Best Geek Podcasts

Best Geek Podcasts

I'm always searching for great podcasts that are entertaining and informative. Finding the right podcast can be a challenge, there are a lot of them out there. Any hack with a laptop can make one these days, I know I've done it. Check out my...shameless plug...I wouldn't do that to you.

I have a lot of criteria for podcast selection, most of us do if we are going to subscribe and listen to something longer than two minutes. It's got to be content rich, it needs quality sound engineering, a good format, and the hosts can't be douche bags you can't stand listening to.

Whether you're into gaming, movies, tv shows, music, comedy, sports, comic books or whatever else, someone is podcasting about it. The point of this article though, is to give you a good place to start that has a smattering of all those topics and more. Nerdist Industries. These guys really do offer the best geek podcasts...for nerds. If you're not familiar, it was started by Chris Hardwick, a comedian and host of Web Soup and the Talking Dead. He does a million other things too, but no one cares.

The Nerdist Podcast is one of my favorite podcasts and has been since it launched in February of 2010. It's about "what it really means to be a nerd" and is a weekly interview style show with a new guest each week. I can all but guarantee they have a ton of cataloged shows you will be interested in listening to. And they keep on pumping out great shows on a weekly basis. Nerdist has since branched out and beginning in 2011 started offering other podcasts on the Nerdist Network. As of 2014 there are a little over 35 podcasts available through the Nerdist Network. Some of my favorites include:

You Made It Weird, hosted by Pete Holmes
Nerdist Comics Panel, hosted by Len Wein, Ben Blacker, Heath Corson, abd Adam Beechen
The Indoor Kids, a video game podcast hosted by Kumail Nanjiani (very funny comic) and Emily Gordon
Comic Book Club, hosted by Justin Tyler, Pete LePage, and Alex Zalben

And if you like Zombies, I suggest checking out We're Alive, A Story of Survival.

There are way more but these are a few of the best geek podcasts. The best thing about the Nerdist Network is that I know right away that they meet a lot of my criteria before I've ever even listened to a show. I have yet to sample a podcast from Nerdist and have a complaint about the quality or format. If they've made it to Nerdist, it's because they care about what they talk about and are likely pretty good at putting together a show. I'm not saying you'll love every podcast Nerdist has to offer, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't find any.



Nerdist also has a youtube channel that features video versions of some of their most popular podcasts as well as many other visual delights.


Handcrafted by,

~Colonel



Go to Nerdist for more information.

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Fantasy Sports Are Awesome!

It's August, and most notably that means you should be getting ready for your fantasy football draft. If your not familiar with what I'm talking about, then you have failed as a human. Ok, maybe not quite so much but fantasy sports are awesome. Fantasy Football, in my most awesome supreme opinion, being the best of all.

It’s always exciting to watch your favorite sports team. The thrill of a victory and the agony of defeat are part of the competitive sports world for athletes and fans alike. Many of us have had grand dreams of playing professional sports, or thought how great it would be to become a coach, manager, or even an owner. The reality is that few of us will ever enter a professional sports arena as more than just a ticket holder. However, there are alternatives for the most die-hard, loyal of fans that wish to expand their existing enjoyment of sports. Fantasy sports. 

The basic concept of a fantasy sport is a game in which participants act as an owner/manager to assemble a team that competes against other fantasy teams based on statistics generated by the real individual players or teams of a professional sport. Statistical performance is usually converted into points, then compiled and totaled according to the roster selected by the owner. The idea is to simulate being an actual owner/manager as closely as possible. Just as in real sports, owners of a fantasy team have the ability to draft, sign, trade, and cut players.

We know that fantasy sport plays a major role in our gaming communities and we know that there are millions of participants. But why do they play?

Among the top reasons are; it makes the sport or games more interesting to watch, the thrill of competition, a new way to get more involved with a sport they already enjoy, or simply a way to interact with friends and family socially. If you are looking for a good reference point to better understand the communal benefits of fantasy sports, I strongly suggest watching The League on FX. 

Remember, it's okay to like sports. It's just another awesome thing to geek out on. Plus you can talk smack and act like you were the one scoring all those points. 

~ Colonel

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Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across America!

Specialty craft brews and beer festivals!! That sounds like summer to me. A delicious one, that is.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has teamed up with 12 different breweries to collaborate on 12 beers in celebration of the 7 city traveling beer festival. This one off specialty 12 pack will cost you a little over $20 in most places. Get it while you can though, this is a limited release. Most of your favorite craft beer specialty stores are receiving only around 5 cases. If you love craft beer like I do, the self described absurd one time only variety pack will surely impress. More info on the beer can be found at, http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/beer/twelve_pack.

The Lineup, style, and collaboration partner:

There and Back: English Style Bitter                              Double Latte: Coffee Milk Stout
New Glarus Brewing Company                                      Ninkasi Brewing Company

Yvan the Great: Belgian Style Blonde                            Electric Ray: India Pale Lager
Russian River Brewing Company                                 Ballast Point Brewing Company

Myron's Walk: Belgian Style Pale Ale                            Maillard's Odyssey: Imperial Dark Ale
Allagash Brewing Company                                           Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Tater Ridge: Scottish Ale                                                Alt Route: Altbier
Asheville Brewers Alliance                                             Victory Brewing Company

Torpedo Pilsner: Hoppy Pilsner                                    Yonder Bock: Tropical Maibock
Firestone Walker Brewing Company                           Cigar City Brewing, LLC

Canfusion: Rye Bock                                                      Chico King: Pale Ale
Oskar Blues Brewery                                                      3 Floyds Brewing Company

If you are interested in attending any of the beer festivals, you can find that info at http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/festival.


~Colonel

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