Nurture and Support

Special Guests John & Helena join us to “share all the awesome”! We’ve got Deserts, Clowns, Tech, Toasters, and the wonderful World of Tomorrow! And Bears, because no podcast is complete without Bears.

Mel’s Recommendation:

Podcast: The Drabblecast

* An audio production of short-fiction by Norm Sherman and co. It’s “Strange Stories, By Strange Authors, For Strange Listeners.”

* My favorite episode is “20 Ways The Desert could Kill You” by Sara Pinkser which is Ep. 295. This is a story told by a young girl whose mother has moved them out to the desert for a mysterious reason. Listen and draw your own conclusion!

* Another one that will give you nightmares is Jay Lake’s “Clown Eggs“. It is full of Clown Trauma. You have been warned.

 

John’s Recommendation

* Go follow John on Twitter at @McGevna

YouTube: Dotto Tech

* A weekly vidcast of tech related coolness by Steve Dotto, includes great quick demos of various tech related things that are supposed to make our lives easier if you can figure out how to use them.

* Also includes lots of information on growing your social media presence.

* Steve also bids us to “have fun storming the castle”, which is always a good idea. (~Mel)

 

Helena’s Recommendation:

* Go follow Helena on Twitter @HeleMcGe

 Book: The Toaster Project: Or A Heroic Attempt to Build A Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch by Thomas Thwaittes

* The amazing journey of one man to actually build a modern day toaster entirely by hand.

* The man actually tries to smelt ore and make plastic himself.

* Check it out on Goodreads and all bookstores.

 

Kelly’s Recommendation:

Website: iO9.com We Come From The Future

* iO9 is a phenomenal website that covers all things that contain even a tiny little bit of awesome.

* Ever wonder where the term iO9 came from? Kelly figured it out for us!

* They cover everything from tv shows, books, animals stories, and lots of science fiction and fantasy, and of course, “the world of tomorrow”.

* Follow them on twitter @iO9

* If you want to see the article about the actual real bears Kelly referenced, go here.

Kelly says “YeeHaw!” and then begs for your help.  Mel remains our Cello Overlord.

Kelly’s plea: On shows where I introduce Mel I typically say “…and with me as always is Mel.  Hi Mel.”,  Which is LAME.  

Could someone PLEASE come up with a better introduction and post it in the comments???

Kelly’s Recommendation:

Movie: Motel Hell (1980)

* A Horror/Comedy movie about Farmer Smith and his sister Ida run Motel Hello and are famous for their delicious “smoked meat”. You know where this is going right?

* They have a very interesting “garden” in the backyard.

* It’s available to rent from Amazon Instant Video, and to buy from iTunes.

* Stars Rory Calhoun, and Wolfman Jack makes an appearance! Awoo!

 

Kelly’s Re-Recommendation:

Podcast: Scott Stratten’s Vegas Under 30 and The Unpodcast

 

Mel’s Recommendation:

Music: Zoe Keating

* Yay! More Cellos!

* Zoe is an amazing cellist whose music has appeared in numerous tv shows, such as Elementary and even Teen Wolf. She has performed with a number of bands over the years, including Rasputina and Halou, both of which you should check out.

* Her music is warm and peaceful and will make you feel better no matter how badly your day has gone. I particularly like “Legions (War)” from the One Cello x 16 album.

* Check out her website for links to her bandcamp to pay what you want for her albums!

* The Links: iTunes, Amazon, Soundcloud, Spotify (Spotify does not have all of her albums), and her YouTube channel.

* Here’s a direct link to Zoe’s version of the Star Spangled Banner.

 

 

Social Media Recommendation:

Kelly: @PeytonsHead: A witty twitter account that mishmashes Pop Culture and Sports references for your amusement. #LaserRocketArm

Mel: @IGN: the go to mega site to learn more about EVERY video game EVER.

Want to subscribe to the Nurture and Support podcast??  

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Thanks for listening! Mel (@karmic9) and Kelly (@kellythul)

 

Kelly introduces Mel to Joe’s Garage by Frank Zappa, and Mel revisits her favorite Romantically Apocalyptic wasteland.

 

Mel’s Recommendation:

 

Website: RomanticallyApocalyptic.com

*  An awesomely done WebComic/Graphic Novel created by Vitaly S. Alexius that features an intriguing cast of characters in a post apocalyptic world.

* Here’s a link to the beginning of the story, so jump in there and see the Romantically Apocalyptic adventures of Zee Captain, Snippy, Pilot, and Engie. There’s even a Lifealope folks. I can’t explain it, you’re just going to have to see it for yourselves.

* And if you’re a fan of abandoned places, check out the Art page.

 

Kelly’s Recommendation:

 

Music: Joe’s Garage by Frank Zappa

* A 1979 Rock Opera that tells the story of a young man named Joe who runs afoul of the Government, Organized Religion, and STDs all told by the Central Scrutinizer (“The White Zone is for loading and unloading.  If you gotta load or unload, go to the White Zone – you’ll love it”).

* It features Xenochronous and Mel learned a new word. Guess which one in the Comments!

* The Links! Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay

* Mel really likes Watermelon in Easter Hay even though there aren’t any cellos in there.  While it also lacks cellos, Kelly recommends the title song “Joe’s Garage” as well.

 

Just a note: Kelly has won every subsequent game of Words with Friends…… Mel’s not bitter. AT. ALL.

Social Media Recommendations:

Kelly: @Marinda_music on twitter. A musician from Holland who was brave enough to appear on SnarkAlec Radio.

Mel: James Brent Isaacs on YouTube. He vlogs about books and video games for Geek and Sundry!

Want to subscribe to the Nurture and Support podcast??  

Our feed – http://nurtureandsupport.net/feed/podcast 

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Thanks for listening! Mel (@karmic9) and Kelly (@kellythul)

 

Special Guest @TonySolo joins us to share some Orphan Black love, Kelly tells us about a cool language app called Word Lens, and Mel has another book called The Magicians.

 Kelly’s Recommendation:

App: Word Lens by QuestVisual

* A translation app available for Android, iOS, and Google Glass

* It uses the camera on your phone and swaps out the foreign text on signs for English (or your language of choice) in REAL TIME.

* Word Lens has recently been acquired by Google for use in its own translation software and the app is free for a very limited time.

 

Tony’s Recommendation:

Tony hosts SnarkalecRadio with our very own Kelly, and Mike Bilinski of the band Pagan. It’s a weekly show detailing recent snarkable science fiction/monster movie happenings on tv and other cool stuff. Check them out over at Tony’s YouTube Channel or catch them on the LoudNLoaded station at Live 365.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonySolo!

TV Series: Orphan Black on BBC America

* Orphan Black is in it’s second season on BBC America.

* It stars the amazing Tatiana Maslany who plays numerous simultaneous roles on the show as clones.

* Season 1 is available free to watch for Amazon Prime Members and is available in many On Demand networks, check this link out to find yours.

* Tony thinks it’s like a Syfy channel show got mashed up with Desperate Housewives!

 

 

Mel’s Recommendation:

Book: ‘The Magicians‘ by Lev Grossman

* A different twist on Magic School that has been described as “Harry Potter for adults”.

* The main character, Quentin Coldwater, is a very morose downtrodden high school student who spends much of his time daydreaming about a a magical land called Fillory, which is the subject of a series of popular children’s books. After 5 grueling years in Brakebills, a magical college, Quentin and his friends are turned loose into the normal world. They find themselves floundering until one of them discovers that Fillory is actually real and isn’t very childlike after all.

* ‘The Magicians’ is the first book in The Magicians Trilogy. It is followed by ‘The Magician King’, and the soon to be released ‘The Magician’s Land’.

* It is also in development at Syfy to possibly be turned into a

We accidentally had themed recommendations this week! Welcome to DIY with Mel and Kelly! Mel builds a computer while Kelly finds a site to build EVERYTHING!

Mel’s Recommendation:

Website: Newegg.com

* A Tech Superstore that will help you find all of your pc building needs.

* Many products have unboxing videos that give you a full tour of the product so you can get a close up view before you buy.

* They also are very well known for great customer service.

* A lot of the customer reviews are left by very tech savvy folks who describe any problems they had with the install.

Website: TomsHardware.com

* Don’t know which video card to buy, or which processor is the best bang for your buck? Start here.

* If your really stumped take a look at the forums where a lot of very knowledgeable people tend to hang out.

 

Kelly’s Recommendation:

Website: Instructables.com

* Full of tons of cool instructions or “ibles” that help you make pretty much anything you can think of.

* Awesome topics include Cosplay, Steampunk, Halloween Decorations, Cooking, and 3D Printing.

* They also have tons of contests for the best instructable in a given category.

* Go check it out and try your hand at “building” something cool!

* Also if any one wants to make this Dragon Cake and send it to Mel…..

Social Media Recommendations:

Mel: NeweggTv on YouTube: lots of videos about products plus more current event geek type news.

Kelly:  5Facts We Learned from the Internet is a fun YouTube show by Annie Colbert and Matt Silverman. It has frequent visits by some awesome guests like Wil Wheaton and Grover!

 

 

Want to subscribe to the Nurture and Support podcast??  

Our feed – http://nurtureandsupport.net/feed/podcast 

iTunes – Nurture and Support

Thanks for listening! Mel (@karmic9) and Kelly (@kellythul)

 

Kelly and Mel have agreed on a single recommendation this week and it’s BREAKING BAD!

* We discuss why we love Breaking Bad, our favorite characters, and the importance of humor in drama, and some miscellaneous related items you need to check out.

* Spoiler Alert: Kelly’s favorite character is appearing in his own spin off soon called ‘Better Call Saul’

* It’s a long episode, but really we could have gone on for hours… Thank you for indulging us.

Breaking Bad

* This story of a dying chemistry teacher who turns to making meth to care for his family when he’s gone is possibly the best drama ever on television.

* Check out imdb for a full cast list. They are all too awesome to list here.

App: Alchemy

* Only available for iBooks.

* A neat interactive ebook/app that delves into the behind the scenes story of Breaking Bad. A must for fans of the series.

Check out this Buzzfeed article for lots of Breaking Bad 8-bit glory!

 

Videos you need to see:

Epic Rap Battles: Rick Grimes vs Walter White

* Don’t watch with a full bladder….

 

Badger’s Star Trek script  animated by Matt Czap for Vulture.com

* Here is the Star Trek episode you’ve been waiting for.

 

Social Media Recommendations:

@mrbobodenkirk: The Mr. Bob Odenkirk also check out Mr. Show.

@aaronpaul_8: Aaron Paul

And to finish things off:

Bryan Cranston reads Ozymandias

* I forgot to bring this up during the episode, but this is one of my favorite poems and listening to Walter White read it is chilling. ~Mel

 

 

Want to subscribe to the Nurture and Support podcast??  

Our feed – http://nurtureandsupport.net/feed/podcast 

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Thanks for listening! Mel (@karmic9) and Kelly (@kellythul)

Our good friend, and creator of the Nurture and Support theme song, Alicia (@ohalchemygirl) joined us again and she had a bit of big news.  She recently got engaged.  The proposal was simply amazing…

Mel’s Recommendation:

Game: Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri and Alien Crossfire

* A 1999 turn-based strategy game where you build up your faction to achieve global domination of a sentient fungus-infested planet.

* By the creators of Civ

* Available at g0g.com for $5.99!

Alicia’s Recommendation:

Don’t forget to check out Alicia’s musical talent over at OhAlchemy.com!

Podcast: Welcome To Nightvale

* A creepy yet witty podcast featuring community updates for an odd little town called Night Vale.

* Check out their website at commonplacebooks.com

* Available through all major podcast catchers including iTunes.

 

Podcast: NPR’s Ask Me Another

* A comedy gameshow podcast from the folks at NPR.

* Features the amazing Jonathan Coulton

* Subscribe through your favorite podcast catcher including iTunes.

 

Kelly’s Recommendation:

Website/Service: Fun with words!  Go to www.google.com/trends to see what everyone is searching on, trends, visualizations.  These are broken down by date, location and much more.  You can even pick your own words/phrases to analyze, like… oh… Kelly/Melissa/Alicia (actual results below)

You can also try books.google.com/ngrams/ to go WAY back in time to see other word trends across a mammoth selection of publications.  Gee, let’s try that Kelly/Melissa/Alicia search again…

 

Social Media Recommendations:

Melissa: Steampunk Tendencies highlights Steampunk art of all kinds. @Steampunk_T on Twitter or Steampunk Tendencies on G+

Alicia: The Welcome to Night Vale podcast’s home on Twitter: @NightvaleRadio AND NPR’s Ask Me Another @NPRAskMeAnother

Kelly: Adam the Woo YouTube channel – Adam tours abandoned places and gets banned from Disney FOR LIFE!!

 

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Matt (@mattshiversVO) joins Mel and Kelly again for episode 22 of Nurture and Support!  In addition to the usual recommendations, SOMEONE throws out a “bite me” in this episode.  You might be surprised who.

“It was not as unpleasant as I anticipated.” ~Kelly

Kelly’s Recommendation:

App/Webservice: Nextdoor

* Basically, a secure “Facebook” for your neighborhood.

* Available online at Nextdoor.com and via apps on iOS and Android.

* Very useful to track wildlife in your neighborhood.

Welcome back!  This week’s recommendations include a very cool app to monitor sleeping habits, a fun rock & roll vampire movie, a salsa recipe, and Mel breaks bad and recommends a knitting website.   KNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTERS!!!!

Mel’s recommendations

App: Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

* An alarm clock app that tries to wake you according to your sleep cycle.

* It also uses the flash and camera on your phone to gauge your heart rate. It’s like magic… or science.

* It’s available for iOS. Check out Sleepcycle.com

Website: Ravelry.com

To make up for Kelly’s incessant dissing of the knitters.

We game, we travel, and we Run into Captain America! Special Guest Matt Shivers! @MattShiversVO on twitter. He’s a freelance Voice Over Artist who makes us sound really, really bad. ShiversMedia.com and @ShiversMedia Matt is also on Kelly’s ENEMY OF THE STATE! list. So is Mel. Basically, so is about everyone else. Kelly’s Recommendation: App: TripIt A travel organization app available on iOS and Android for FREE. Check out Tripit.com Stores all of your travel reservation and creates an itinerary to keep you organized while travel for business or just a family vacation. The cool “flying plane” animation alone merits downloading … Continue reading →