I’m not at Comic-Con.

I’m not alone, but, look, I’m the editor of a website called Nerdist. I should be there, right? But I couldn’t go this year, for several reasons in which you wouldn’t be interested, and so I’m where I always am, about 90 miles up the coast, hearing about the panels and parties while sitting in my office like every other day. I’m so close, yet so far away. I can practically smell the Con Funk in the marine layer wafting in from the ocean. It’s frustrating. (Also disgusting, but that goes with the convention territory)

But it’s probably for the best, since I would probably be complaining about the queues for everything and the packed halls and all that. And I’d probably end up spending money I don’t have on things I don’t need (“wow, a pencil once used by Chris Ware to sketch Quimby on a napkin at a restaurant in 1997? How much?”). Maybe next year.

This year, though, I’ll remind those of you who ARE in America’s Self-Proclaimed Finest City that you can see our Fearless Leader Chris Hardwick Saturday night at 4th and B, where the first Nerdist Podcast show with some actor types named Matt Smith and Karen Gillan is sold out and, to the best of my knowledge, tickets are going fast for the second show, featuring World Champion Judah Friedlander, the legendary Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett of Rifftrax and a show you may remember, and that Kevin Pereira dude. Go to it.

Whether you’re there or someplace else, though, there’s been plenty to entertain and inform you right here at Nerdist.com this week. Like:

1. The week started with a Hostful Podcast, in which Matt recapped his trip to the Shuttle launch and the various properties of zombies were once again discussed.

2. Kyle reviewed the second episode of Torchwood: Miracle Day. This one tipped the balance and was mostly set in America, which is weird.

3. Jay weighed in with his Harry Potter review. Loved it, he did.

4. Didn’t we just have an episode of The Indoor Kids? Yep, but our video game mavens Kumail and Ali returned with voice actor Justin Roiland in tow.

5. Bruce reviewed a very rugged Casio phone. Casio makes phones? Yes, and this one can take a beating and keep on, um, well, ticking isn’t quite the word, but it’ll work.

6. Jessica did some more book reviews, including some books by an author who is among us — if you’re an author, too, make sure Jessica knows it and gets a review copy, okay?

7. Arnie returned after a long hiatus to discuss the massive DC reboot, with 52 titles starting all over again. This could be good or it could go very wrong.

8. Ted posted the new Beastie Boys video directed by Spike Jonze, with plenty of action figure goodness.

9. Jessica waved farewell to Borders. Sucks that it’s going away, but, really, the chain hasn’t been the same for many years. I loved them when they first expanded to Philadelphia, but, later, they became uncomfortable, poorly-stocked, and run by surly record store refugees. So, yeah, farewell.

10. Jon gave us a lesson on emergency savings and ways to test out our investment prowess before actually investing a dime. Coulda used that advice a while back, actually.

11. Chuck! Well, Zachary Levi in particular. He was on the Podcast. He’s a nerd in real life, too. Like us.

12. Patrick penned a paean to gaming on the PC, citing the open nature of the medium — why, someone can create Garbage Truck Simulator and there’s no platform cops to say they can’t.

13. Matthew G. gave us a playlist of some of his favorite female artists, just because.

14. Matthew B. chronicled the story of China’s fake Apple stores, and then revealed that they’re selling real Apple items (apparently unauthorized). The fact that they spell “Store” S-T-O-E-R might be a tipoff.

15. We got an exclusive look at Alison Haislip’s new photos, in which she plays a Bondian spy and sets fanboys’ hearts afire. The one where she’s back-to-the-wall, waiting to spin out and shoot a guard… yeah, that’s a good one.

16. Riki Lindhome, she of Garfunkel and Oates, joined the Nerdist podcast network with her first episode of Making It, featuring guest Jason Ritter talking about auditions and stuff. ‘Twas a very good start.

17. The shuttle landed. An era ended.

18. Paul Rogers did a different, jazzy take on the Mad Men credit sequence. It’s definitely a departure from the real credits’ tone.

19. Beavis and Butt-Head are back. Huh huh.

20. Danny previewed William Shatner’s interviews with Captains. It’s on Epix, and you might be able to see it for free this weekend if your cable system’s doing the free preview. Mine is. Hah!

21. Not being at the panel Chris hosted for The Walking Dead didn’t mean we couldn’t see the Season 2 trailer that AMC unveiled there. If you weren’t eagerly anticipating the season before, you are now. October 16th. Earlier in the week, Danny had the sneak peek trailer, but the newer one was over four minutes of tantalizing action.

22. Sex Nerd Sandra found a very interesting vibrator, tiny and effective. Or so she says. I wouldn’t know about that kind of thing. Hey, she’s appearing Friday night at NerdMelt, if you’re in L.A. and read this in time.

And as we enter our weekends, remember that a burrito is enjoyable wherever you eat it, whether at Comic-Con or your home, or at a Mexican restaurant in Palos Verdes where they’re playing a peppy, horn-laden Spanish-language version of “Back On the Chain Gang,” which just happened to me. Seriously. Consider that burrito enjoyed with a vengeance.