An interesting and entertaining guest Top 10 today from an interesting and entertaining guy, Kevin Jones.  Kevin is a writer, artist and reviewer and you can find out a lot more about him on his excellent Kevin’s Slice of Inspiration Blog, you can also follow Kevin on Twitter @NomentionofKev

On any given day, when I need a break, inspiration, something to read while I have my coffee, or just to laugh my ass off, there are a few websites I continually find myself visiting. Here, in no particular order, is a list of my Top 10 sites everyone should visit.

To begin, here are two of my favorite movie and TV websites. Both site purveyors are engaging and awesome to know. Go for new trailers and posters, stay for the great writing:

Just click on the images to check out these sites.

screenrant.com

Owner and operator Vic Holtreman has put together an entertaining and informative website devoted to movies and TV shows of the more geeky persuasion.

You can follow the site and Vic on twitter @screenrant.

Thinkhero.com

Dennis Tzeng’s blog takes a slightly different tack by including video reviews of movies and TV featuring himself and the incredible Roth Cornet (@JRothC).

You can follow Dennis on twitter @thinkhero.

Screw traditional newspapers, for comics the web is where it’s at!

Player V Player

Walking the floor of the dealer room at a convention one year, talking to the growing collection of internet cartoonist, one name continually came up: Scott Kurtz. He is a god to many in the world of the internet.

Player vs. Player is about a group of writers, Cole, Brent, Jade and Francis, who work at a video game review magazine called, oddly enough, Player vs. Player. Also featured is a giant blue troll named Skull, who is a teddy bear of a monster, a Giant Panda who attacks Brent whenever he mentions the word ‘Panda’, the now popular LOLBAT, the leet speaking crime fighter and a host of other equally engaging characters.

PvP is very well written, very entertaining, and a great example of how online comics should be done.

You can follow Scott Kurtz on twitter @pvponline.,

daniellecorsetto.com

On same said convention trip, I was introduced to Girls with Slingshots and had a chance to speak with the artist and creator Danielle Corsetto. She was incredibly nice and self-effacing considering GWS is every bit as entertaining and funny as PvP.

GWS follows the lives of best friends Hazel and Jamie and this is far from a chic comic. It is always an interesting insight into the world of the human female and hilarity abounds.

Hey guys, they may not be that different after all.

You can follow Danielle on twitter @dcorsetto and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get the chance to see her work on her strip live on the web!

XKCD

On the forefront of Geek and Nerd-dom is Randall Munroe’s xkcd. How awesome is he?

Epic.

I wore one of his t-shirts, “Science: it works, bitches.”, at Dragon*con and people took pictures of me wearing it, just because I was wearing it.

True story.

With his crudely drawn pictures and his mouse-over revealed text, Randall never fails to bring down the hammer of intelligence on humor.

This last section is Art, Articles and Awesomeness!

themusicslut.com

Love music?

The Music Sluts bio says it all: “Music news, reviews, MP3s, contests & random rants updated at an obsessive rate. All love no hate.”

Definitely a must for any music lover.

You can a follow them on twitter at @themusicslut.

audrey-kawasaki.com

Audrey Kawasaki is an incredible artist. Her prints go on sale and are gone almost instantly (the internet only works so fast, you know, there are server lags).

Check out her website for a catalog of her work and her live journal (i-seldom-do.livejournal.com) for occasional posts to see what she is working on. You can also follow her on twitter @AudreyKawasaki.

bitrebels.com

Pouring over the net and posting the interesting things they find, site runner/owner Richard Darrell, Diana Adams and Misty Belardo present a welcome distraction on any day of the week. Whether you enjoy geek or nerd stuff, movies, design or the occasional weird-as-hell-where-did-you-find-this things, they’ve got you covered.

They are also some of the nicest people on twitter. You can follow Richard @minervity, Diana @adamsconsulting and Misty @mistygirlph.

watchtheguild.com

With three seasons in the can, two incredibly popular videos (‘Do you want to date my avatar?’ and ‘Game on!’), a comic book prequel miniseries and a fourth season well underway, there is no stopping the web-series The Guild, written by and staring the extremely talented Felicia Day (@FeliciaDay).

The show follows a group of online gamers as their internet lives collide with their real ones. The episodes run between 5 – 10 minutes long and the cast is incredible. There is no reason not to watch.

If you haven’t seen this series yet, you haven’t seen the future of entertainment.

effinfunny.com/legend-of-neil

Neil’s life sucks and then, while he drunkenly tries to finish his first game of ‘The Legend of Zelda’ as he performs autoerotic asphyxiation, it gets worse. He is thrown into the world of Zelda and forced to become Link as he desperately tries to find his way home.

Very adult at times, this series, written by Sandeep Parikh (@sandeepparikh), Zaboo in ‘The Guild’, is a testament to how awesome a show can be without those annoying networks.

Many thanks to Kevin for an amazing list! Where do you go for information, inspiration and entertainment on the Web?

It gives me great pleasure to bring you this TV Top 10 from a returning guest, Emily Goll,  Emily is the editor of My Dog Ate My Blog and writes on online universities for Guide to Online Schools.  You can also follow the blog on Twitter @DogAteBlog.

We have already had a popular TV listing from Ruth with Top 10 American TV Series which was written from the UK perspective so it’s great to have the American view from Emily.  Please do let us know what you think.

10. Deadwood

This is another example of a show I didn’t think I’d love. Deadwood takes place in middle of nowhere Deadwood, South Dakota in the 1800s and centers around the corruption present in the town, in large part due to the presence of saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane). With outstanding acting and absolutely beautiful cinematography and score, this show has the production quality of a movie. Its pacing is slow but gripping and the dialogue has been universally praised by critics (although it’ll take some getting used to). With a mere total of three seasons, this show truly raised the bar on quality television.

9. Freaks and Geeks

If My So-Called Life is the television show that most accurately depicts teenagers, Freaks and Geeks comes in at a very close second. Set in the early eighties, the show centers around Lindsay and Sam Weir and their misadventures in high school. Lindsay is an exceptionally smart girl who ditches the mathletes to hang out with the token “freaks” and stoners of the school. Sam, on the other hand, is a skinny, short freshman who has two very geeky friends and a crush on a cheerleader. This show is hilarious and relatable, plus it stars the now famous talents of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Phillips, and Martin Starr.

8. Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights was a wonderful surprise for me. I don’t particularly enjoy football. I’ve never been to Texas, and this show centers around a high school football team in Texas. Yikes. Where’s the draw? I sat down because I had read some wonderful reviews of it and thought, why the heck not? If I can get over my prejudice of things airing on the SyFy Channel I can certainly shed my reservations about high school football. And man, am I glad I did. I think my roommate said it best: “This show makes me feel things I didn’t know I was capable of feeling!” The plots may seem simple. There are no mobs. There are no guns. Nobody gets murdered, and there won’t be any vampires popping up, but the characters, the events, and the emotions are so poignant they make the smallest moments on the show seem epic.

7. My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life was so well filmed Cameron Crowe openly copied a shot from the first episode and put it in Jerry Maguire. No joke. This show changed pop culture as we know it. Before My So-Called Life there was no market for television centering on teens. Sure, MTV existed, but an entire drama based on the life of a teenager, and not just our perceptions of teenage life, but the actual life of a teenager? No way. Prior to 1993, any shows revolving around teenagers depicted them acting like twenty-something adults (think 90210). Claire Danes’ arrival to the television screen, however, changed all that. An entire episode about a zit? Sure, let’s do it. A school crush who can’t read? Introduce Jordon Catalano. Like too many good shows it was canceled before its time, but Angela Chase’ s voiceovers will stay with us forever: “My parents keep asking how school was. It’s like saying, “How was that drive-by shooting?” You don’t care how it *was*, you’re lucky to get out alive”

6. Arrested Development

Are you a fan of humor (and if your answer to this question is no, well, you have a whole different set of problems)? If so, watch this show. In fact, even if you are not a fan of humor, watch this show. Arrested Development changed all the rules of a normal comedy. What is great about Arrested Development  was that the humor of the show is based not on whatever situation the characters’ find themselves in (although they are often hilarious), but on the characters themselves. To fans, it was like one big inside joke. The episodes became increasingly funny the longer you watched. Gob saying, “I’ve made a huge mistake,” in the first episode doesn’t carry the same weight it does in the twentieth. Why is this? Unlike Seinfeld and Friends, Arrested Development is a character driven comedy as opposed to a situational comedy. Anybody who sits down and watches an episode of Seinfeld will understand what is going on. The same cannot be said for Arrested Development and unfortunately, this is what killed the show. It is a true tragedy that this show was canceled in season three. Most of the truly dedicated fans are chasing down rumors of movies (it is happening) and watching the DVDs over and over again. The jokes never stop being funny, even years later.

5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

More than ten years after its original air date, Buffy fans are still as obsessed with this show as they used to be. Academic conferences are held all over the world on Buffy, discussing gender issues, pop culture, family, and media. Books have been written by professors boasting titles such as, “Why Buffy Matters: The Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale.” So why does everybody care so much? Because Buffy kicks ass. It paved the way for female protagonists in television. It covered all of life’s little issues in a clever way. It didn’t dumb down for its audience. The supernatural elements of the show were always a metaphor for life’s greater problems. Buffy – in this writer’s opinion – will always have a spot in the top ten.

4. The Sopranos

Another HBO show (and wouldn’t it be great if all networks had the budget and freedom HBO boasts?), The Sopranos takes you inside the mob and it is intense. Vanity Fair contributor Peter Biskind said of the show: “The richest achievement in the history of television.” Wow. Now that’s praise. Gripping and engaging, this show hooks you in fast and keeps you interested until the very final episode. With fantastic writing, acting, and directing, The Sopranos can’t really put a foot wrong. Critics have said that this show redefined television as we know it, making it obvious that the quality we see on the big screen can now be duplicated on TV.

3. Battlestar Galactica

“But no,” you may say. “It’s a sci-fi show. How can this make the list?” Oh Lord, for so many excellent reasons. Battlestar Galactica is a show that takes place in space, but it is not about space. BSG explores the human condition in ways no other show has come close to. What does it mean to be human? How do we know what is right and what is wrong? Why do we fear “the other”? Does God exist? Battlestar Galactica has never shied away from the tough questions. Beyond this, it is superbly acted and has an absolutely fantastic score, composed by the brilliant Bear McCreary. If you can get over the fact that yes, you are watching a sci-fi show and yes, there will be spaceships and killer robots, then you will be privy to a show that actually teaches you something about the world you live in while you watch.

2. The Wire

Praised as the most realistic crime drama ever (and we all know there have been a lot), this show packs a punch. If you can get over the very brief hurdle of “what are they talking about?” all new viewers experience in the first few episodes, you’re in for one hell of a ride. This character driven show keeps you engaged and guessing throughout the entire season. The villains are scary. The heroes are flawed. The pacing is thrilling. In short, The Wire‘s hype is well-deserved.

1. The Simpsons

This is, in my opinion, the greatest television show of all time. Better than Seinfeld. Better than The Wire. Better even than, ye gods, Buffy (and believe me, that’s saying something coming from  me). When The Simpsons was in its heyday, it was superb. The jokes were timely and hilarious. The characters were wonderfully rounded (in a two-dimensional, cartoonish sort of way). The plots could take you anywhere. I remember one episode (“Simpson Safari”) that begins with bag boys going on strike in Springfield and ends with the Simpsons uncovering Dr. Bushwell’s hidden life as a chimp master slave in Africa. How they get from point A to point B is both comical and ingenious. I will be the first to admit that the show is not what it used to be. Entering into its bazillionth season it has lost most of its brilliance. Nevertheless, for the ten or so seasons when it was great, it was very nearly perfect.

Check out Emily’s previous guest appearance -  Top 10  Emmy Snubs 2010

Many thanks go to Emily for her interesting and entertaining Top 10.  Do you agree, I am sure you have your own favourites so please use the comments box below to share your thoughts.

I am delighted to bring you this guest Top 10 of Emmy Award Snubs compiled by Emily Goll.  Emily is the editor of My Dog Ate My Blog and writes on online universities for Guide to Online Schools.  You can also follow the blog on Twitter @DogAteBlog

1. Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is perhaps the most underrated television show on air right now and once again, it did not receive a nomination for best drama. Sure, it picked up acting nods (which is far better than last year) and even some writing love, but it was left out where it really matters. What bothers me especially about this snub is that True Blood was nominated in this category and yet received no acting, writing, or directing nominations. Maybe it’s just me, but shows in the best drama category should have a plethora of these nominations.  If they don’t, then I’m not really sure why they are included in the category of best overall dramatic show.

2. Treme

It’s like watching The Wire get continuously snubbed all over again. Why is Treme, a show that is widely praised by critics and viewers alike, getting the same number of nominations as Stargate Universe? This show deserves more than just a nomination for the direction of the premiere episode and a nod to Steve Earl’s theme song. Emmys – don’t make the same mistake twice. You have a chance to redeem yourselves and thus far, you are failing majorly.

3. Justified

Justified has turned out to be a fantastic new show, but unfortunately, the Academy failed to recognize this. Timothy Olyphant not getting a nomination in the best acting category for his work playing Raylan Givens was perhaps the worst snub. Olyphant breathes life into every single scene he is a part of, however, due perhaps to the lack of melodrama on the show, Justified was easy for the Academy to overlook.

4. Community and Parks and Recreation

These brilliant comedies were widely ignored by the Emmys, with Parks and Recreations receiving two nominations and Community none at all. Amy Poehler’s outstanding work on Parks and Recreation should have secured her a nomination in the Best Actress category and both shows should have been included in Best Comedy.

5. Sons of Anarchy

Like Justified, Sons of Anarchy was another FX show that was not acknowledged by the Academy. Maybe the Academy voters are simply not getting FX as a channel? Either way, seeing only one nomination for best theme between these two shows is tragic and a major oversight.

6. Ed O’Neill of Modern Family

Unfortunately for poor Ed O’Neill, I think everybody else from Modern Family‘s cast was nominated for an award. Ouch. The sad part is, it didn’t need to go down like this! Ed O’Neill is consistently fantastic in his role and what’s more – he’s the veteran of the show! Why leave him out? I simply do not understand the logic.

7. Courtney Cox of Cougar Town

Really? No nomination again guys? Fail. Courtney Cox makes this show hilarious. Without her, it would be a shell of its current self. Show her some love. Heck, even old time Friends’ costar Jennifer Aniston got a nomination this time around for her guest role on 30 Rock. Let’s give Cox credit where credit is due.

8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It may not be the most politically correct comedy on air right now, but this show pushes comedy to a whole new level.  What is great about Sunny is that the people working on the show are clearly just having a blast making it. From Green Man to wine in a diet coke can, this show knows how to get you laughing out loud – albeit sometimes hesitantly. With the help of amazing actors such as Charlie Day, Danny DeVito, and Rob McElhennery this show raises the bar on modern comedy week after week. Still not convinced? Go search for “Kitten Mittens” on YouTube.

9. Cat Deeley of So You Think You Can Dance

Mostly I find reality television hosts incredibly annoying, but Cat Deeley brings something great to So You Think She Can Dance. She certainly deserved to be nominated Ryan Seacrest. I think we’ve all had enough of him. Time to branch out, Emmys.

10. Lauren Graham of Parenthood

This might be a little biased because I’m a huge fan of Parenthood and a huge fan of Lauren Graham, but c’mon guys! She deserves a nom. I think Graham is an amazing actress who was continuously snubbed by the Emmys when playing Lorelei on Gilmore Girls and is now on her way to being snubbed again for her outstanding work on Parenthood. With an admittedly outstanding cast, Lauren Graham manages to bring something new to the show every week. She deserves some recognition.

Many thanks to Emily for a really interesting and entertaining Top 10.

Do you have a favourite that you think has been snubbed?  Let us know if you do.

A most unusual guest Top 10 from Hallow Stonebrook aka Werewitch Hallow.  A list of the Top 10 True Blood characters from the witches perspective.  Now that’s not something you come across every day!

You can follow Hallow on Twitter @WerewitchHallow

Just click on the images to find the best people to follow on Twitter for each character.

Hallows Top 10 True Blood Hit List

(Those who will feel the touch of darkness as written in the journals of Marnie Stonebrook.)

Eric Northman : Vampire, Sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana, Co-owner of Fangtasia. First I wanted his business, but now I want so much more.  Eventually he’ll see how CHARMING I can be. I don’t care who or what gets burned along the path I take to acquiring him. In fact, it is my hope that many shall suffer.

Pam Ravenscroft : Vampire, Eric Northman’s second-in-command, Co-owner of Fangtasia…and infuriating bitch. She thinks to thwart me from gaining that which I seek.  It will be a cherished gift unto me to destroy her in a very soul-sucking and painful way. But not before she sees, through her own undead eyes, my ultimate victory.

Alcide Herveaux : Werewolf, member of Longtooth pack in Shreveport. It is unfortunate that he’ll suffer for what others of the supernatural community have done (or not done as is the case) to my family. But I’ve never been one to dwell on whether my malevolent intent is misplaced. He’ll pay for crimes against my own…and perhaps serve me when I have what I desire.

Sookie Stackhouse : Telepathic human, Waitress at Merlotte’s in Bon Temps. As if her inherent GOODNESS was not enough to make me writhe in disgust, she will invoke my wrath by aiding Eric Northman.  There is no measure to my displeasure. She, too, will suffer from the darkness I will blanket this community with.

Chow : Vampire, Bartender at Fangtasia. His loyalty to Eric Northman and Pam Ravenscroft bring him to my attention. But his antagonism and insidious comments have ignited my ire.  I’ll toy with him because it pleases me greatly to do so.  And then I will destroy and defile him as no other before him.

Ginger : Human, Waitress at Fangtasia. The poor, poor dear. Have you ever tortured someone just for the sake of torturing someone? No?  Then that is what perhaps sets me apart from society. Just seeing her creates a need inside me that festers and oozes until it boils over into action. I want to tie her in knots of sheer agony. And I will.

The Magister : Vampire, Adjudicator for vampires. His power and authority alone are enough to attract my malignant attention. Sometimes it is simply enjoyable to match wits and creative punishment skills with another like-minded individual. Unfortunately for the Magister, I always come out on top. And I like it there.

Holly Cleary : Human, Waitress at Merlotte’s, Wiccan. Upon arrival in Shreveport, my brother Mark and I seek to gather local witches to join in our dominance and power. Sadly, Holly does not subscribe to my school of evil. And that will be her undoing. Have I mentioned that I adore making my enemy’s loved ones suffer as well?

Charles Twining : Vampire, Bartender at Fangtasia. My unique dealings with this former pirate have placed us in an unlikely relationship of business partners. My use and dealing of Vampire blood, known as the drug V, have made me “enlightened” and him a wealthier vampire. But anyone who does business with me will most likely learn that I serve only myself…and my Master. He will be eliminated when I am through with him.

Hot Rain : Vampire, Maker of Longshadow. This cynic has been unfortunate to cross my path through my dealings with Charles Twining. He makes a fabulous occasional lover and tastes like heaven. But his usefulness will one day come to an end. After all, why waste all that ancient delightful blood just to have an ally which one day will no longer be needed? I’m sure I’ll enjoy him thoroughly as I deliver him to Hell.

**Based loosely and fictitiously on characters from both True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

Many thanks to Hallow for a chilling list, the tribute is on it’s way!

Delighted to bring you this TV top 10 with a difference from Val Tanswell.  Val is the woman behind the excellent ‘What Valerie Thinks’ blog where you will find her witty reviews of TV, movies, books and more.  You would be well advised to Follow Val on Twitter @whatvalthinks.

So to Val’s Top 10.  She has had a look at TV shows which are undoubtedly successful but where she fails to see the reason why!

1. Mad Men – None of the characters are that likeable, so who really cares what happens to them? Having said that, the lead actor Jon Hamm is very dishy. Plus all that smoking gets on my nerves.

2. Dancing with the Stars – Dancing is cool. Dancing stars is cool and fun. But it’s the endless filler, over the top up build up and a judging panel hyped up on Red Bull I can’t stand. They need to trim a lot of fat for it to be watchable.

3. Breaking Bad – It’s just too damn stressful. I just can’t face that kind of pressure on a weekly basis.

4. Rock of Love – Great that Brett Michael’s career is on the up (thank you Donald and near death experience). But his reality show was flawed from the start because you know he could not actually find love otherwise there wouldn’t be another season. So zero credibility.

5. Two and a Half Men – Totally a guy thing. I’ve dated intelligent men who have sat giggling like Beavis & Butthead when it came on. I don’t get it at all. And let me take the opportunity to say “boo” to canned laughter.

6. Keeping up with the Kardashians – They have to generate drama for the show, so no believability. However, follow step-father Bruce Jenner around all day and I’d watch that, for sure.

7. CSI Miami – It doesn’t even touch the original in quality or style. Everything is too much and out of kilter. It’s too rock ‘n roll and I think Horatio is ridiculous, his lines are stupid and the delivery worse. Can you say “trying too hard?”

8. The Hills -  I’m not hating on reality TV (Big Brother and Survivor just two of my favs) but this isn’t reality. It’s totally fixed. They’re whiny and infinitely annoying.

9. NCIS – I’ve tried folks, I’ve tried. They don’t have the cool science of CSI and they don’t have the hustle of gritty crime solving. They’re somewhere in the middle. It’s blandly watchable but doesn’t take hold.

10. Grey’s Anatomy – Convoluted, over dramatic, self important. Has a helicopter crashed into the hospital yet, the way it did when ER had run out of decent storylines? Hot doctors or not, “McSilly” is what it is.

Many thanks to Val for a stimulating Top 10.  Let us know if you agree (or disagree) with her assessment.