The WordPress.com stats ‘bot-monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog. As I did last year, I thought I’d share their summary with you, lovely lurkers. And you can see why I call you all Lovely Lurkers, lovely lurkers…
Also: Happy New Year!
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,200 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 53 trips to carry that many people.
My semester is over, and thereby hangs a tale. The giant stack of papers in my little work corner are no longer to-do, but are done. The stack of books have shifted from Fall semester books to books for the classes I anticipate next month. For now, I am catching up on my reading, my sleeping (when I can), and my blogging. And I’m thinking, again, of starting a podcast…
I usually take attendance by having my students sign the whiteboard and then I take a picture. Easier than paperwork. Anyway, look at Dan and Emily’s signatures from our last day. Such fun creatives.
Inspired by seeing Kevin Smith spin words at the Boulder Theatre recently, I was podcast-inspired all over again. Of course, it would be impossible to not be podcast-inspired after listening to him go on, and of course he was super-encouraging about podcasting specifically. I had zero idea what to expect going in but I was very happy at what I saw. To get creatively juiced up again at my age and level of burned-out-ness is a treat and I thank him for it. That being said,
I hereby share with you, lovely lurkers, a list of the podcasts that I either currently or in the past enjoy(ed). No, I haven’t yet started one myself. I’m still thinking about it. I’ll let you know…
Smodcast: http://www.smodcast.com/podcasts/
Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t start off with the podcasts of Kevin Smith himself. I actually haven’t heard much of any of them, but what I have heard I have enjoyed muchly. The episode of Smodcast with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer stands out. Talk Salad and Scrambled Eggs also sounds entertaining, though I have not yet listened to it.
Nerdist: http://nerdist.com/podcasts/nerdist-podcast-channel/
I do still consider myself a Nerdist, as I appreciate the term’s definition. I was highly inspired by this podcast when it first came out, though I lost interest when it started being less about discussing the creative process and more about Hardwick’s ego. Sorry, but true. Highlights include Rainn Wilson (wherein their catch phrase “enjoy your burrito” came about), and of course the live one at the Boulder Theatre, because of my appearance with a Quemment!
The Outrider: http://jquinnmalott.com/iframe/page3.html
Friend Jason (who is a skilled writer, btw–get his book here) does on his podcast what we used to do in grad school over pitchers of beer: talk eloquently about literature and writing. Completely unselfishly, a highlight ep is the one wherein he and I talk The Genre Wars.
Roleplay DNA: http://p5productions.com/roleplaydna/
Friend Ed is co-host of this highly edutaining podcast focused on roleplaying games, those who play them, the events surrounding said gaming, and intellectual commentary withal. Highlights in my opinion are the actual-play eps (very entertaining a-la Wheaton’s web series Tabletop), though I do very much like the aforementioned commentary and discussion.
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/
These gentlemen are Sherlockians of a high order–well known in intellectual Sherlockian circles across the world, they talk anything and everything Sherlock Holmes. Highlights of this well-established podcast include the Mythbusting one, the Nicholas Meyer one, and of course the one where I play their trivia game.
The Columbo Podcast: http://www.columbopodcast.com/
The premise of this podcast is absurdly simple: two Scottish dudes discuss in detail every episode of Columbo ever made (with some specials as exceptions). But their intricate detail, their on-point criticism, and the chemistry and interplay of the two hosts make this podcast just as entertaining as the show itself.
And finally,
Paul and Storm Talk About Some Stuff for 5-10 Minutes (on average): http://www.paulandstorm.com/archives/category/podcast/
This podcast has not been updated for quite some time, I’m afraid, but it was one that I highly enjoyed for the varied (nerd themed) topics, and of course the witty banter between the two bandmates, for which they are known in their live performances.
Honorable Mention:
Memories of the Futurecast: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/memories-of-the-futurecast/
Wil Wheaton’s book, Memories of the Future, is a brilliant combination of behind-the scenes tidbits and scathing, thoughtful color commentary on the episodes of Star Trek: Next Generation. This podcast encompassed each chapter of the book, but far more than being an audiobook, this podcast juxtaposes select readings by the author himself, with added commentary that the book doesn’t have. Both the book and the accompanying ‘cast archives are highly recommended, especially for Trek fans.
Of course, as you may well know, there’s a podcast for anything and everything you may nerd out about, lovely lurkers. Post links to your favorites in the comments.
I thought I’d divert you all to the latest article I wrote for YourBoulder: it’s a brief expo on good holiday beers in Boulder. Excerpt below, and find the rest at YourBoulder.com.
As those of us who live here know well, Boulder is a center of excellent microbrews and craft beers of all kinds. Naturally, such a beer-happy town will boast a plethora of winter- and holiday-style beers once December rolls around. Pretty much every brewery in town has a wintry offering happening right now, so you can’t go wrong wherever you enjoy your brews, but here are some of the holiday beers of Boulder that stand out this season.
My latest retro-review for these folks.
Written by Prof. Jenn
As a reminder: I am writing these as RETROSPECTIVE reviews, so I will be discussing reveals, resolutions of cliffhangers, ends of plots, etc. If you are reading these reviews without having seen the eps, a) what is wrong with you?? Go watch them now! and b) these reviews are not for you till you’ve seen them.
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SPOILER ALERT: Sherlock and John aren’t blown to bits at the beginning of this episode. I know, right? And what a resolution to that cliff-hanger…
I argued in my last retro reviewthat the cliffhanger between Series 1 and 2 was much more tense and nail-biting than the one between 2 and 3. The palpable standoff between Our Heroes on the one end of a coat-bomb, and Our Villain on the other end of snipers was hair-raising. Even the abbreviated recap of the dialogue that A Scandal in Belgravia…
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IPA # 43: Golden IPA
Date consumed: (looks like I haven’t written dates on, like, most of the rest of my notes, so I’m gonna stop including this.)
IPA #44: Hop Nosh
IPA #45: Hop Hunter
IPA #46: Inversion IPA
IPA #47: Easy Jack
Another of my comic pages inspired by the Thief series of games. Let me know if you like these and I’ll post more. There’s a … very sketchy (!) storyline just beginning to formulate, the more of these I do…
Sorry it’s been so long since I rapped at ya, lovely lurkers, but things have been CRAZY busy in my little world, and when I have gotten a chance to write, it’s been for the site that pays me. Sorry.
Classes are slouching toward Bethlehem to be concluded, which is kicking my butt mentally, and I am deep in the rehearsals for Version 2.0 of I Miss My MTV, which is physically kicking my butt. Occasionally literally. Readings and etc. that are relevant? Research papers. Lots of student research papers. Topics include climate change, gun control, Victorian women authors, the dangers of tanning beds, spectator gaming, comics as high literature, emotional support animals, depression, the war against drugs, eating disorders, and the obesity epidemic. I have been charged by Friend Harold to read Mona Lisa Overdrive. Haven’t had the time yet. Songs in rehearsals include Panama, The Promise, Take On Me, and Personal Jesus.
To mollify you from my absence, here’s a still from the scene called “The Promise” from IMMMTV 1.0: the Bender fist. Please to enjoy my fishnets. 
Daily Cross-Swords 