so I emailed executives at NBC. Then, I reached out to the Internet and connected with other Community fans (speaking of Community fans, they are awesome…and very passionate about saving this show) and inevitably found myself jumping feet first into a “Save Community!” campaign.

Let’s get a few things straight. Community is NOT cancelled. NBC has NOT reduced the order of episodes (like ABC did recently with another benched fan favorite Cougar Town), and the show is still in production (unlike Prime Suspect, which was also left off the midseason schedule and shut down production immediately). So, it is highly likely that Community’s third season will air in its entirety (there are 12 episodes remaining), and if it is brought back by early March, it will air in its entirety within the span of the traditional TV Season. Yes, I pulled out my calendar and did the math.

Another point in Community’s favor for not only coming back, but for getting a 4th season, is the fact that a 4th season would put it at the magic number of episodes to sell it into syndication, and that is where the big bucks lie.

“Save this Show” campaigns are nothing new. In recent memory, fans bombarded CBS with nearly 20 tons of nuts to protest the cancellation of Jericho which brought the show back for an abbreviated second season to tie up all the loose ends. The campaign to save another NBC show, Chuck, has got to be one of the most successful campaigns in TV history, combining letter writing and fans buying foot-long subs from corporate sponsor Subway. It bought the show two more seasons. It may have not been a fan-led campaign, but a deal with DirectTV and NBC (…is there a trend here?) saved the critically beloved but low-rated Friday Night Lights. So “Save this Show” campaigns CAN work if they are done correctly.

Why was Community yanked from the schedule in the first place? The ratings were not there, plain and simple. This is where I get angry, because I strongly feel that the way we measure TV ratings is broken. Who ARE these people who have Nielsen boxes and why do they only watch Wipeout and The Jersey Shore? I don’t know a single person who has a Nielsen box. So why are these people speaking for me when it comes to what stays on and off my television set? Why can’t EVERYONE who has a TV have some sort of method to be counted? It is also a fact that we watch TV differently now, with the advent of technologies like DVR, online streaming, and downloading episodes from iTunes; the way we come up with a ratings system has GOT to change. But, sadly, the Nielsen system is what determines ad sales, and ad sales determine revenue, and revenue for the network is the bottom line. How can my Twitter feed explode with 11 different worldwide trending topics related to Community’s December 8th Christmas episode and the overnight ratings actually DROP? People were watching! It’s not like a tiny group of people can create a worldwide trending topic so specific to an episode like “Merry Changmas”! But clearly, no one on Twitter that night had a Nielsen Box.

Lastly, why do I think Community is worth saving? Because there is no other show like it on television, that’s why. It doesn’t always go for the easy laugh. It takes all the sitcom tropes we know and turns them on their head. For example, instead of a traditional sitcom clip show, Community gave us the brilliant “Paradigms of Human Memory” which was a clip show made of entirely new footage. Is there another show on TV that would do attempt an ambitious episode like “Remedial Chaos Theory” (where we saw 7 different timelines of what would happen depending on which member of the Study Group left the room to go pick up a pizza)? No. There isn’t.

Community features one of the best ensembles on television and it is written by people who clearly love all things pop culture. The show is firing on all cylinders creatively. I haven’t had a show that has consistently brought me so much joy in 22 minutes in a long time. It deserves to be able to tell the story that creator Dan Harmon mapped out from the beginning. And I think that all along (despite our adopted hashtag of #sixseasonsandamovie) that story has been a 4 year story. While I would love to have this fantastic show around forever, I really just want to see Jeff Winger and his Study Group graduate from Greendale.

If you want to know more about the various efforts being made to save Community, check out http://savecommunitynow.blogspot.com/. It’s the most comprehensive site out there, featuring everything from addresses for NBC execs to lists of advertisers and their contact info. Last year’s Emmy winning Claymation episode, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” airs tonight on NBC at 8/7C. I dare you to watch it and NOT be charmed.

George Takei calls for all Sci-Fi fans to band together against Twilight

2011-12-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

It's the age old battle that has divided nerds for over 30 years, which is better Star Trek or Star Wars?

Personally, I think the argument is a silly one and liken it to debating apples vs oranges for the mere fact that they are both round. And, if we're being quite frank, I often find that true fans don't typically waste their breath debating about this sort of thing. The only people that seem to discuss Star Trek vs Star Wars are non-nerdy noobs that get the titles confused because they both have the word "star" in them (they're also the ones that call it Star "Track" with the blissful ignorance of a naked baby).

But, that said, George Takei is a funny, lovable guy and as for the video (embedded below) in which he calls for "Star Peace" amongst fans is clever and well done. I don't necessarily have a problem with the video, or the proposed nerd battle royale between Star Wars and Star Trek fans. The point I do take umbrage with is when the typically tolerant and diplomatic George Takei, self proclaimed broker of star peace, calls for a unified front of Trek and Star Wars fans to team up against the fanatical mob of Twilight teens.

Nerd battles are funny and coupled with our keen ability to make fun ourselves, the intellectual sparring amongst nerds can be totally hilarious, witty and more fun to watch than a couple of fatties wrestling in a baby pool of green jello. But, this proposed Twilight war has a nasty undertone of nerd bullying and as the elders of nerd fandom, we have an obligation to be the mature ones and resist the urge to pull our younger sister's pigtails, not suggest a more united hair pulling campaign.

If anything, we Star Trek and Star Wars fans should pity the younger generation that is forced to grow up with Edward and Jacob instead of Skywalker, Kirk and Picard. I say, put down those cans of sparkly vampire whoop-ass and relax fans, take solace that the next generation is going to preserve our hard-fought and hard-won right to nerdiness in pop culture. So, until the final Twilight movie is forever out of theaters, I'm afraid we'll have to bite our tongues until the "junior nerd" frenzy subsides and they realize that there are much better movies and books to geek out about. Like Whitney said, the children are our future so let's preserve our nerd heritage.

C'mon Takei, make space love not space hate and leave the teeny boppers alone. Let them swoon for now George, they'll come around eventually.

The 12 Lists of Christmas...List

2011-12-13T02:04:00.003-05:00

'Tis the season to...make lists?

I'm doing it and I know all of you are too because let's face it, Santa ain't the only one making lists and checking them twice around this time of year.

So, I thought since all of Nerdsburgh already has their pen and paper out, I might as well provide a few fun lists to add to the notepad. Ya know, lists of people and items besides Christmas Card addresses, Uncle Bob's favorite pie fillings and instructions on the proper way to stuff a turkey.

Oh and also, I just really like making lists. I'm not so good at crossing them off, but boy do I like making them.

So without further ado, your 12 Lists of Christmas...List:

1. CANDY CANE MARTINI INGREDIENTS:
1. Vanilla Vodka
2. Peppermint Schnapps
3. Creme de Cacao
4. Heavy Whipping Cream

Swirl raspberry syrup (Grenadine doesn't stick to the glass as well as dessert syrup) around the bottom of a martini glass for color. Coat the rim of the glass with powdered peppermint or crushed Candy Canes, shake to chill and strain.

2. LIST OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MUSIC:

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas: Vince Guaraldi Trio
This is the perfect music to listen to while snuggling up on the sofa and gazing at the Christmas Tree.

2. Alabama Christmas
I'm a southern girl. My love for this album is wrapped up in moments from a childhood of Christmases spent in Tennessee.
3. Under the Mistletoe: Justin Beiber
We have to be sorta relevant with new music, right? Plus, I'm not gonna lie, I like the Drummer Boy remake and Mariah is on the album too featuring her Christmas mega hit "All I Want for Christmas is You."
4. John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
Classic carols sung by the quaint, homey voice of Denver mixed with muppet mayhem, what more could you ask?

3. LIST OF WEBSITES WITH AWESOME CHRISTMAS LISTS...now this is just getting silly...
1. The Twelve Lists of Christmas from RealSimple.com:
12 lists each featuring helpful topics ranging from "11 Holiday Fun Facts to Drop into Party Small Talk" to "10 Holiday Toasts" and the inspiration for this article.
2. My Christmas Wish List website:
Similar to a wedding or baby gift registry, this website is a place where you can request specific gift items and others can see if that item was already bought.
3. Blastr.com's Holiday Gift Guide for 2011:
From Star Trek Federation Combadges to Doctor Who bow ties, this site from the Syfy Online Network has lots of gift ideas for your favorite hard-to-buy for nerd.
4. Think Geek.com:
The 2011 Holiday Gift Guide from ThinkGeek.com has some of the weirdest and most innovative gifts for nerds I've seen this season.

4. LIST OF ITEMS NEEDED TO MAKE THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVE OUTFIT:
1. Traditional Santa hat
$6.00
Aside from being festive, this hat will keep your head warm in the absence of a cozy fireplace.

2. Jumpsuit
$49.95
Why should children be the only ones that get to wear onesies? I just hope this one has a butt-flap.

3. Duck Boots
$49.99
With any luck, it will be snowing on Christmas Eve and these duck boots will come in handy when you are running to the store for more egg nog.

4. Christmas Socks
$17.95
It's the only time of year I get to wear my Christmas socks. Will you let me have this one time to make my feet feel cozy and festive? Please?

5. LIST OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

1. A Christmas Carol (1984)
There are a million and a half versions of Dicken's A Christmas Carol but this one is the best...and my favorite.
2. Yogi's First Christmas (1980)
Timeless yet overlooked made for TV Christmas animated feature. Take that island of misfit toys.
3. Elf (2003)
An instant holiday classic and possibly Will Ferrell's greatest performance...ever.
4. A Christmas Story (1983)
If you have never seen A Christmas Story then you probably hate Christmas and cute children in puffy coats.
5. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
It's rumored that the muppets might host the Oscars? Before they were so famous, they once made a version of A Christmas Carol too.
6. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It's a Wonderful Life is really an any time kind of film but there's something about watching it at Christmas time that always gets me.
7. Holiday Inn (1942)
Holiday Inn is way better than White Christmas. I said it, therefore it is true.
8. The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause is a fun, family film that uses very clever word play of the word "clause." It also stars Tim Allen, who everyone thinks of as their dad.
9. Love, Actually (2003)
This movie is great. I don't care if it's Christmas or trash day, I will watch it any time.
10. Home Alone (1990)
Holiday hijinks and bad guys getting the tops of their scalps burned off? I'm in.
11. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
There's something about the Peanuts gang dancing to "Linus and Lucy" that makes me feel Christmasy.
12. Prep and Landing (2010)
A clever and well written animated made for TV movie about the elves that "prep" houses for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve.

6. LIST OF CHEESY CHRISTMAS MADE FOR TV MOVIES:

1. 12 Men of Christmas:
Kristin Chenoweth leaves her job and moves from New York to Montana after her boyfriend has an illicit affair with her boss. She finds love in the sweeping landscapes of big sky country with one of the hunky locals during Christmas. Oh, and Anna Chlumsky from My Girl plays her quirky assistant and Montana confidant which turns out to be a plus.
2. A Golden Christmas:
Jessica is a federal lawyer who returns to her parent's home for Christmas. Hijinks ensue when she discovers her childhood home is being sold to a mysterious, but cute, man stranger whom she secretly hopes is this random boy she met in the woods as a child. Starring a very plastic-faced Andrea Roth and Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
3. 12 Dates of Christmas
A very charming Mark-Paul Gosselaar goes on a blind date with the aged and still horrible Amy Smart in this Groundhog Day-esque ABC Family original. This movie has a lot of Amy Smart in it but the magical moments she spends swooning over Mark-Paul make it all worthwhile.

7. LIST OF THINGS I DO IN DECEMBER TO GET IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT:

1. Visit the Dickens Village at the Macy's in downtown Philadelphia.
2. Drink Hot Apple Cider with caramel and whipped cream on the top.
3. Have my picture taken with Santa at the mall...just a picture though, I think I'm too old to be sitting on any strange man's lap (even if it is jolly ol' Santa).
4. Do an all night gift wrapping session in front of a space heater on high with a Christmas movie playing in the background.
5. Donate toys to underprivileged kids. It's even more fun to pick a specific child and get them something you know they're really gonna like.
6. Go on a retail shop scavenger hunt to pick out the perfect festive holiday sweater. Recently I've been obsessed with finding a vintage red one with either snowflakes or reindeer on the front.
7. Cruise the neighborhood looking for the house with the best Christmas lights.
8. Eat red and green M&Ms. They taste better when the colors coordinate with Christmas.

8. LIST OF MY FAVORITE OUT OF TOWN CHRISTMAS DESTINATIONS:

1. A cabin in the woods. I'm picturing lots of flannel, hardwood floors, a roaring fire and a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top.
2. A cabin in the woods on top of a snowy mountain. Same as before, only now we're stranded.
3. A cabin in the woods at a resort. Okay, less isolated but now with room service and a hot tub on the back porch.

9. LIST OF STUFF I ALWAYS SAY I'M GOING TO DO FOR CHRISTMAS BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DO:

1. Bake something. This year I want to make Gingerbread cookies and it has yet to happen, but I've still got time.
2. Host a holiday party...Fezziwig style. One year I'm going to make people dress up and dance at my house, just you wait and see.
3. Grizzwald my house. My husband and I like a tasteful white light outline of our home. One year, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and a lot of money at PECO. Maybe i'll even get one of those Santas that lights up and put him on the roof.
4. Cut down my own tree. Oh wait, I did that one this year! Check!
5. Get real Christmas Cards done at a professional Portrait Studio with my family in matching sweaters or donned all in denim. I always use old pictures and make a compilation card at CVS...yawn.
6. Spend one more night in my Grandmother's house on Christmas Eve with all my cousins. Of course, we're all too old now and there's not enough space for all of our kids...but wouldn't it be cool to do it just one more time? Sigh...

10. LIST OF LISTS I FORGOT, OR DIDN'T HAVE TIME, TO MAKE:
Aw screw it, I'm leaving the list making up to the big guy in red, I've got shopping to do and cookies to make.

Have a Merry (Nerdy) Christmas Nerdsburgh!

Winter Television: Out with the old...in with the new

2011-12-08T15:49:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again.

And no, I'm not referring to any sort of event involving a fat man donning red velvet that scales chimneys in the snow or the lighting of symbolic octuplet candelabras for eight nights in a row. I'm talking about December, that funky time of year when television packs its bags and takes a little vacation of its own.

It may be Holiday Hiatus season and even though most fall favorites are ending, others are merely taking a quick break and some are finally coming back this winter after a long time gone.

2011 Nerd Season Finales and/or Holiday Hiatus

The Walking Dead
Zombies vs. survivors drama The Walking Dead is taking a quick break this winter but it will be back in February. Until then, we'll just have to do with fighting zombies using plants on our cell phones.
Sundays 9/8c on AMC
Goes on Hiatus - November 27
Returns - February 12, 2012

American Horror Story
It's so good. It's so creepy. It's so over on December 21st and FX's Fall breakout hit American Horror Story isn't slated to return until next fall. I understand the thought process that television shows about ghosts and murder work better around Halloween time, but for avid AHS fans, a year is a long time to wait.
Wednesdays 10/9c on FX
Season Finale - December 21
Returns Fall 2012

Top Chef: Texas
Besides Survivor, Top Chef is my favorite reality show on television. It's not particularly nerdy, I just really like it. Plus, since the show is pre-taped, episodes will run through December while others are taking their hiatus.
Wednesdays 10/9c on Bravo

Psych
Unappreciated, cute and hilarious, USA's quirky detective sitcom Psych is infamous for its mid-season holiday hiatus. Although it's frustrating for viewers to experience an interrupted season, the "break" allows them to watch new episodes of their favorite characters every couple of months.
Wednesdays 10/9c on USA
Goes on hiatus - December 14th
Returns - February 2012

2012

White Collar
After what seemed like an eternity, new episodes of White Collar return January 2012. I'm hoping for a season filled with a little more clever crime solving and little less cutesy relationship drama.
Returns January 17
Tuesdays 10/9c on USA

Justified
The highly anticipated return of shoot 'em up drama Justified is back...with a vengeance.
Returns January 17
Tuesdays 10/9c on FX

Face Off
Another round of make-up artists show off their talent in the sophomore season of Syfy's original reality series Face Off.
Returns January 11
Wednesdays 10/9c on Syfy

Game of Thrones
Season one of Game of Thrones is the reason HBO has an impressive reputation for quality original programming, I just hope that it doesn't go the way of HBO's other original program Carnivale...
Returns April 2012
HBO

Falling Skies
Noah Wyle and alien fans find common interest in TNT's foray into science fiction Falling Skies. For the sake of all humanity, I sure hope that the aliens don't win this time.
Returns Summer 2012
TNT

Wilfred
Dogs are man's best friend so why is it so weird that Wilfred is Ryan's best friend? Well, you'll have to determine what's real and what's just weird about Wilfred, an offbeat sitcom about a man and his unconventional relationship with a talking dog.
Returns Summer 2012
FX

Information cited from network home pages and Cybermage - Reading and Watching Science Fiction.

Is the word "nerd" a derogatory term?

2011-12-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

At 6am this morning, NPR rebroadcast a segment of Voices in the Family hosted by Dan Gottlieb entitled Nerds: How Anti-Intellectualism is Bad.

Not that I was up at 6am on a Sunday morning, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I was able to listen to the program on NPR's website at a more reasonable 9:00am.

The show features special guest David Anderegg, PHD author of Nerds: How Dorks, Dweebs, Techies, and Trekkies Can Save America and Why They Might Be Our Last Hope, who argues "that there really isn't anything called nerd; all that's real is the stereotype that negatively impacts children and adolescents...and interferes with our country's desire to compete globally."

As a nerd, while I found the discussion entertaining, I didn't think the topic was particularly relevant to today's society. In my experience, it's not such a reviled thing to be a nerd anymore and lamenting the hardships of a nerd in a world where The Big Bang Theory is a hit television show and the debate on whether or not Greedo shot at Han Solo first is national news becomes a moot topic.

Although bullying is always a concern amongst school age children, especially if you wear glasses and weigh 90 pounds soaking wet, I think that the rise of public interest in nerd pop culture has made it easier for the previously determined "uncool" to let their nerd out and be themselves.

My favorite part of the interview, however, is when we hear from Voices in the Family intern and self proclaimed nerd, Emily Haas:

Dan Gottlieb: I don't see (you) as a nerd, just someone with different interests.

Emily Haas: It really isn't about what the interest is. It doesn't have to be Star Trek and it doesn't have to be Latin grammar, it's about the way you want to understand that subject, whatever it is. If you get joy in that perfect grasp of a potentially arcane subject then you are a nerd...to me.

Nerds: How Anti-intellectualism is Bad originally aired on April 4, 2011 and can be heard at http://www.whyy.org/91FM/voices.html

Wired.com presents "9 Nerdy Film Locations to Visit in a Lifetime"

2011-12-02T14:54:00.003-05:00

As part of their 9 for 9 series, Underwire (Wired.com's pop culture blog) is presenting a "collection of galleries intended to help people become better geeks nine items at a time." Their most recent installment is an "almost-top-ten" list of 9 Nerdy Film Locations to Visit in a Lifetime.

Mikey's house from THE GOONIES in Astoria, Oregon. Photo: Tim Rodenberg featured on Wired.com

Read more about the Wired.com's 9 Nerdy Film Locations, after the jump:

A few honorable mentions from the list of 9 include the Hook and Ladder Firehouse used in Ghostbusters, the stunning white clapboard with the wrap around porch that was Mikey's house in The Goonies, New Zealand's Tongariro National Park which provided the sweeping landscapes for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Philadelphia's own Eastern State Penitentiary which was featured as...well, you guessed it, a prison in 12 Monkeys.

While Wired.com's 9 locations are exotic and diverse, being a nerd living in Philadelphia, I am obligated to mention my personal favorite movie location, historic Independence Hall. Along with Reading Terminal Market, Independence Hall was most memorably featured in the film National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger. And, while you're already making a list of places to visit in your lifetime, I suggest the hall that hosted the founding fathers drafting our nation's Declaration of Independence rank at least in your personal top five...despite whether a movie was filmed there or not.

Of course, several other equally popular movies were also filmed in the city of Brotherly Love thanks to talented filmmakers such as Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) and M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense). A more extensive list and a tour of popular movies filmed in Philadelphia, if you ever find yourself in town, can be found at http://moviesitestour.com/sites.

Also, if you are interested in becoming active in preserving historical film locations, or just really like movies, please visit http://www.fixthechapel.com/ to help save the Evans City Cemetery Chapel famously featured in the horror classic Night of the Living Dead.

It's over Johnny!

2011-12-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

Last night a collective "Nooooo!" resounded through the halls of Nerdsburgh as favorited Survivor: South Pacific contestant John Cochran was voted off the island.

To be fair, this particular version of Survivor does feature a remote location called Redemption Island where eliminated players can duel each other for a stay of execution and a chance to reenter the game at a later time. It is here, in this tropical purgatory-like remote holding cell, that Cochran will encounter his former tribe mate and biggest rival, one of the most physical and versatile players to ever play the game, the unbelievably agile and notoriously skilled Redemption Island duel champion, Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth.

I'm not saying with any certainty that Cochran will lose but, according to Jeff Probst during last night's live tweets, the uneven pairing is being likened to a "David and Goliath" type scenario.

Early on in last night's episode (airdate 11/30/11 entitled "Cult Like") I did reserve some hope for my favorite nerd survivor's odds for escaping elimination when unofficial tribe leader Coach demonstrated a desire to form a Jedi/Padawan relationship with him.

The silver tongued, and two time Survivor veteran, Benjamin "Coach" Wade had been wooing the impressionable Cochran since his flip from Savaii with unconditional acceptance and inspiring words in eloquent nerd language. At one point, during the Thanksgiving clip show, a bonus scene of Coach comparing Cochran to Hercules lit the cyber world ablaze with sarcastic comparisons:

For a foolish time, I entertained impossible fantasies of a future Coach/Cochran alliance. And my unrelenting faith was almost vindicated when, despite complaints around camp of Cochran's annoying habits and awkward personality traits, Coach insisted that "the weak will become the strong and the strong will become the weak. That's what Cochran is going to do for the game."

He insisted that Cochran was valuable and worth keeping around...all the way up until the moment when he voted him off.

Although I will keep hope alive that my favorite nerd castaway will somehow reenter the game, I offer this bonus clip featuring Cochran discussing his "thinking chair" as an homage and possible epilogue...just in case:

Thank you Cochran for being the most controversial and exciting player of this entire season of Survivor: South Pacific and, in the event you do end up tossing your buff into the fire next week, your presence on the island will be sorely missed.

NERDS FOR COCHRAN!

Zombie fans horror struck at plans to bulldoze cemetery chapel from Night of the Living Dead

2011-11-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

Save the clock tower...er...cemetery chapel!

It just so happens that Evans City Cemetery Chapel, featured in the Zombie horror classic "Night of the Living Dead," is scheduled for demolition.

Enter Gary Streiner. Gary is the chapel's biggest advocate and apparently only hope of survival. When he heard of plans to destroy the dilapidated structure, originally built in the 1920's, he put in a request with the Evans City Cemetery Association to save the famous backdrop of one of the most recognizable and beloved scenes in Horror Cinema history.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "In September, the Evans City Cemetery Association granted Mr. Streiner's request to try to save the structure, giving him one year to raise the estimated $50,000 required to repair the chapel."

C'mon Zombie fans, why let crusty old historians be the only ones that get to save all the cool landmarks? The chapel is part of American Cinematic history and if they tear it down, we won't have anywhere to reenact our favorite graveyard Zombie stumbling scene at Halloween time.

Zombie enthusiasts, horror junkies and fans of preserving national landmarks unite! Please visit http://www.fixthechapel.com/ if you would like to donate and help Gary save this small part of Zombie legend and horror film lore.