tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63085661112582930992024-03-12T19:32:33.073-04:00The Nonsensical Ravings of a Lunatic MindA random collection of musings, observations, links, comments, analysis and thoughts on pop culture, television, movies, music, sports and life in general from someone who has painfully eschewed therapy.Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.comBlogger982125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-19334609489881563872020-05-03T14:34:00.002-04:002020-05-04T10:48:00.494-04:00Making a Driving PlaylistFriday night after some ample sampling of the devil's cabbage and most of a bottle of 1792, I was tweeting up a storm about a various iTunes playlists and we got on the subject of "great driving music." For me, this means when I hit "play" I want to grip the steering wheel, put my hand on the shifter and my foot on the gas, and GO. What songs make you just wanna...drive?
Because of the beat and Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-65216423401562403312014-02-19T12:50:00.001-05:002014-02-19T12:50:54.319-05:00Priorities
Hey y'all. Long time no blog. This post is the first in a series I'll be making over the next few months, highlighting my experiences as I move across the country on a new adventure.
Yep, that's right. I'm moving. To Washington state.
I've been "trapped" here in Maryland for a little over six years now. Originally, I moved here for what I thought would be a long term career move. That didn't Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-43691659796507739982013-12-19T12:03:00.002-05:002013-12-19T13:09:18.651-05:00Top 15 TV Shows of 2013It was SO hard to narrow down my best of TV to a mere 15 shows. Why 15? Because if I capped it at 10, then there wouldn't have been room for the late, lamented Bunheads, a show that I never would have thought I'd become attached to. RIP Bunheads. Sniff).
What also surprised me is how many network shows -- five, and several from CBS -- that I wound up including. Speaking of five, there were also Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-65101889099064577042013-12-19T11:47:00.000-05:002013-12-19T13:08:03.877-05:00Top 15 New TV Shows of 20132013 was a really good year for television. There were exciting experiments in form, like the return of miniseries (or, as they are called these days, "limited run events") and the rise of non-traditional outlets, like Netflix and Hulu.
Below are my picks for the 15 best new shows of the year. Among them, you will find shows that enjoyed surprising success with a new take on existing material (Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-60778731206217903652013-07-06T08:07:00.001-04:002013-07-06T08:07:46.264-04:00Game of Thrones Podcast: Season 3 Wrap Up
The final Season 3 episodes of the Tuning In To SciFi TV Game of Thrones Podcast that I do have been posted.
In these last two episodes, Wendy, Jesse, and I chat about all things Season 3, including Season MVP, Season LVP, Best Actors, Favorite Characters, Favorite Storylines and much, much more. Spoilers, obviously, for the televised S3 but not for anything from the novels outside of what Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-11023434070004806452013-06-28T10:50:00.001-04:002013-06-28T10:50:37.631-04:00Game of Thrones Podcast: "The Rains of Castamere" and "Mhysa"
The latest episodes of the Tuning In To SciFi TV Game of Thrones Podcast I do have been posted.
Once again, there was a LOT of material to cover with Wendy, Lou, and Christine, so we broke it up into two episodes vs. the normal one.
For the link to the Tuning in to SciFi TV page for the podcast (where you
can direct download and/or play in your browser), go here:
Tuning In To SciFi TV GameShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-36173533072807434922013-06-01T08:40:00.000-04:002013-06-01T08:40:12.522-04:00Game of Thrones Podcast: "The Bear and The Maiden Fair" and "Second Sons"
Just in time for the return of the show tomorrow night, the latest Tuning In To SciFi TV Game of Thrones Podcast I do has been posted.
Actually, I should say "podcasts" plural, since we had a lot to say, and it's been broken into two episodes. Host Wendy and fellow guest Jesse and I chat about the two most recent episodes, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" and "Second Sons."
For the link to theShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-69201228089342993032013-04-13T09:03:00.001-04:002013-04-13T09:03:35.735-04:00Game of Thrones Podcast: Valar Dohaeris and Dark Wings, Dark Words
My latest podcast with the Tuning In To SciFi gang is now up!
We cover the first two episodes of season 3: "Valar Dohaeris" and "Dark Wings, Dark Words."
For the link to the Tuning in to SciFi TV page for the podcast (where you
can direct download and/or play in your browser), go here:
Game of Thrones Season 3 Podcast - Episodes 1 and 2
For the entire Tuning in to SciFi TV podcast feed inShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-64762314645071862462013-04-04T11:00:00.000-04:002013-04-04T11:00:01.323-04:00Some Thoughts on the Updated UGA Brand IdentityEarlier this week, UGA unveiled an updated brand identity. The official announcement is here, complete with some video, press release verbiage, and PDFs of the updated imagery and wordmarks. The laser-focused UniWatch blog even felt compelled to comment on it here.
Judging from twitter and Dawg blog reactions, the general consensus seems to be "Why?" I can understand that. People are resistant Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-18452923910244274322013-03-30T10:17:00.003-04:002013-03-30T10:17:58.091-04:00Game of Thrones Podcast: Season 3 Preview
Guess what? Winter is still coming. And so is season 3 of Game of Thrones.
I joined the Tuning In To SciFi TV Gang to discuss Season 2 of Game of Thrones, and preview the upcoming Season 3 which starts tomorrow night.
For the link to the Tuning in to SciFi TV page for the podcast (where you
can direct download and/or play in your browser), go here:
Game of Thrones Season 3 Preview ShowShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-25237825053408975172013-03-29T18:15:00.003-04:002013-03-29T18:15:35.784-04:00Show Your ColorsShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-78180442298100912972013-03-24T09:19:00.000-04:002013-03-24T09:19:14.034-04:00Pick Me! My Doug Loves Movies SignageSurely everyone listens to Doug Loves Movies, right? It's my favorite podcast, and if you're not already a regular listener, here's a quick overview from Wikipedia:
In 2006, comedian Doug Benson began hosting a weekly comedy podcast, titled Doug Loves Movies (Formerly I Love Movies with Doug Benson), which is recorded in front of a live audience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-19418847338663924792013-03-14T12:34:00.001-04:002013-03-14T12:34:18.434-04:00The Google Reader Apocalypse: First ReactionsLast night, Google announced they are going to "retire" the beloved Google Reader, to narrow their focus to products like fucking goggles and self-driving cars.
A feelings collage of my initial reactions:
From some corners of the internet, there was a collective shrug. "What's Google Reader?" To those people, I ask:
HOW THE HELL DO YOU READ THE INTERNET?
No, Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-1884119772111474362013-03-05T15:47:00.003-05:002013-03-05T15:47:56.392-05:00Talking "Echo," The Original Dollhouse Pilot
Saturday, I had the chance to guest on John Pavlich's SOFA DOGS podcast to discuss the original, unaired pilot of Dollhouse, "Echo."
I had a great time during my previous visit to the podcast to chat about another Whedon property, the sublime Cabin In The Woods, and this time was no different. Things we covered: Dollhouse would have made a great FX show. Is Eliza so criticized as an actress Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-24994320187824381752013-02-18T09:49:00.000-05:002013-02-18T09:49:26.365-05:00Upton Saturday NightWhen the Braves traded for Justin Upton, who will join brother B.J. and Jason Heyward in what is arguably MLB's most talented outfield, I got excited for the upcoming season. So much so that I signed up for Extra Innings again, after letting my subscription lapse for a few years. Like everyone else, I also latched on to the clever moniker "Up, Up, and a Hey" that someone came up with to describe Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-12721759535972929862012-11-20T16:35:00.001-05:002012-11-20T16:35:48.120-05:00Talking TV with Steph
Sunday, I was the guest host for "What's On with Steph & Des," a podcast discussing the previous week in television. I've been on the show before as a fill-in host, and it's always fun to talk TV with Steph when Des is vacationing.
To give you an idea of what we covered, here were the suggested titles for this episode:
Why is the Dialogue So Bad?
Guest Hosts Don't Watch Shows Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-58638263239026158272012-08-13T18:03:00.001-04:002012-08-13T18:03:19.755-04:00Bulldog Schedule Desktop WallpapersSo, I was looking at the Dawgs 2012 football schedule this weekend, planning my trips back to the motherland, and decided to frak around with some ways to turn that schedule into a handy desktop wallpaper. Here's how that turned out:
For each week, I choose a representative opponent helmet shot (or in the case of the bye week, a better "shot," if you know what I mean). Since we all pretty Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-65993094930594171402012-07-21T11:39:00.000-04:002012-07-21T11:39:21.659-04:00So, about that Braves game last night.
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-36791660311882157822012-05-27T09:06:00.001-04:002012-05-27T09:06:37.535-04:00Talking Game of Thrones (Episodes 5&6 and 7&8)
If you've been keeping up with the podcast feed (or my twitter), you probably know this already. But in case you haven't, I've been talking with Wendy and some of the folks from Tuning in to SciFi TV about Game of Thrones all season. I'm the lone book-reader on the podcast, but no worries about spoilers -- I only discuss the novels as they relate to minor plot changes (like Qarth) or characterShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-27024639158352960932012-05-10T13:10:00.000-04:002012-05-10T13:10:12.198-04:00Listen To Me!Not a lot of blog posting lately, but I have been recorded chatting with some smart and fun people about things that should be of interest to you.
Winter is Still Coming:
We're getting deeper into the second season of Game of Thrones, and once again, I joined the gang from the Tuning Into Sci-Fi TV podcast for thoughts and analysis on the most recent episodes. We just recorded our take on Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-12191688619949029392012-04-14T17:34:00.001-04:002012-04-14T17:35:04.227-04:00Quick Non-Spoilery Thoughts on "The Cabin in the Woods"
I'll start with the simplest sentiment: go see this. See it now. Don't spoil yourself or read too much about it. Just go see it and trust that you'll have a terrific time at the movies.
Now, to address a few things I've seen on twitter or in comment sections:
"I don't like horror. Will I like this?"
I'm not what you call a horror fan. I do enjoy a few of the classics (The Exorcist, The Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-63039628281429132702012-04-14T09:14:00.001-04:002012-04-14T09:17:44.924-04:00Talking Game of Thrones: Episodes 1 & 2
Game of Thrones is back for season 2, and I'm happy to report I'll once again be participating in the Tuning in to SciFi TV special podcasts about the show.
Last year, we did a series of podcasts after season 1 had completed its run. This year, we'll be taking the show two episodes at a time, and talking about them as they air. First up is a discussion of "The North Remembers" and "The NightShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-78806740815892023582012-03-14T17:50:00.002-04:002012-03-14T17:51:05.737-04:00Talking TV
This past Sunday, I had the honor of guesting on the "What's On with Steph & Des" podcast to talk about -- you guessed it -- television. Des was taking a break ("on hiatus" as they say in the TV biz), so Steph and I chatted for a long while about what we watched the week prior. We watch a lot of the same things, but A) she tried to explain what the hell went on last week with Survivor, andShanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-5555173999190976812012-03-14T17:15:00.000-04:002012-03-14T17:15:32.218-04:00You want a pizza? I'm gonna SHIT MYSELF!From a Yelp! review of a local pizza joint:
Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308566111258293099.post-74979111741593504232012-02-13T20:40:00.000-05:002012-02-13T20:40:45.519-05:00So, I Guess There Were Vampires in Fairy Tale LandAnyone watching Once Upon A Time last night catch something in the background of Rumpelstiltskin's castle? Take a look at the screencap below:
Just what is that thing on display, to the left of the framed artwork?
Does this ring any bells?
The OUAT episode was written by the brilliant Whedonverse vet Jane Espenson, so I have to think that was an intentional shout-out (much like all Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02912061891010047846noreply@blogger.com0