A few weeks ago when I was visiting Tucson, I stopped by The Paper Robots studio and was a guest on Episode 16! Logan did his best to wrangle my rambling mind and keep me on track, and he did a commendable job. How did I repay him? By insulting him right to his face because I don't understand social interaction. Listen now to find out how terrible I should feel about how I act.
Shure SM58 vs. Shure SM7B Review / Comparison
A lot of podcasters have probably looked up photos of professional broadcast studios and seen the Shure SM7B, the Heil PR-40, or the Electro Voice RE-20, and thought, that's the mic I need in order to sound good. Well, that is not necessarily the case. You can get a perfectly good sound quality without spending between $350 and $500 on a single mic set up.
There are a few technical differences between the two mics I'm discussing today. The first is the frequency response (the range of frequencies the microphone is capable of picking up). The SM58 picks up 50 - 15,000 Hz, while the SM7B picks up 50 - 20,000 Hz. The other main difference I noticed is in the output level. On this front, the SM58 wins out with an output level of -54.5 db, while the SM7B outputs -59 db. There are other subtle differences in polar pattern, and features on each mic that I recommend you check out, but most of you don't care about the technical stuff. That's why I made a video.
The above video is a short demonstration showing you the sonic similarities and differences between a $100 microphone and a $350 microphone. I hope that this video helps you determine whether or not you want to spend $350 on ONE broadcast level microphone, or on THREE perfectly fine non-broadcast microphones.
Shure SM58: http://amzn.to/1KvwqrR
Shure SM7B: http://amzn.to/1Kvww2B
Cloudlifter CL-1: http://amzn.to/1JaH8GT
Chappie (2015)
There are two films that I have seen recently that really captured my imagination and made me want to watch them immediately after the credits finished rolling. The first one is that awesome new film Ex Machina, and the other one is Chappie! Today I will be telling you to watch Chappie as soon as you finish reading this.
I will just start this review by telling you that this film was written by Neil Blomkamp; The gentleman who brought us District 9. I will also just tell you that I adored the film. After reading the reviews of many critics, they state that this film is nothing more than a bunch of ideas thrown together unsuccessfully. I could not disagree more. I think that in order for the film to show the affect that this artificial intelligence has on society, they need to explore as many facets of society as possible. That's what Neil Blomkamp did! Through different characters we get to experience people who either love, fear, or want to exploit this new being.
This film follows Chappie, a police robot that is reprogrammed with A.I. and thrown into a world that doesn't understand him, or want to learn to understand him. Simply put, society fears him, so they want to destroy him. I think that in that sense, this film is incredibly relatable. All in all, I think the writing, directing, and acting was on point and created a believable film.
When it comes down to it, I think people's main issue with this film is that it's not district 9. You won't walk out of Chappie immediately thinking "Wow. That was an apparent social commentary about post-apartheid South Africa", like you did with District 9. I think that if you want to look to this film for social commentary about race, class, etc, you will find it. You just need to look a bit deeper.
Preorder it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1J0RabW
Cloudlifter Mic Activator Review
As I say in the video, this is a very specific review. It will most likely only benefit you if you are in the audio industry, wether it be podcasting, or audio engineering for a professional studio. This device is not cheap, but it may help take your audio quality to the next level.
You may be asking yourself "Why would I pay $150 for a tiny blue box". That is a valid question and I found myself asking that very same question. Then I finally understood the benefit of this device. What it does is it takes the low output signal of your Dynamic microphone and boosts the signal by +25db. It does this by utilizing your pre-amps phantom power and with some crazy algorithm accomplishes an insane signal boost. I don't know. the mechanics of it. I'm not engineer. All I know is it works incredibly well on the SM7B.
The coolest thing that this is capable of, is the fact that you can use it with your ribbon microphone to boost the signal. If you've ever worked in a studio that uses ribbon mics, you know that phantom power will destroy that thing. This magical blue box does not allow any power through to the microphone so you can safely use this with your $2000 cloud ribbon mic!
I know that this product is not for the majority of my listeners / viewers / readers, but to those who do work in audio, this solves that age-old problem, of low signal output! It is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who is using a dynamic mic like the SM7B!
Cloudlifter CL-1: http://amzn.to/1AunxhR
Cloudlifter CL-2: http://amzn.to/1Q7gIVe
Cloudlifter CL-4: http://amzn.to/1HGw5Vy
What We Do in the Shadows
Imagine that you're watching Shaun of the Dead. Now imagine that it's not a zombie film, it's a vampire film. Now imagine it wasn't made by the folks who brought you the genius TV show Spaced, but was brought to you by the folks who brought you the genius TV show Flight of the Conchords. Okay, now you can understand what it would be like to watch my "Friday Night Action Movie Book Club" selection this week: What We Do in the Shadows.
The film is a mockumentary where a doc film crew follows around 3 vampires who live together in a flat in New Zealand... and... shit. I honestly don't know how to describe the film, and even if I did know how, I wouldn't. This is one of those films that you will just have to take my word on and watch. Then you can thank me later. All I can say is that this film has made it into my top list of Horror Comedy after one viewing. I have purchased it on iTunes and I will be watching it again and again. Just watch the damn trailer and enjoy!!!
Buy it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JXV9YK
Speakeasy with Paul F. Tompkins
A while ago I mentioned doing a recommended youtube segment on this website. Well I am back now with not just recommendation, but a necessity.
Have you ever wondered what a true gentleman looks like? Have you ever wondered what a proper gentleman drinks? Have you ever wondered what one of the funniest comedians currently working interviewing other people in a speakeasy would be like? Well wonder no more. Paul F. Tompkins has teamed up with MadeMan.com and made a youtube interview show titled Speakeasy.
Not only is the show funny, as you would expect from PFT, but the interviews are expertly executed. This show offers you a rare look at a side of comedians and actors that is not normally explored on your typical interview program.
If you are at all interested in comedy, or if you are interested in the people behind the art you love, this show is an absolute necessity. You can find it on Made Man's youtube, or by searching "Paul F Tompkins Speakeasy" on youtube. The catalog of interviews dates back two years and consists of people like Scott Aukerman, Robert Kirkman, Alison Brie, Dan Harmon, Summer Glau, and countless others. CHECK IT OUT NOW! You're welcome!
Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag Review
I have been buying different backpacks and messenger bags for the last 15 years and the majority of them are horrible. I have finally found a bag that I am not happy with, but a bag that I'm really happy with. If you want to find out more about this bag, just watch the quick 3 minute video to the right of this poorly written paragraph and see if it's the bag that you've been looking for. Also, if I sell you on this bag, here's a link:
Body by Pete – Get your ass in shape
Hi podcastage users, Pete here on this beautiful Monday morning to talk to you in brief about getting your ass in shape. First of all, I’m no doctor or actual personal trainer, so take all this with a grain of salt and don’t blame/sue me (just Bandrew) when you hurt yourself. All I’ve got is personal experience and what has worked for me.
Getting in shape is weird. It sucks most of the time, however it’s totally worth it and will really help make you feel better down the line. Let me give you a back ground of me, and then we’ll get to you. I’m tall, lanky, was never blessed with being natural yoked (ugh, thanks mom and dad (happy mother’s day mom ) ), and am a nerd. But you know what? None of that matters, who cares about me, because the first thing about getting in shape is forgetting what other people are doing and you do you. You’ll probably never be a super yoked bro or bro-lady, which sucks to make that realization, but if you got over the fact you weren’t going to be Shaq or Michael Jordan when you were 13, you can get over that too.
Let’s get to the meat and potatoes. All you gotta do is move your body more than you did previously. Seriously, it’s that easy. Example: walk a quarter mile, then run that quarter mile, then walk another quarter mile on that running of that quarter mile, and next thing you know you’re doing a 5k. Once you get going, you’ll start feeling better that you already do, get more confident, and when you have to fight in that Thunderdome against mutant apes in our near future you’ll be prepared.
You might ask, how does Pete do it? Well it’s small amounts of either running, basketball, or biking, or mostly 100% of the way *drum roll please * WORK OUT VIDEOS. Working out at home with videos is awesome. You don’t have to go to the gym and compare yourself to anyone, never have to go to a weird locker room, and you get the chance to ruin your floors because you sweat too much (this might just be my problem). There are so many amazing programs out now you can find what you’re looking for without much effort. Let me list a few of my favorites:
P90X3 – You can get your ass to Mars and into shape in just 30 minutes a day! That sounds lame, but really all you need to do is kick it into high gear for 30 minutes and you’re set. I’m a busy guy so I really like these. Tony Horton (I initially said Howard, who is a guy I actually know so oops - Pete) can be annoying as ass, but who cares, he’ll make your ass like iron.
RKS Kettlebell Workout – A dude from the OC ( the actual show) and some girls who are really hot swing pieces of iron on a Jacuzzi in the Hollywood hills. Ketttlebells are my favorite exercise instrument, mostly because they work everything at the same time. This set can be a bit boring, but they turn out to be great workouts.
Fitness is Function Kettlebells/Body Weight – A dude named Mark De Grasse (I call him De Grass-hole lololol) exercises with you in his garage. He makes you strong while throwing pieces of steel around and you’ll be kicking butt in no time. This group is my favorite.
Work out videos are great and working out is great, and you are great! Find some used dvd’s and get working! If you have any questions hit me up down below, can’t wait to hear from you.
-Pete
Podcastage Ep. 41: Ezra
Hey everyone. I am back with another episode of podcastage. This week I sat down with Ezra of "Signals the Band". We discuss everything from a crazy tour story where he gets threatened with a gun, to conspiracy theories, to dealing with serious life changes. This is a great episode and I know you will enjoy it. Also make sure to check out Signals the Band at http://signalstheband.com/
How Not Drinking has Changed My Life
Before I finish the first sentence of this blog, I want to point out that this is not being written to persuade you to stop drinking. This is being written for the sake of understanding how not drinking has changed the way that my life works. It's not going to be a list of why you should stop drinking, or anecdotes about crazy nights of drinking. It's a self reflective look at how I used to live versus how I currently live. You may relate to something on here and find a reason to cut back on your boozing or stop all together, but just know, that's not why I'm doing this! Now stop making this about you and listen to what I have to say!
- I actually follow through on shit.
If you're like me. Following through on stuff is hard as hell. You get excited about something, learn everything you can about it, do it for a month, and then get burnt out on it. This issue is only exacerbated when you are hungover every weekend, and you don't want to get out of bed. I won't go into too much detail, but I will tell you that I have tried to start podcasts before. Looking back at all the hour long episodes, I realized that I recorded easily 30-40 hours of unusable material. It was unreleasable because I would derail every episode that I drank on, and I insisted on drinking on nearly every episode. Also, it would take weeks to actually edit a single episode because every weekend I was hungover, and when you're hung over, the last thing you want to do is stare at a computer screen for a few hours. Now I put out two episodes a week. Little to no editing required. Cowabunga.
- I have more money.
I don't know about you but being in your 20's sucks financially. Most people have a shit ton of student debt, credit card debt, car payments, and a bunch of bullshit. Once you add your alcohol bills on top of that, you have no disposable income. It all comes down to something I saw on the facebooks, There was a meme going around "I don't have enough money to go on vacation, so I'll just drink until I don't know where I am." I thought this was funny as hell during the time I was drinking; Now when I look at it, I think: "Well, if you didn't go out to a bar every weekend and spend $150, you would have enough money after one month to go on a road trip to another California, or buy a new gaming console, or start saving for retirement!" All I'm saying is now that I don't spend all my disposable income getting trashed, I have money to go do shit that I actually enjoy. Like buy comics, board games, go to the movies, you know...fun stuff.
- I don't do ridiculous things anymore.
Okay. Here's where I go back on my word and tell some drunk stories. There was one time that I thought it would be fun to sleep on a park bench, so I walked over to a park and took a nice nap, in a park, at 2 am. Another time I thought it would be fun to camp on my apartment roof, so I climbed on top of the roof and slept there. Another time, on a dare, while in my boxers, I invited a group of frat dudes to a slumber party as I held a bat in case they wanted to fight. I am sure you want to hear more about all these stories, but I'll save that for the podcast. But anyways, do you see what I mean? That shit is stupid, and all of those things could have ended really badly for me. I am just happy that I don't have the urge to go hiking up a flooded wash in Arizona at 4 am pretending it's the zombie apocalypse anymore...actually i take that back. That was tight as hell.
I think you get the point...I mean, I think I get the point. I'm happier not drinking, and I have accomplished more in the last 4 months than I did the last 2 years of my life. I could go into a lot more detail about the stories and the justification I had during that time in my life, but fuck that. I want to watch the next episode of Community so I'm going to end this diatribe here.
If you have similar stories, feel free to share them in the comments and we can exchange virtual high-fives!
How to ruin your weekend, every weekend – Dark Souls with Pete Pt I
Podcastage brothers and sisters, its Pete here ready to talk at you about…DARK SOULS!!!
Way for me to be late to the party (it’s been out for like 4 years, already has a sequel, a spiritual successor, and a re-master of that sequel, give me a break) but seriously, if you’re on a budget and need something to crush your will to live, pick this up. I’ve been playing this on the weekends for the past 2 months, and wow, what a shitty/super way to spend my weekends. Since I’m not actually done with the game, just having sunk 25+ hours (SO MANY HOURS WITH SO LITTLE TO SHOW FOR IT, LIKE WHAT IF I HAD PRACTICED PIANO FOR 25+ HOURS???:( ) into this awful/great game, I’m just going to list some of my initial musings.
1. This game gets such a ridiculous rap about being a meat grinder that will make you question humanity, but seriously, this isn’t too hard (it kinda is a meat grinder). Now there are some points where you’ll actually question what is good and right, your will to live, and feel like you’re taking part in some weird/awful Sisyphean task, but damn it, when it comes together it feels good. A great way to describe it is like this: Have you ever tried to learn something? (probably not if you’re on this site) It starts out hard, you reach obstacles that look impossible and you get frustrated. Eventually something clicks and what once felt hard, finally gets easy and you’re on to your way. I feel bad that a video game taught me this.
2. It takes way too long for this game to be fun. I was slamming my head on my desk and cursing the old Gods and the new ones too for the first 10 hours. Now after that first 10 hours (which is a lot of time, I understand) it all started to click, I unturned my back to the Gods I had initially forsaken and I’ve been having a great time.
3. Misery loves company. Oh does it ever. I’ve never played a game where the meta-game involves going out of your way to interact with real people in real life (Bandrew would have a panic attack if he had to play this). It’s really sad that it’s such a novel idea, but the shared challenge is what makes this game really great. Sharing your stories, little tips, and overall complaints to the greater Dark Souls community is cathartic and stupendous. There is nothing funnier than being online chatting to a gaming friend, and start spamming the keyboard in primal fury/joy. Here are some choice cuts from my recent games:
“Convo 1:
Pete: FUCK
Convo 2:
Pete: GOD DAMN IT (name redacted) FUCK EVERYTHING
Convo 3:
Pete: IM FUCKING OVER EVERYTHING AND I HATE THIS GAME
Convo 4:
Pete: I AM THE GOD OF DARK SOULS AND EVERYTHING. FUCK YOU SPIDER QUEEN THING!!!”
All in all Dark Souls is tight! I’ll be filling you all in on my awful awful journey in the near future in a 400 part series called Dark Souls and You: Pete sucks at this game and he feels weird. Sound the horn down below with your Souls experience, talk to you all soon!
-Pete
Who's Been Fucking With My Burger? - The Star Wars Digital Release
If you are like me, you have been struggling over the last week or so. You have been going through some serious mental turmoil regarding the digital release of Star Wars. After some extremely dark moments, lots of tears, and plenty of sleepless nights, I think I may have developed a way to answer the question you've been struggling with. Do I really need to buy the Digital Release of Star Wars?
To start off this exercise, lets go ahead and think of Star Wars as a hamburger. Not just any hamburger. Your favorite hamburger from your favorite restaurant from your childhood. Now imagine that you're an adult (although I'm fairly certain all my listeners/viewers/readers are). You have such fond memories of this burger from your childhood and you are longing to revisit this restaurant and relive the joy that is associated with the experience of devouring a delicious burger. After careful deliberation, you decide that you want to make a pilgrimage to you favorite burger palace of awesome to acquire another on of these oh so delicious burgers. Stick with me. I assure you that I am talking about Star Wars.
Anyways... You made the trip. You are parked outside and your heart is pounding. You get out and slowly walk towards the restaurant doors. You open the doors just a crack and you are hit with a wave of smell that takes you back to your childhood. The bliss you feel is similar to the feeling you get when you hear the first notes of the Star Wars March and the opening crawl begins. You walk up to the counter and order a burger. As you wait you go and sit down in a comfortable booth and await the glorious return of your favorite meat sandwich (Yes this is a GWAR allusion). A gentlemanly meat delivery man saunters up and places a box down in front of you which contains your long awaited feast.
You open the digital boxset and you see something strange. Something different. Something unsettling. Your burger is unnecessarily covered in pickles. You think to yourself "This sandwich was perfect. Why would they add completely unnecessary special effects...i mean condiments... to a flawless burger?". You have faith and you push on. You gingerly remove the pickles from the burger and realize that there is something even more disturbing.
With a gasp, you realize that the buns are not where they should be. There are two meat patties on the outside, and sandwiched between these patties is a single piece of bread. You are shocked in a similar fashion as to when you saw Jabba the Hutt appear in Episode IV...but with slightly less anger. You start to wonder "is this how the burger was back in the day?" but you shake that disgusting thought out of your head. "No. This burger isn't how I remember it. Someone has been fucking with this perfectly crafted piece of meat art."
You go up to the counter and demand to speak to the chef and you ask him "Why!? Why is the meat on the outside!? The bun is supposed to be the first thing you bite into!" at which point he cuts you off and says "No. Meat has always come first." How dare he! I know how this burger is supposed to be! I ate it hundreds of times during my childhood and I know that Han has always shot first...or something about buns and meat. He hands you a check for the burger and at the bottom, circled in big red it says "$90. Hope you enjoyed the burger the way it's supposed to be." You tell the cook to fuck himself and you walk out.
Well... I know it's a stretch, but I think I've made my point. This digital release is nothing more than the Blu Ray versions of the films that so many of us have already paid $100 for. And we all know that those films are not the films we were looking for. If you don't have these films yet, maybe, consider getting them, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you have the Blu Rays or if you're on the fence about the purchase, just wait until they release a version where there aren't unnecessary toppings ruining the balance of the film, and the meat is back in the middle.
If it bleeds, I’ll eat it – Cast Iron Pans and You
Hey podcastage friends! Pete here again, with a hot take on hot pans. I was at a pizza party last night (FUCK YES PIZZA) and had a conversation that devolved into me evangelizing about the awesomeness of cast iron pans. If you don’t know about cast iron, let me enlighten you. It’s a block of metal shaped into a pan shape that lets you become a cooking maven all while being cheap and easy to maintain. Let me tell you a few things that’ll help you become a cast iron disciple:
1) DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE ON OLD ASS PANS.
Old ass pans are already seasoned, are hella expensive, and seriously are hella expensive. They are likely awesome, but do you really want to pay 300 bones for an old ass pan when you could get the same thing for 30 bucks off amazon (Buy it Here) and do it yourself? If you can consistently cook with the thing, or follow some directions online you can get a pan that is as great for a tenth of the price. In the end you’ll end up with your own old ass pan that you can sell in 50 years for like 1000 space China dollars and put your future robot cyborg offspring through Mars college.
2) TAKE CARE OF YOUR PAN AND IT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
Remember, that cast iron is iron and will rust if you let it get wet and not dry it. This sounds worse than it actually is, but it’s important to remember that chemistry happens. After cleaning with just some water and elbow grease, toss in on the stove top and let the water evaporate from the heat.
3) BELIEVE THE HYPE ON COOKING EVERYTHING IN THIS THING
Let me tell you something, cooking is easy and good for you (since I started cooking for myself I’ve lost a few lbs) and people think you’re really talented when you are actually a bum/vagrant/slum lord/swamp donkey/podcastage host. I’ve served meals to my parents off this thing, and they seriously thought I had my shit figured out. You can cook pizza (YES), meat (YES), and even corn bread (YES YES) and best of all it all tastes great. Down below check out my patented meat cooking kata, so you too can be a badass of the kitchen
Basically get a pan, cook stuff in it, have things taste good, get the girl, save the kingdom, and become an acolyte of the iron. Sound off down below if you have any awesome recipes, questions, or want to just pledge your allegiance to the pan. Talk to you soon friends.
-Pete
CAST IRON MEAT PETE STYLE
1) Pre-heat your oven, with the pan in it, to 500. The most important part is making sure the pan is hot, you’ll be using this to sear the meat when it’s time to cook. I usually will wait for a while after the timer goes off just to make sure the pan actually gets up to the desired temp.
2) Take the pan out, and remember THE PAN IS REALLY REALLY HOT. Do not touch it, unless you have some mits on. After it’s out, put the pan on your stove top and put your piece of meat in that pan.
3) Sear both sides, and then put pan with meat into the oven for 5 minutes.
4) Remove pan after the 5 minutes and flip the piece of whatever. This is when you’ll need to do some right sizing to how you like your meat cooked. Depending on the thickness you’ll cook anywhere for 2-5 minutes to finish it up to your desired well doneness.
5) Take it out of the pan and eat it.
Podcastage Ep. 37: The Rise of Cynthia Tron
Yo yo yo everyone. Yesterday I sat down with Cynthia Gerreits who is a cosplayer, a fashion designer, an event coordinator, pretty much a jill of all trades. It's fucking impressive how she manages to do so much stuff. I hope that you can learn something for her endless wisdom! Now check this shit out!
https://twitter.com/AgeOfCynthiaTrn
https://instagram.com/cynthiatron/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBjSsKsq22-0CJHl8zGYgpQ
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthiatron/114283658736522
Also don't forget to submit your Shitwittery tweets to @podcastage with the hashtag #Shitwittery! Bandrew will select his favorites each week and read them on the podcast.
What's New on Netflix: 04/22/15 - 04/29/15
New on Netflix 4/22/15 – 4/29/15
Avail 4/22
Planet Earth: The Complete Collection
David Attenborough
This landmark series transports nature lovers from the Himalayan Mountains to the depths of the ocean and everywhere in between.
Avail 4/23
The Humbling (2014)
Dylan Baker, Charles Grodin, Dan Hedaya, Al Pacino, Kyra Sedgwick, Dianne Wiest
After suffering a breakdown, an over-the-hill stage actor retires and forms an intense relationship with a much younger woman.
Avail 4/25
Inescapable (2012)
Joshua Jackson, Marisa Tomei, Oded Fehr, Alexander Siddig, Fadia Nadda, Bonnie Lee Bouman
Syrian-Canadian businessman with a murky past returns to his homeland -- and a web of intrigue -- when his daughter vanishes in Damascus.
Left Behind (2014)
Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Nicky Whelan, Jordin Sparks, Lea Thompson
After millions of people on Earth suddenly disappear, a pilot flying a plane stuck at 30,000 feet must find a way to ensure the passengers' survival.
Watchers of the Sky (2014)
Paying homage to four pioneers of the global campaign to end genocide, this feature-length documentary details their efforts to protect the powerless.
Sons of Anarchy: Season 7
After seizing control of its town, gun-running motorcycle club the Sons of Anarchy soon butts heads with rival biker gangs, racist groups and the law.
Avail 4/26
Chef’s Table: Season 01 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"Chef's Table” offers viewers the opportunity to go inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned, international culinary talents. Each of the six episodes features an acclaimed chef, who include Ben Shewry (Melbourne, Australia), Magnus Nilsson (Järpen, Sweden), Francis Mallmann (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Niki Nakayama (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Dan Barber (New York City, USA) and Massimo Bottura (Modena, Italy).
The Nutty Professor 2: Facing the Fear (2008)
Jerry Lewis, Drake Bell, Tabitha St. Germain, Britt Irvin, Logan McPherson, Andrew Francis
In this animated sequel, Kelp's grandson, Harold, finds Julius's special elixir and releases an arrogant alter ego, leading to the ultimate showdown.
Avail 4/27
National Treasure (2004)
Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel
Modern treasure hunters search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Bluebird (2013)
Amy Morton, John Slattery, Louisa Krause, Emily Meade, Margo Martindale, Adam Driver
Following her usual workday routine, rural school bus driver Lesley makes a mistake that proves tragic in the middle of a frozen Maine winter.
What's in the Box: May 2015 Nerd Block Unboxing
So here we are again. Another box. Another unboxing. Another question of "what the fuck is in the box!?" ... The answer hopefully is not my dead wife's se7ered head. See what I did? That was good.
Anyways, here is the video unboxing the May Nerdblock. The theme was 80s and this may be my favorite nerd block to date. There weren't many items but the items were all tight. You got "Tough Shit" by Kevin Smoth, and Ecto-1 collectible from ghostbusters, a Back to the Future shirt, a Pacman Mug and some cosplay cards that I mistook for a game. In reality the cards are a series of pretty ladies who are famous cosplayers.
All around a great box and I think they should continue down this path. Fewer items, higher quality.
Hi - I'm Pete
Hey Y'all my name is Pete and I'll be writing some posts for the podcastage website. I feel kinda weird about doing this, mostly because I'm writing this right after getting my ass handed to me by that quelaag spider witch queen thing from dark souls (future post), but also because I've never actually done this before. I've known Bandrew (not his real name) for quite a while and was really excited when he offered me the chance to write for you. I’m hoping to use this to have a creative outlet and get a bit better at writing.
A little about me: I’m from California and have done the most Californian thing and moved to Portland. I’m a man of the desert and have spent most of my adult life living in the awful hellscape that is the Sonoran Desert. In Portland I have a real job with a big company where I am an excel wizard (possible future post about excel sorcery) and actually kinda like it. In my free time I like bowling, playing basketball, complaining about the NBA, reading sci-fi books, and playing guitar.
What you can expect from me: I’ll write about stuff that I find fun, and hopefully what you find fun too. I’ve got a lot of great ideas for the future, and hopefully we’ll be able to share some laughs. Welcome to Podcastage, and hope to see you soon.
-Pete
April 2015 Lootcrate Unboxing
This is my first Lootcrate unboxing that will be going on the site. This is the April box and the theme is Fantasy. This box was pretty decent. It had plenty of items, and a few worthless items that I will try to pawn off on friends as a cool gift. HA! My favorite item is the Dungeons and Dragons shirt that I could not decipher during the video. If this box looks like something you may be interested in, make sure to check out lootcrate.com and in the comments tell them that Podcastage sent you if you decide to subscribe.
What's New on Netflix: 04/16/15 - 04/22/15
Here is a list of what's new on Netflix for the week of 4/16 - 4/22. I am personally most excited about Hot Fuzz, Chris D'Eila's new stand up, & The Science of Doctor Who. Let me know in the comments which film is your favorite!
Avail 4/15
Scrotal Recall: Season 1- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
A young single guy has to take an uncomfortable trip down memory lane in this offbeat, honest comedy series about sex, love, and life in your 20s. When he's diagnosed with an STD, Dylan is urged by his doctor to contact all the women he's had sex with. He decides to tackle the list alphabetically, and do it either in person or by phone, rather than just sending a postcard. Nope, it's not going to be easy--but it could be enlightening.
Avail 4/16
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Billie Whitelaw
A top London cop is assigned to investigate a seemingly sleepy town, which suddenly starts to stir with a series of grisly "accidents."
Avail 4/17
Chris D’Eila: Incorrigble – NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Comedian and actor Chris D’Elia ("Undateable"), known for his dynamic physical comedy, explains why the NFL would be way more entertaining if it were real lions, bears and Vikings battling each other, that babies are the worst prize ever, and that you should never ask a Cuban directions unless you’re ready for the best time of your life.
Veggies Tales in the House: Season 1 – NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The beloved faith-based brand hits the small screen with a fresh new look and all-new adventures. Join Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, and all their veggie friends as they explore new areas of their wondrous house while singing catchy, original songs included in each episode. Perfect for young families, this laugh-out-loud comedy seamlessly weaves good moral values into each episode in a fun, exciting way for Veggie lovers of all ages.
They Came Together (2014)
Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, Cobie Smulders, Noureen DeWulf
In this semi-spoof of romantic comedies, candy company exec Joel falls for Molly, who owns a corner candy store he's tasked with closing.
Fed Up (2014)
Katie Couric, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey
This eye-opening documentary examines the underlying causes of childhood obesity, which has become an ever-more serious medical issue in America.
Keep On Keepin’ On (2014)
Clark Terry, Justin Kauflin, Gwen Terry, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Bill Cosby
This documentary follows aging jazz legend Clark Terry as he guides young jazz pianist Justin Kauflin through preparations for a big competition.
Avail 4/18
Noah (2014)
Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman
This ambitious adaptation of the story of Noah depicts the visions that led him to voice dire prophesies of apocalypse and to build an ark to survive.
Avail 4/21
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò, Dominic Rains, Rome Shadanloo
Bad things are commonplace in Bad City, including prostitution, drugs and crime, and most recently a sequence of attacks by a vampire on the loose.
Avail 4/22
A Night with the Stars: The Science of Doctor Who (2013)
Brian Cox, Matt Smith
Noted physicist Brian Cox joins Matt Smith and other stars of the cult sci-fi hit "Doctor Who" to discuss the show's scientific credibility.
Podcastage Episode 34: I'm the Worst Uncle Ever
Episode 34 is live and I talk about how I am the worst uncle that has ever lived. Well maybe not because I'm sure Hitler or Stalin or Mussolini was an uncle and I bet they were worse. But I think by now you know I am partial to exaggeration. Anyways enjoy the episode!