Nerdy Blogger

My dear Nerdy Bloggers, it’s been entirely too long!  I will be getting back into the swing of things today with a further update on the return of Jennifer Knapp.  What might be some of the most exciting news to come out in recent CCM history is this: Jennifer Knapp’s newest studio album is complete and is going through the final processes before its release.  Jenn tweeted on Dec. 10^th that the record was finished, and today (Jan. 12^th) that she hoped to have the record mixed by the end of the month and is working on a release date.  Let me tell you, music lovers, in my eclectic, crazy, musical world, there are few things more exciting than those words.

As mentioned in my previous post, I had hoped to be able to see her in Nashville, TN on Nov. 18^th and I succeeded!  I have probably been to 40-50 rock concerts in my life (I’m a bit of a live music hound), and I have to say, in all honesty, Ms. Knapp’s live show is one of the best I have ever seen.  Period.  There weren’t a lot of big, fancy special effects, but that’s not important when you’re one of the most sincere, honest, and genuine rockers out there.  Jenn’s ability to make herself at home on stage and with her audience is remarkable.  She is incredibly witty and isn’t afraid to poke fun at herself-the quality of all persons with good humor.  Not only is she unafraid to be herself, her genuineness truly bleeds through in her music.  As a performer, her ability to go from soft acoustic styling to straight-up rock in the blink of an eye is incredible.  Her lyrics are still just as melodic, just as honest, and just as piercing as they ever were.

A young guy with a velvet smooth voice, Brandon Young, opened up the show at the Belcourt.  This crooner played some incredible acoustic tunes that were beautiful and melodic.  Shortly after Brandon finished his set, Jenn entered the stage to thunderous applause and a standing ovation.  During the show, Jenn busted out several old favorites, many performed with an excellent indie artist, Amy Courts (whose music is well worth checking out).  One of the best parts of this show were the passionate new tunes Jenn previewed for us.  The new songs were edgy, piercing, and beautiful, although she didn’t give any titles, there is one notable new rock tune that she co-wrote with Phillip LaRue, formerly of LaRue (duo w/ sister Natalie), which I believe is called, “Dive” or “Dive In.”  All of the new tunes are simply described as fresh.  They maintain a familiar Jenn Knapp sound, and yet capture a fresh taste with edgy lyrics and her strong, clear voice.  I left the show with my mind blown and my face melted.

I commend you to see this woman whenever you get the chance.  She will be touring with Lilith Fair this summer, and is working on dates for a spring tour.  Her next show will be in Nashville, TN on Feb. 20^th with Todd Snider.  If you’re interested in finding more info on any of the artists I’ve mentioned here go to any of the following sites or follow them on Twitter.

http://jenniferknapp.com/

http://twitter.com/jennifer_knapp

http://twitter.com/amycourts

http://twitter.com/Brandonyoungtv

http://twitter.com/Philliplarue

http://www.toddsnider.net/fr_index.cfm

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Christian music lovers (and really ANY music lovers, period) from the late 90’s and early 2000’s, be prepared for the onslaught of musical, lyrical, and vocal talent coming back at you!  Jennifer Knapp, my friends, is back in business. 

After a near 8-year hiatus, Jennifer Knapp has returned to the music scene, providing her persevering followers with a couple of new tunes on her myspace page, a few show dates, and the promise of a new studio album coming tentatively in the first quarter of 2010.  After learning of her return (courtesy of none other than one of the best voices in music today, Derek Webb, via Twitter), I screamed and did a very fabulous dance.  I began listening to Jenn in early high school when I was getting my roots in walking with the Lord and had been playing guitar for a few years.  Being very proud of myself as a female musician, I sought to listen to other female musicians, especially those who had a good rock sound.  Jennifer Knapp’s music was an unparalleled fit for my musical tastes then, and is still some of the best music out there, end of story.  Her hard-hitting rock riffs are solid, and are complimented beautifully by her more melodic, softer songs.  I can honestly say there are few other artists whose words have hit me more strongly, pierced me more deeply, and helped bring me to repentance more quickly than that of Jennifer Knapp.  Needless to say, I’m a bit excited.

This news is quite possibly one of the most exciting and unexpected pieces of musical news I’ve come across recently.  If you’ve never listened to any of her music, I strongly encourage you to check it out.  If you’d like more information on her return, please check out the following websites:

http://jenniferknapp.com/

http://myspace.com/jenniferknapp

Or follow her on Twitter @jennifer_knapp.

I’m very likely going to go see her in Nashville on Nov. 18, so if I’m able to go, I’ll be sure to review it up here.  Any other Jennifer Knapp fans out there?  I’d love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Good day, Nerdy Bloggers!  As is per usual, fall always catches me off guard, and throws my scheduling for a loop.  I’m back today though with a blog I feel like I should have written ages ago.  Today, I’m reviewing The Hog’s Head Pubcast, which is the podcast of TheHogsHead.org, a blog for smart talk on Harry Potter run by Harry Potter author and speaker Travis Prinzi. 

I’ve followed Prinzi’s blog and podcast for about 3 years or so now and I must say, it’s been incredible to watch The Hog’s Head go from a little known blog and podcast to one of the leading voices in Harry Potter literary criticism to date.  If you’re interested in smart talk on Harry Potter, then look no further than The Hog’s Head.

The thing that drew me into The Hog’s Head was Prinzi’s discussion of the Christian themes in the Potter novels.  I found the Pubcast very shortly after its beginnings at the end of 2006, which at the time, it was one of the few places online where Christianity and Harry Potter was being discussed seriously (perhaps with the exception of John Granger’s blog, HogwartsProfessor.com).  I had just completed my senior thesis on the subject, and very quickly began regretting that I had not discovered Travis’ blog sooner, as it would’ve been incredibly helpful in my research.  Prinzi does an excellent job extrapolating on the Christian themes in J. K. Rowling’s novels.  Also, if you’re not a Christian, or Christian symbolism isn’t your thing, don’t let that keep you from checking out The Hog’s Head.  Travis does an excellent job of pulling in loads of other types of literary criticism on the Harry Potter novels.  His discussion on the parallels between Rowling’s work and The Fabian Society is an excellent example of the diverse discussions taking place at The Hog’s Head.

Not only does The Hog’s Head contain smart discussion on Potter, Prinzi and the other authors of the blog (affectionately known as the “Blogengamot,” a spoof on the Harry Potter world’s high court of wizarding law known as the “Wizengamot”) also bring in interesting discussions on other comparative literature and literary topics.  Currently for the month of October, The Hog’s Head will be discussing some gothic literature, as well offering other fun Halloween themed discussions (see a recent post on the blog on “Who’s bitten you?,” a discussion on reader’s favorite vampires.  Mine is Count Chocula).

In short, I love The Hog’s Head and it’s easily become my favorite place for smart HP discussion, as well as other fun literature talks.  On the Nerdy Blogger scale, I give The Hog’s Head two thumbs up for offering smart talk on Potter, and also for providing a fun, friendly atmosphere to discuss Harry Potter and other great literature.  The Hog’s Head really encourages me to keep doing this whole blogging thing and to keep on writing, not only here, but in other formats as well (more on that in the coming weeks).  Also, Travis is kind enough to support my blog here by linking it up on his vastly cooler and smarter blog, so I’d appreciate it if you supported him, too.  He’s a pretty cool guy anyway.  So as Travis would say, “Pull up a barstool.  Aberforth will pour you the drink of your choosing, and let’s talk Potter.”

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Hello Nerdy Bloggers!  I’ve been away for a while (by day I’m a teacher’s assistant so adjusting to significantly less of a night owl schedule seriously inhibits my energy and alters my sleep patterns, thus also adjusting my blogging time), but I’m getting back into the swing of things today with a review of G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. 

Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans head up G. I. Joe, in the tradition of this summer’s throwback film line-up (not much but remakes and sequels this summer).  I am a child of the 80s, and essentially watched all cartoons indiscriminately back in the day.  I remember watching the 1985 “G. I. Joe” series, but as for graphic detail, I recall very little.  Either way, I’m always stoked to see any kind of 80s throwback like that come to the big screen.  I didn’t have exceptionally high expectations for the film though.  A few friends of mine saw it opening night and reported back with reviews of childhood nostalgia galore, while the critics offered D+ reviews at best (according to Yahoo! Movies).  Either way, I decided I’d at least give it a try. 

G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a fun jaunt from Paramount, and certainly did a fair bit to redeem themselves in the wake of the awfulness of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.  While G. I. Joe certainly isn’t Oscar material, nor does it do anything remarkably exceptional, it is simply a fun action movie.  The fight scenes were great, featuring notable martial artist and gymnast, Ray Park (Toad in X-Men and Darth Maul in the ill fated Star Wars: Episode I) as the mysterious Snake Eyes.  Also, as for looking the parts, I feel G. I. Joe did well.  The costuming was good, and the visual effects, although nothing outstanding, weren’t bad either.  I enjoyed the storyline, however, since I remember little from the cartoon, I don’t know how closely it follows canon.  (I’d be very interested to hear some feedback on that point, so feel free to offer some).

Some interesting casting on this film added to the fun, notably Dennis Quaid as Hawk and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander (didn’t even know it was him until the credits!  When I figured out who it was, I kept having middle school flashbacks to a longhaired Gordon-Levitt in 3^rd Rock From the Sun). 

Overall, while G. I. Joe isn’t going to be the stand out film of the year, I found it to be an enjoyable action flick.  For those parents who might be concerned about their teens seeing it, there is actually very little language or sexual content to be concerned about, a great change from most action movies I’ve seen in recent memory.  However, there are some fairly violent fight scenes, so as with any film, do your homework and use your best judgment when making decisions about what your offspring sees. 

On the Nerdy Blogger scale, I give G.I. Joe one thumb up for great action, fun casting, and being a nice throwback to my 80s cartoon heritage.

 Blessings,

 Nerdy Blogger

Good evening, Nerdy Bloggers.  I’ve been in and out of town over the past couple of weeks, but I’m hoping now to return to a more normal rate of blogging.  I hope and pray you’ve all been well, too. 

 Over the past month or so I’ve heard the buzz about NBC’s newest series, Merlin.  Being a fan of a good Arthur story (although I’ve not read/watched nearly as many as I should/like), I decided to watch the pilot episode online tonight, and I must say that I’m quite impressed.  The cast is interesting, as well as the storyline.  Although my Arthurian knowledge is at a bit of a deficit, I had no problem hopping into the story and following along with the action.  I love Merlin’s clumsiness, as well as his snarky attitude towards the stuck-up Arthur.  Also, Gwen’s awkward comments towards Merlin do much to make me laugh and enjoy her take on “foot-in-mouth” disease.  I think this is an interesting take on the story of Merlin and Arthur and I am looking forward to watching further episodes.  I’ll post more thoughts on the series as I watch. 

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Hello Nerdy Bloggers!  I got to go a midnight showing of the newest installment of the Harry Potter franchise.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was excellent and these are my initial reactions.  I’ll be posting my full review after I watch the movie again.  But for now, here are the things that stand out most to me.

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

• One word: EPIC.
• Best Harry Potter movie so far.
• Several funny moments helped balance out the darker themes in the movie..
• A great final performance by Michael Gambon (although Dumbledore will make an appearance or two in the final films).
• The Trio have SUPERB chemistry in this film, showing how they’ve grown up from little kids playing dress up to maturing young men and women.  I loved it.
• Evanna Lynch is Luna Lovegood.  Hands down.
• The makey-outty-ness was downplayed greatly from the book, which was AWESOME!
• Harry flirting w/ the muggle waitress at the beginning was VERY funny, although NOT CANON.
• The only non-canon moment that was kind of out of place was the attack at the Burrow.  Really the whole scene was cool to watch w/ Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, but overall, mostly unnecessary. 
• One of the funniest moments for me was the Felix Felicis segment.  Daniel Radcliffe was very snarky and strong in this.   Professor Slughorn was well played, and I felt Jim Broadbent really captured his selfish nature. 
• Tom Felton did a great job in this movie, finally having a few more lines and also getting to do a fair bit more acting rather than just taunting Harry.  Good job, Draco. 
• I really loved Rupert Grint in this movie.  He’s really grown up a lot as an actor and provided a lot more than funny faces in this film. 
• The audience I watched the movie with was great fun and very enjoyable, complete with an excellent Draco Malfoy, a girl w/ a very good Hagrid costume, and a Dobby who I hoped was wearing some form of underwear under his sheet.  I wore blue, curled my hair, carried a knitting needle for a wand, and pretended to be Luna Lovegood.  I kept suspecting nargles.  Unfortunately, my flat hair didn’t stayed curled for very long, especially with the high Lincoln, NE humidity. 
• The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of the fight of Hogwarts at the end.  However, if they’d put it in, the movie probably would’ve been at least half an hour to 45 minutes longer.  That would’ve been okay with me, but I’m also someone who thinks it would be fun to watch all the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings in one sitting. 
• Overall, definitely the best movie of the franchise thus far.  I’ll be watching this one probably at least 2 more times in the theater.  I really want to see it in IMAX, but I guess I’ll have to wait a couple more weeks to do so.  I’ll post my full review of the film once I see it again.  Hooray for the best Harry Potter movie since Prisoner of Azkaban! 

Well folks, today is the beginning of the end of the beginning for Derek Webb fans.  At 6 PM, CST tonight, the elaborate scavenger hunt for Derek Webb’s Stockholm Syndrome will come to an end at The Rutledge in Nashville, TN.  There will be a concert, and according the Derek Webb facebook event, all questions will be answered. The stems released yesterday contained the following photo:

I’m hoping after the final stems are released, which, they are being found as I write this according to @ssyndrome, that Stockholm Syndrome will be released for pre-order and full digital download.  I plan on ordering it the first chance I get, so you’ll get a full review here from me within the next few days.  I don’t believe that the trouble with the record company was faked; I don’t believe Derek would lie to his fans.  However, this has got to be one of the cleverest marketing schemes I’ve ever seen.  I’m even more intrigued about this album, and I hope it lives up to all the hype.  Guess we’ll find out very soon. 

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Good evening, Nerdy Bloggers.  I have a confession to make; I am a podcast junkie.  Looking at my iTunes, you would easily find this to be very true.  I just counted and I am subscribed to eleven different podcasts.  Most are on literature, but I also subscribe to some theology course lectures through iTunes U.  Anyway, long story short, I hope to recommend and review several podcasts through this blog.  Today I’d like to introduce to you a new favorite podcast of mine, Harry Potter Prognostications.

Since I have a degree in literature, listening to deep, solid literature-based podcasts is something I find very enjoyable.  Harry Potter Prognostications (or HP Progs for short) is a great podcast for just that.  I found HP Progs through recommendation of Travis Prinzi of The Hog’s Head.  I’m very glad I decided to pick it up. HP Progs is based out of the blog of the same name, and is chock full with news and insightful HP discussion.  HP Progs is hosted by Greg and Penny, a husband and wife duo based out of Maryland.  Their snark and good-natured humor towards each other and the book series makes this podcast fun to listen to, and always good for a laugh.  Greg and Penny do a great job of providing their listeners with important Harry Potter news updates, and also do interesting things with their show, such as interviews with other top Harry Potter literary critics (in their most recent show, they interviewed Steve Vander Ark, creator of the Harry Potter Lexicon), as well as having serious literary discussion on Harry Potter.  Greg and Penny also provide coverage of major Harry Potter events, such as Harry Potter conferences (Azkatraz is their next one coming up in mid-July).  Overall, the show is really enjoyable and very well recorded (no scratchy feedback or background noises to distract the listener). 

I would recommend this podcast to anyone who is looking for some serious Harry Potter literary discussion, with some good-natured humor along the way.  Greg and Penny seem like down-to-earth people, the kind of people you feel like you could sit down with and have a cup of coffee and talk books.  I think this, and their top-notch literary discussions are the main reasons I keep coming back.  Give them a listen; you just might like it.  Harry Potter Prognostications gets two thumbs up from me.  And as Greg and Penny would say, “Keep on prognosticating!”

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

The newest Transformers film has garnered good, bad, and mediocre reviews all across the board from critics and fans alike.  I, myself, grew up watching the 80s cartoon, and had a fit in the movie theater (quite literally jumping out of my seat) three years ago when I saw the teaser trailer for the first Transformers film.  I saw the first film opening night and left the theater wowed.  The transforming sequences were immaculate, streaming flawlessly from vehicle to giant robot without missing a beat, while still looking incredibly realistic and just plain cool.  The story was really interesting, and aside from some unnecessary sexual references, this first live action Transformers film was awesome!  I loved it.

Revenge of the Fallen picks up with Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) leaving for college and in pursuit of a “normal” life, since freshmen aren’t allowed cars on his college campus, thus leaving Bumblebee at home.  Sam, however, soon learns that a “normal” life is something that he’ll never have.  Sam discovers a shard of the Allspark that was still stuck to his clothes from the final battle of the last movie.  Upon touching it, Sam has a similar experience to his grandfather, Captain Archibald Witwicky, gaining knowledge of the ancient history of the Transformers, and causing him to see visions and have fits where all he can do is write the letters and signs he sees in his visions.  With the added pressure of a long distance relationship with Mikaela (Megan Fox), (let’s forget about being hunted down by the Decepticons), Sam’s first few days in college become the toughest of his life. 

While the first Transformers combines a great story with flawless action sequences and epic battles, creating a movie that could’ve been incredibly corny, but is instead AWESOME, Revenge of the Fallen has a lot of explosions, a choppy story, and a ridiculous and unnecessary amount of sexual references and crude language.  Quite frankly, I could’ve handled the former two a lot better if the latter hadn’t been so gratuitous.  I simply don’t understand how Megan Fox’s front or backside advances the plot, nor the excessive lewd jokes made by nearly everyone throughout the film.  The action sequences in this installment weren’t quite as exciting as the previous film, and maybe my Transformers knowledge is rusty, but I didn’t recognize several of the new Autobots and Decepticons introduced.  I think they could’ve introduced the new characters a little better.  Character development (even just a little bit) isn’t a bad thing, people. 

Highlights of the film for me were Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime in the 80s cartoon, reprising his role as the leader of the Autobots (gotta love that deep, booming voice), as well as Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) making an appearance as Professor Colan, although the sexually charged introduction to his Astronomy class could’ve been skipped (for real, it’s not even a Biology or Human A&P class!).  Still, watching Wilson assume the role of a college professor was quite funny.  Overall, the basic storyline was interesting, but all the bathroom humor and explosions got in the way of developing a good storyline.  The final rating on the Nerdy Blogger Scale:

A “Huh?”

This is the rating I’ll be giving for film, books, television, music, and pocasts I’m not quite sure what to do with.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen could’ve been a lot better, but it wasn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen either.  I hope the third installment (due in 2012 according to IMDB.com) is a lot better.  It can only go up from here, right?

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger

Good day, Nerdy Bloggers!  I’ve not done a podcast review or recommendation here before, but I’d like to change that today.  Today I’d like to recommend to you with the highest recommendation I can possibly give, The Dave Ramsey Show Podcast. 

If you’ve never heard of Dave, let me give a few basic facts on this guy.

• He’s originally from Alcoa, TN (also what is formerly known as North Maryville, aka my hometown).
• He is a nationally known and respected Christian financial advisor.
• His most popular book is Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.  I recently picked this up and am looking forward to reading it.
• He has his own show on the Fox Business Network and a nationally syndicated radio program, from which this podcast is derived.

As mentioned, The Dave Ramsey Show Podcast is derived from The Dave Ramsey Show as heard on radio stations across the country.  Dave is known for his down-to-earth, straight, and honest financial advice on how to get out of debt and stay that way.  Dave encourages his listeners to perform “plasectomies” on their wallets by destroying their credit cards and getting themselves on a tight written budget in order to attack their “debt snowball.”  I’ve listened to his podcast for about a month now, and his advice has really encouraged me to keep a close watch on my money.  I’m recommending this podcast to you if you’re interested in hearing great advice on how to better keep watch on your money and make sound financial decisions.  Being young and starting out, I’ve found this podcast to be great for me in encouraging me to do the right things with my money.  The thing I like best about Dave is that he doesn’t kid around.  If you call in to his show and he hears that you’re about to make a poor financial decision, he tells you about it straight up.  I appreciate his honesty and straightforward talk.  The greatest phrase I keep hearing on the show comes from Dave.  He encourages people to, “Live like no one else, so you can give like no one else.”  If you are living by his method of budgeting your lifestyle and not borrowing money, when you are debt free and your family is taken care of, you are financially free to give generously and help others in need.  Scripturally, this is so, so true…James says that true religion is to care of orphans and widows in their distress.  When you are being a good steward of your resources, you can help those in need.  Fabulous Truth is right there, my friends, very fabulous Truth.  This podcast gets two thumbs way, way up from me!  You can subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, just look up The Dave Ramsey Show. 

Blessings,

Nerdy Blogger