Top 5: Pointless Nerdism (Steve’s Picks)

5.PEACE DAY: GANDHI’S LETTER TO HITLER

What does an iconic peace-loving protester and easily the most hated man in all of human history have to do with each other? They’ve been included in Geekosystem (where I found this piece) and one wrote to the other July 23rd, 1939 asking if it would be possible to avoid starting a little fight now popularly known as the Second World War. Sadly unheeded, this little number may well have been the difference between a conflict consuming millions of lives and Hitler learning to play the sitar and moving to the himalayas to find his inner peace.

One of life’s great opportunities missed. Wonder if he even read it….

4. SARUMAN GETS HIS TROLL ON (JUL 11, 2011)

Be careful. Even in defeat Saruman be Trolling.

This is about the silliest thing I’ve seen all week…and it’s a week we did a con so that’s quite a statement.

3.THE BALLAD OF MIKE HAGGAR (AUG 18TH, 2011)

If I’m totally honest, I was a Streets of Rage man back in the day but that doesn’t mean that I’m not familiar with the fine work of Mayor Haggar when it comes to the noble art of thug punching. In a world where Gordon Freeman and Commander Shepard have their own music videos it’s high time that the H man himself was given a showing, and this does the good Mayor proud!  posted this up a week or so ago and it’s already (deservedly) becoming an internet sensation.

Epic doesn’t even begin to cover it.

2. THE TALE OF CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW – NEW LONELY ISLAND ALBUM HAS DROPPED (MAY 10, 2011)

I know this isn’t strictly geek related but it is both comedy and pirate related so I think it counts. The new album from Grammy-nominated fake rap group The Lonely Island comes out today. It’s called Turtleneck & Chain and it’s well worth a download. For the uninitiated, Lonely Island are a three piece rap group who began life on Saturday Night Live and have since gone on to work with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Natalie Portman. They’ve also been known to be on a boat.

Lonely Island’s shtick is basically to do funny rap songs with massive production values and big name guest artists and in that regard Turtleneck delivers. I can’t decide yet whether it’s better than Incredibad or not but I’m leaning towards ‘probably not’. The Rhianna track is basically just a rehash of the joke from the Jack Black song on the last album and there are a couple of tracks that are longer than they need to be but on the whole the good far outweighs to bad. Plus, who doesn’t want to own a song in which Michael Bolton professes his love for Captain Jack Sparrow?

1. COMMANDER SHEPARD MUSIC VIDEO MAY BE THE BEST THING ON THE INTERNET (MARCH 23rd, 2011)

Sent to Dan by a mate, Dan was understandably excited by this video. As a Mass Effect fan that’s understandable. However, this went further. I have never played Mass Effect and was entirely unfamiliar with the characters or plot lines in it until I saw this video. Yet I can honestly say I’ve watched it maybe 30 times since it appeared on BTB in March (mostly in March). Frankly, Commander Shepard is rock and the universe needs him interfering.

The Tale of Captain Jack Sparrow – New Lonely Island Album Has Dropped

I know this isn’t strictly geek related but it is both comedy and pirate related so I think it counts. The new album from Grammy-nominated fake rap group The Lonely Island comes out today. It’s called Turtleneck & Chain and it’s well worth a download. For the uninitiated, Lonely Island are a three piece rap group who began life on Saturday Night Live and have since gone on to work with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Natalie Portman. They’ve also been known to be on a boat.

Lonely Island’s shtick is basically to do funny rap songs with massive production values and big name guest artists and in that regard Turtleneck delivers. I can’t decide yet whether it’s better than Incredibad or not but I’m leaning towards ‘probably not’. The Rhianna track is basically just a rehash of the joke from the Jack Black song on the last album and there are a couple of tracks that are longer than they need to be but on the whole the good far outweighs to bad. Plus, who doesn’t want to own a song in which Michael Bolton professes his love for Captain Jack Sparrow?

Ok, that’s the closest you’re gonna get to a review out of me! Just listen to the damn thing! 😉

D
x

Coming in on a Stranger Tide – Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Okay – I’m the first to admit this is getting out of hand following the Thor and Arkham Asylum trailers this week but it turns out Disney and Bruckheimer want a sniff at the Christmas pie by previewing their wares on the run up to Christmas with this little number: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

A lot points towards a return to form with Bloom and Knightley out of the picture, allowing this picture to be nicely populated with cutthroats, villains and curs. The old favourites Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa are present and correct and the title suggests that this episode is based on Tim Power’s cracking swashbuckling fantasy novel ‘On Stranger Tides’ much like its previous incarnation ‘Curse of the Black Pearl’ was enhanced by a resurrected script from Lucasarts epically ludicrous ‘Secret of Monkey Island’. Throw in a sultry foil / love interest in the form of a very unexpected movie star and Ian McShane of Deadwood fame chewing on the quarterdeck as Black Beard and I’d say this looks like a return to form worth looking forward to.

‘Load up the yardarm lads – there be a rebooting franchise returning to form on the Horizon.’

Research by Lee Ravitz.